How do you make images transparent in inDesign?

[jinda55]

How do you make images transparent in Adobe InDesign CS5.5?

[Manish-Sharma]

select the image ,

Go to Objects-->effects-->Transparency , and change the opacity value.

[jinda55]

Not what I wanted.

The white background still stays

[Manish-Sharma · Accepted solution]

so if I get you correct , you have the image and you want to make its background transparent....

if so, not possible use application like Photoshop or Illustartor and then import it in Indesign

[jinda55]

Yep so I've got an image that has a white background. I only want the part of the image that does not have a white background.

Okay will do.

[Eugene Tyson]

http://www.graphic-design-employment.com/photoshop-clipping-paths.html

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter-archive/indesign/articles/idn3arclippath.html

[i_mcre8tive]

If you are importing a layered tiff file, with the white bg on it, you can turn this off in the layer settings

[BobLevine]

Not in InDesign you can’t. And you’d need to open it in Photoshop and resave it with the transparency.

[i_mcre8tive]

Sorry my bad, its a PSD file not Tiff...

I meant if the white background is a separate layer you can switch it off. Obviously if it is a flattened image, you need to edit the image in PS to remove the white background, but if this white background is a separate layer, it can be switched off in InDesign by importing the psd and turning the layer in that psd off in the layer settings...

[i_mcre8tive]

Otherwise the only format you can use with the transparency would be an AI or PNG

[BobLevine]

That you have to do in Photoshop…and you might want to take a little time to write your questions with some actual details.

Bob

[jinda55]

tbh I think it was pretty much a straight forward question.

[Jongware]

Indeed it was; so Manish gave you the straightforward answer.

[Guest]

It is possible to do this in InDesign. I did it last year in our annual reports but I cannot for the life of me remember how I did it. I will have a hunt through my notes and see what I did.

[Peter Spier]

Did you read through this thread? The whole thing is there....

[Magnus46]

Thanks, this is exactly what i wanted to know :3

[Dittco]

It IS possible: Select the image. Open effects (Window > Effects). Switch from "normal" to "multiply". Viola! White background is gone.

Good question jinda55.

[Jongware]

Dittco wrote:

It IS possible: Select the image. Open effects (Window > Effects). Switch from "normal" to "multiply". Viola! White background is gone.

That only works with a white background. In addition, it introduces a transparency effect, with its associated problems.

With a rather light background: Select the image. Open clipping path (Object > Clipping Path > Options). Select Type > Detect Edges; use Threshold and Tolerance to get as close as possible to the edge of your image. This may be difficult because of a too low resolution image, or too much fringe on the edge -- if all fails, use the Inset Frame value to force the mask "into" the image. Click OK, and the background is gone.

But that's not the only way: you can always create a clipping path manually, and then you are in total control, not limited by transparency side effects, auto-edge detection, and busy backgrounds.

[alexandraj89216983]

Awesome thank you. I knew it must be simple as I was using a file someone else had made and the images were automatically knocking out backgrounds

[BasmahAlQatami]

Thank you!!! You saved me a lot of time, I was worried i had to do it on photoshop or illustrator but I'm short on time.

[Perrone direct]

Thank you, All that other BS from the other peeps was not needed.

[JoshuahLeigh]

You win the internet