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davidk268
Participant
March 21, 2018
Answered

Placing .ai file, exports with outlines?

  • March 21, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 314 views

Hi all,

Is there anyway to 'remove' the white outlines that appear in the picture below?

The logo has been placed in .ai format and I am exporting to PDF.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Dave Merchant

    Those are flattening hairlines; they usually appear when viewing a PDF on a computer screen but not in print; it's a long-standing bug in the way the pages are rendered into screen images.

    If there is something in your AI file that is defining that rectangular region (even if it is behind another layer or set as invisible) then the process of creating a transparency-flattened PDF will see it as a boundary and slice the overlying page objects into pieces in the name of 'efficiency'. If the PDF creation library is told to flatten transparency (e.g. for PDF/X) and it decides to slice something there's nothing you can do to stop it.

    2 replies

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 21, 2018

    Hi David,

    it is very likely that the "white outlines" are stitching artefacts that come with transparency reduction.

    You have to do two things to make them go away:

    1. Save your AI file with transparency intact ( PDF/X-4 recommended ).

    2. After placing in your InDesign layout make sure that you also export to PDF with a PDF/X-4 preset.

    Regards,
    Uwe

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    davidk268Author
    Participant
    March 21, 2018

    Thank you for the feedback Uwe

    D
    Dave MerchantCorrect answer
    Legend
    March 21, 2018

    Those are flattening hairlines; they usually appear when viewing a PDF on a computer screen but not in print; it's a long-standing bug in the way the pages are rendered into screen images.

    If there is something in your AI file that is defining that rectangular region (even if it is behind another layer or set as invisible) then the process of creating a transparency-flattened PDF will see it as a boundary and slice the overlying page objects into pieces in the name of 'efficiency'. If the PDF creation library is told to flatten transparency (e.g. for PDF/X) and it decides to slice something there's nothing you can do to stop it.

    D
    davidk268Author
    Participant
    March 21, 2018

    Thanks Dave!

    It is in fact for print so in that case I will ignore it.

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