Creating graphics for video projection

[aptt37510922]

I am creating some graphics to project onto a stage during a play. The primary color I'm projecting is White, and of course using a lot of other colors too. But I'm having a hard time using Illustrator for this since it insists on treating White as "Nothing" (e.g. the paper color). I can change the paper to Black but then the tools don't work well, I can't see what I have selected and so forth.

What I want to do is create designs in White, with colors used where necessary - basically just like Illustrator seems to want, except white instead of black.

Is there a setting I'm missing, or is there a different app I should be using for this task? I have the full Creative Cloud but I'm very much a novice.

[jdanek]

Even if you create a spot white, it will project as a on-color and whatever you background is ( i.e., the wall or curtain, or whatever ).  That will happen no matter what app you use.  If you want white, you have to project onto white.

[Anna Lander]

Don't change the paper colour. Projector also counts the White as Nothing (in RGB - the maximum level of whit ray). So the result will depend on your stage background like Jdanek says.

[aptt37510922]

I don't mean to say that the white isn't projecting - it is. The trouble is that many of my projections are nothing BUT white. I can't create something white, on a white background in Illustrator. And if I use a Black background, I can't see some of the tools. I guess I could use Grey?

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

If you turn on View > Show Transparency Grid you can see the difference between white objects and transparent "None" filled objects.

[JETalmage]

And if I use a Black background, I can't see some of the tools.

I don't know what that means, because the drawing tools are still visible when hovering over a black object or a transparency grid set to black. Regardless...

If it's more comfortable to you to work with objects filled with some color other than the final (white), then simply use any color you want as a substitute and define it as a Global Swatch. Create all your objects using that Swatch. When done, as a last step, edit the Global Swatch to redefine it as white. All the objects to which it has been applied will update accordingly.

Or, simply use whatever color you find comfortable for a drawn background object. Change it to black when done.

But as others have tried to convey, if you want the white artwork to project like a spotlight in some shape, you'll need the black background to print.

You also need to explain what kind of projection you're talking about. Are you printing or fabricating some kind of physical transparency slide or mask, or is it a digital projector, like used in a conference room? If it's a digital projector, you'll likely find that black does not project as black (no light). Digital projectors work much like your monitor. To see what I'm talking about, create a file with nothing but a black object in it and zoom in so that the black fills the entire screen. Turn off the lights and you'll see that your monitor is still glowing; far from "black". Maybe purpose-built stage projectors don't work that way; I don't know.

JET

[aptt37510922]

Thanks everyone. "Show Transparency Grid" seems to have gotten me where I need to be.

I am using a digital projector. It's true that there is some bleed light so black isn't quite "Black" but with stage lights it's close enough, the bleed isn't visible at all so we can assume it's "Black" for my purposes, i.e. invisible. I'm projecting onto a set that is painted in a neutral grey/tan coloration so the projections show up fairly well. Just trying to figure out how to use the Illustrator tools, which are obviously tuned for Print work, and how to make the adaptations.

I appreciate the help!