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cameronc87029744
Participating Frequently
July 13, 2017
Answered

Outer Glow color doesn't appear over a background

  • July 13, 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 20420 views

I'm working on this design in Illustrator that has a bit of Outer Glow fx applied to it. These effects are working ok on objects that are mostly white or gray. When I get to the type, which is red, and apply the effect it seems to only appear when I take it off the artboard (or removed the background color), but when I place it upon the design and background layer I'm working on it turns to white/gray! This is all being placed over a black background because the final image will be printed on black tees. What gives?

Really hoping there's a simple fix that I'm just missing to make the effect appear the way I hope - no matter what.

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Correct answer Monika Gause

You will have to prepare artwork without a background in order to hand it to the printer.

So you will have to work without a background. It simply does not matter if your design shows or doesn't show on the background, because you need it to work without any background in the file.

You will probably need to not use the Outerglow at all.

Apart from that: Which color mode is the file? At least some blend modes in the Outerglow effect work differently in CMYK and RGB documents.

5 replies

Arsohr
Arsohr
Participant
July 1, 2019

I had the same problem for 2weeks and I finally got it.

First of all changing the mode to normal instead of screen needs to your shape be a group.

I mean a single shape doesnt need that but when you have lots of shapes and you want to use outer Glow over a background layer you need to group them then use the Normal Mode option.

Works for me ...

DougShortuclaX
DougShortuclaX
Participant
August 28, 2018

I have been using Ps for a few years now but have not had much experience with outer glow.


Ran into this problem as well.  Why doesn't it just glow?

Seems a very basic concept that doesn't work very well.

Anyhow, I couldn't figure out what to do to make the glow appear without creating the image on a background free space.

SO, created the object, added the glow, dropped the background, made a copy of the object with the glow, rasterized the glowing object and could then drag it onto the work space with the background.

It's a workaround, and clearly not without some downside since now the object is rasterized, but I can't figure out any other way.  Not sure why it just doesn't follow the logic, add glow.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 13, 2017

You will have to prepare artwork without a background in order to hand it to the printer.

So you will have to work without a background. It simply does not matter if your design shows or doesn't show on the background, because you need it to work without any background in the file.

You will probably need to not use the Outerglow at all.

Apart from that: Which color mode is the file? At least some blend modes in the Outerglow effect work differently in CMYK and RGB documents.

C
cameronc87029744Author
Participating Frequently
July 13, 2017

Yes, you're correct I won't need the background file to print however I still want to understand why it won't show up on the background color (I'm about 2 weeks in to using Adobe CC and design overall, so still very n00b). I would also like to use or be able to export sample png or jpg files with the full intent represented.

I believe the current color mode of the file is CMYK. Would I need to change this, and if so what other alterations - if any - would I need to make?

Thanks!

jharsem
jharsem
Participating Frequently
July 13, 2017

Hiya Cameron,

probably lacking a few details here but the Outer Glow effect has a Mode setting on it that changes how the glow interacts with the background - could you have set it to one that hides/changes it ?

   

    J
    jennifero60563171
    Participant
    February 5, 2019

    Does anyone know how to make it appear on a file for print? I have a black background set up as the base layer of my artboard, and I can see the glow as I'm manipulating an item but when I click out of the fx panel it disapears

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 5, 2019

    Please show.

    Please do also tell us the document color mode and of course the options for your object: color of the glow and blend mode applied.

    michelew83603738
    Community Expert
    michelew83603738Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 13, 2017

    Can you post an screenshot of the image and the appearance panel with the object selected so we can see what is going on?

    C
    cameronc87029744Author
    Participating Frequently
    July 13, 2017

    Here is a screenshot, with the red type selected, and placed below my original type. Over the black background layer they appear to have the same resulting glow (white hues), although as I mentioned when I remove the black layer the reddish glow does seem to appear as desired.

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 13, 2017

    Yu will need to change the color mode to RGB.

    When preparing stuff for printing you will need to discuss the color mode with the print vencor. For web images RGB is OK and it should work for printing t-shirts as well. But check that with the print production people.

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