Exporting with alpha channel - Help!

[KaylePS]

Hey! I hope one of you can help me with this. I´m a total Illustrator beginner and I´m facing a problem the Internet just couldn´t help me with.

I got a vector graphic that I need to convert to be used in Photoshop.

It looks like this :

I need to find a way to either create an Alpha Channel or to export this file with it´s current opacity.

All I manage to do right now is export it with total transparency which looks like this : 

Can someone give me a beginner friendly way to do that? You´d make my day ❤️

Thank you very much in advance!

[Ton Frederiks]

Copy in Illustrator.

Create a New File in Photoshop.

Paste?

[KaylePS]

That would have been great, but no. It looses it´s opacity as in picture two.

[Test Screen Name]

Why can't you just open it directly in Photoshop? If the opacity is messed up you reapply transparency to its layer.

[Test Screen Name]

Also... you can export with transparency so far as I know, so long as the file format supports it. What format were you using?

[KaylePS]

Hi! I wish it was that easy but just adding transparency back in Photoshop is not an option I fear.

The vector image itself is made out of lot´s of different parts that when overlayed give it spots where there is less transparency and more in other places. I´ve been trying PNG-24 and PSD. Both should support Alpha Channels and Transparency anyway.

https://i.gyazo.com/f4448f709e830c11a9e2c49739625264.mp4

[Anna Lander]

could you please share a file (no need all one, you can put the part into a new file to show its structure)

I've tried to repeat the issue, and the easiest way (to open the file directly in PS) worked fine.

in AI:

in PS:

so it's difficult to say anything without seeing the working file.

[KaylePS]

Hey! I´ve send you a message with the link. Thank you for having a look!

I can open the file in photoshop directly, but the checkered background that is supposed to be transparent ends up being baked into the texture without a way to seperate the layers.

I can export it from Illustrator without the background layer but then it ends up being Picture 2.

[Anna Lander · Accepted solution]

Yes, I see.

Well, the problem is that your objects are not really transparent. All transparency is made by blending modes, It's OK when you have something below your object to create blend (you see, if there is no content below, there is no blending)

SO, when you have a fake transparency grid under the water splashes, it becomes a base for blending:

but if we hide the fake grid and look at the image on the real grid, we see another image:

All transparency has gone: there is no object to blend with it.

And the same thing takes place when you export or copy your art outside Illustrator.

So, if you don't want to change the appearance of all the splashes, the best way is to follow Ton's adbice and use the AI art as a main and add the photoshop content there.

[KaylePS]

Darn! I get it though and I don´t think there is a blending modes to Alpha channel button.

I will manage but alot of thx to all of you! I will mark this as the sad answer to my problem 🙂

Have a great day all of you!

[Ton Frederiks]

It is probably easier to work the other way around and bring the Photoshop content into Illustrator below the water drops and above the fake transparency grid.

[KaylePS]

Can´t do that sadly 😐 The final content is not used as an image but as part of a 3D model texture.

[Anna Lander]

What about adding as a bg layer the "diffuse" color for a texture or the texturised image if you plan create something more complex? And then export to any texture-compatible format (psd, png, jpg etc.)?

Otherwice you will need to change all fills to transparent-based form. It's not catastrofically difficult, but takes quite long time.

[Ton Frederiks]

[Anna Lander]

If your AI is 2020 version, you can use the Free Gradient instead Gradient Mesh (the example below is not trying to re-create exactly an original appearance but just a sample).

Left is original, right is re-created with Free gradients/

On a fake grid:

on a real transparency:

[Oscar Curiel]

I have the same situation but worst, any solution so far?

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Oscar Curiel,

Sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind sharing more details about your exact workflow, the OS/Illustrator version, and public links to a sample AI file after uploading it to Dropbox/Google Drive/etc., so we can better assist you?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav