How to apply a semi-transparent background to a text box

[_Gay_Alson_]

Hi Framers,

The cover of my doc has a full-page .png file on a master page. I want to add the title of the manual on the body page of the cover in a text box. No problem. However, I want to apply a semi-transparent effect to the background of the text box, so the graphic behind it shows in a muted way.

I'm sure this has to do with some combination of the Tint, Fill, and Overprint settings but none of my experiments have produced anything close to the desired effect.

I did RTFM and also searched the Help and the forum. I truly hope I didn't overlook the answer---but if I did, it wasn't for lack of trying!

As always, your expertise is very much appreciated.
TIA,
Gay

[Art Campbell]

Gay,

Frame doesn't support transparency in imported graphics.

To do this, you can open the original png in a graphic editor such as Photoshop and grey it down (I'd probably try creating a layer from the background and dialing down the opacity, but there are a number of ways you could do it). Then just import the dialed-down graphic.

Art

[_Gay_Alson_]

Hi Art,

I wasn't clear in my initial description: I'm not trying to make the imported graphic transparent, only the background of my FrameMaker text box (it's actually the "rounded rectangle" shape on the FrameMaker graphics toolbar, into which I then add text) that sits on top of the imported graphic. I was hoping I could modify the FrameMaker object's background to permit the underlying image to partially show through. I can make it a solid color and I can give it no fill at all, but was hoping to give it a partial fill.

Am I still off-base?

Thank you for taking your time to help with this,
Gay

[Arnis Gubins]

Gay,

You need to set the fill for your text frame to None. It is set to
White (hence opaque) by default.

This also applies to imported graphics, especially eps files. The
background fill is set to White by default, but if you select the
graphic and change the fill to None, then you will see objects that
are underneath/behind the graphic.

[_Van_Kurtz_]

Gay,

Art is giving you a different way to do what you want. You want to make the background of a text block transparent in FrameMaker; you cannot do this. But you can get the same LOOK by adjusting the transparency of the image, which allows the white of the page to show through. You get the same LOOK by a different method.

As Art says, there are several ways to get the same look. More in line with your concept, open the image in Photoshop and add a layer on top of the image. Fill this layer entirely with white. Then adjust the transparency of the white layer to allow the image layer to show through. Then import the image back into the Frame file. This method just moves the transparency from the Frame text block (where it cannot exist) to the image itself.

Van

[_Gay_Alson_]

Wow, I wish I had Photoshop! I use a less sophisticated image editor, which has always served quite adequately and since it supports layers, I'll try to figure out how to do what you're suggesting.

(I did try a "None" fill and the bottom image does show up, but I wanted it a bit muted, as would happen with perhaps a "half transparency" and that is apparently what I can't achieve in FM.)

If I understand correctly, I need to edit the imported graphic to make a portion of it appear semi-transparent, and then when I bring it back into FM and put my text box on top of it, it will appear the same as if I had been able to put a partial transparency in the fill of the text box...

I really, really, really hate it when I find myself thinking "Word could do this easily, why can't Frame?"

Thanks for your helpful suggestions, guys, you're great. As always!
Gay

[Art Campbell]

Photoshop is available as a free 30-day eval.

;- )

Art

[R__VanDyke]

And The Gimp is Free Open Source Software (FOSS).

http://www.gimp.org/

It uses a somewhat different U.I. which takes some getting accustomed to, but is reasonably powerful and sophisticated...