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A
alwasha
New Participant
July 2, 2010
Answered

[Locked] How do I get a transparent background in my Illustrator file?

  • July 2, 2010
  • 18 replies
  • 1632841 views

I'm relatively new to Illustrator, (I'm working in CS4) and created a corporate logo for one of my clients.  When I place the logo into Photoshop or InDesign, the logo is in a white box.  How can I make the background transparent in the original Illustrator file?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Mike_Gondek10189183

    Illustrator >> View >> Show transparency grid

    You will see a checkerboard pattern showing you where you have tranparency.

    Save your .ai fle with pdf compatible and place into InDesign

    If you placed as .eps in InDesign you need to

    InDesgin>>View >> Display Performace >> High quality Display

    18 replies

    Show previous replies
    theCam
    theCam
    New Participant
    September 27, 2014

    It's funny how everyone's saying to save it as .eps when really you can simply export it as a png file like on Photoshop. go to File --> Export --> Save As Type '.png' --> Export --> Interlaced [√] --> Background Color [Transparent] --> OK.

      Willi Adelberger
      Willi Adelberger
      Community Expert
      September 29, 2014
      karatechopninja schrieb:
      

      

      It's funny how everyone's saying to save it as .eps when really you can simply export it as a png file like on Photoshop. go to File --> Export --> Save As Type '.png' --> Export --> Interlaced [√] --> Background Color [Transparent] --> OK.

      When you want to import Illustrator Art work into InDesign, you should never use PNG. Never use EPS.

      Save as AI and place it. Because EPS does not support transparency, PNG supports only reduced opacity but not any other kind of transparency. Using PNG os so a very bad idea.

      PNG is also a raster file type. Why should someone rasterize vector artwork when it can be placed as AI file.

      Please, don't give wrong or terrible advices.

      You should neither do it with Photoshop files, if you place a Photoshop file in other applications, use PSD or if the file contains vectors or text, use PDP or PDF.

        TANK___
        TANK___
        New Participant
        September 23, 2014
        I have no idea.
        Monika Gause
        Monika Gause
        Community Expert
        September 23, 2014

        By default Illustrator files don't have a background unless you create some rectangle in the back of your artwork.

        K
        kevphil
        New Participant
        June 22, 2014

        For both questions:

        If your Illy file is not too big/complex, you can try Copy & Paste thru the Clipboard. Going into Photoshop, it will come in transparent. (Of course, the PDF Save is also good, at least when placing in InDesign.)

        For web work, you can Save As either a PNG or PSD, open in Photoshop and then re-size as needed. Export as PNG for use on web.

        Fobioid
        Fobioid
        Inspiring
        August 17, 2013

        Create an outline of the logo with the pen tool, select the image and the outline and make a clipping mask (Command +7).

        D
        dyemotion
        New Participant
        November 18, 2013

        Hello @all,

        I have a similar problem.

        I created the icon in illustrator and saved it via "save for website" as an png-file. Bevor saving the file, I checked that the background is transparent.

        But after uploading the the png-file, I noticed that the edges of the bounding box are still white.

        Please take a look at the attachments.

        Thank you very very much!!!

        TREX8905603
        TREX8905603
        Participating Frequently
        November 18, 2013

        You can place native files (Ai, Psd) straight into Indesign, also, you can save the Illustrator file as an .eps file.

        Or from Illustrator save file to Photoshop:- File - Export - Format :  Photoshop PSD

        Hope this makes sense?

          pjdv
          pjdv
          New Participant
          April 6, 2013

          Make sure to Place the file! (File > Place...) Hope this helps!

            R
            richardson_joel
            New Participant
            August 6, 2013

            This started happening to my inDesign files and I wanted to pull my hair out.

            @pjdv is right, but you have to select SHOW IMPORT OPTIONS in the dialog box for placing objects to get that dialog box in his screenshot

            B
            bfarrelli2
            New Participant
            September 6, 2012

            I am not exactly certain of your problem, but when I want to create an image to insert into a word file, or InDesign or whatever, I do a FILE>SAVE FOR WEB.

            Then make it a GIF. Set it to have transparancy and it comes right in with no white background. You have to play with the size of it, as they usually start really small.

              M
              msleute
              New Participant
              November 29, 2012

              I have designed a menu with overlapping pics screened to 15% n the background. When I sent this to a print shop for copying I am getting black lines that show up. It looks like my artboard and guidleines. When I used my home printer to print these linses are not there. Can you make a suggestion to remedy this or tell me what I might be doing wrong

              A
              Anonymous
              October 27, 2011

              Save it as an eps file.

              When you save it, an EPS Options dialog box will open.

              Under "Preview" there is a drop down menu "Format".

              Select "TIFF (8-bit Color)", no matter if it is a one colour or 4 colour file.

              Under the drop down menu there are 2 options, "Transparent" and "Opaque". Choose Transparent.

              When you link this file in InDesign, it will come in without a background.

              If you need a raster file, open it in Photoshop and save it as a .tiff and check off "Transparent".

              Hope this helps everyone!

                Monika Gause
                Monika Gause
                Community Expert
                October 27, 2011

                If you want to place a file in InDesign, don't use EPS. Use AI or PDF. EPS is kind of dated.

                  A
                  Anonymous
                  October 27, 2011

                  EPS files are not dated. They may be bigger than .ai files but they are still a common file type especially when dealing with all the different levels of software (CS 5, CS 5.5)....

                    W
                    Wade_Zimmerman1
                    Inspiring
                    July 2, 2010

                    Ok so I do not know if you did this or not but if one just saves the after flattening the transparency then this will happen if one saves it as an eps this will happen but if one saves it s an .ai file without flattening the transparency then the art retains its transparency..

                    Like such same art one with the transparency flattened the other as an ai file without flattening the transparency.

                    I want to clarify he issue if you have effects applied to the art  and save as an eps this will occur with no effects then the eps should work fine.

                      A
                      alwashaAuthor
                      New Participant
                      July 2, 2010

                      Thanks Wade,

                      I appreciate your help on this. Before I posted my question on the

                      forum, I placed both the original ai file and eps file into both

                      InDesign and Photoshop, and got the same results: white box. Maybe

                      it's the way I built the original ai file that's at fault. What can I

                      do to the original file that will enable me to make the background

                      transparent?

                      AL

                      Al Washa

                      Creative Director/Art Director

                      Specializing in Strategic Communications and Advertising

                      703-901-2323, alwasha@mac.com

                      www.alwasha.com

                      W
                      Wade_Zimmerman1
                      Inspiring
                      July 2, 2010

                      Without seeing the file it is hard to say. You could try to export it as a psd file.

                      But if you can post the file I can see if not if you can use the camera icon in the message composer to attach screenshots of you art and or layers panel expanded and the appearance panel also expanded that would be helpful.

                      If you can describe what steps you foloewed to create the art that might help.

                      Right now it is a little vague.

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