Skip to main content
Z
Zed 248
Inspiring
August 3, 2023
Question

A modern way to eliminate transparency in PDF

  • August 3, 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 3531 views

Hi there,

 

I would like to ask for some help with the print production workflow.

 

The printer I am preparing data for insists on receiving PDFs without transparency. This could be achieved using Acrobat 1.3 when exporting from Id, but it tiles the bitmaps and I am afraid that the hairlines may appear between the tiles.

 

So the only solution I have found is to isolate all the transparent objects and background into a separate layer, while keeping the text and vector objects on their own layer. I export the transparent objects and background as a PDF which I then open in Ps, save as a .psd file and then import into Id as a replacement for the layer I prepared it from. Then I export it as a PDF with no transparencies and no tiling.

 

This way of working seems a bit outdated to me, but do you have a better solution?

 

Thank you!

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 3, 2023

Hi @Zed 248 , As @Jeffrey_Smith suggests stitching is caused by the anti-aliasing methods on low res devices and displays. You can change the display anti-aliasing Acrobat uses by unchecking Smooth line art in the Page Display Preference:

 

 

Printers using automated prepress systems want flattened CMYK because it forces the client to see the results of flattening and out-of-gamut colors being brought into gamut, which are not always expected. For example the page on the left exported to PDF/X-4 matches in AcrobatPro when I don’t view the Output Preview :

 

 

But I get this with Output Preview turned on:

 

 

 

 

    Z
    Zed 248Author
    Inspiring
    August 3, 2023

    So you would think that tiling / stitching is safe and the print will be clean?

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2023

    Should be, but my very strong advice is to contact the client in writing a warn them you cannot be held responsible for it.

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2023

    Outdated? Archaic and ancient would be better descriptions.

    Find another printer! If you're stuck with this one, design accordingly.

    Z
    Zed 248Author
    Inspiring
    August 3, 2023

    Thanks for your reply, Bob.

    The customer chose this printer (cheap?) and I can't do anything with it.

    J
    Community Expert
    Jeffrey_SmithCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2023

    My suggestion is export to a flattened PDF version, rather than image replacement. Any extraneous file manipulation can lead to an error, and there is more chance of error with this method.

     

    Although flattened images can be fractured into multiple parts, these parts will abutt with no space in between. The visual display of hairlines is an Acrobat display issue. The one potential risk is your print vendor's RIP/DFE has a trap setting to choke raster images by default. This could lead to actual gaps (hairlines).

    Z
    Zed 248Author
    Inspiring
    August 3, 2023

    Thanks for your reply, Jeffrey!

     

    You are absolutely right about the potential for error in this kind of workflow, but as I understand your advice, you cannot be absolutely sure about the appearance of hairlines when using standard PDF flattening. So maybe the clumsy way I described at the beginning is really a safe bet in terms of the print result, but it does give some chance of error.

     

    I really don't know what settings the printer uses.

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices