Logo transparency displays incorrectly online

[tbledsoe]

Hello! I have an .ai file of my logo that I've used for years, and as recently as 2 months ago. It is an all white logo with a transparent background. Just today, I copied (not placed) it into a new document in InDesign and then saved the file as a PDF. Next, I uploaded it to my website, then tested the download myself. The transparency in the logo displays correctly in the file on my PC, but when viewed online, the transparent part is all white. I've done this whole procedure tons of times and never had this problem. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help!

BTW, I cleared my browsing history, logged out of  Wix, and tried everything again. Same problem.

[Eugene Tyson]

It sounds like you're using a PDF as an image on your Wix site is that right?

PDFs aren't typically ideal for web images, especially when transparency is involved. Even if the transparency works locally (e.g., in Acrobat), rendering online (especially via Wix or web browsers) can often flatten or misinterpret that transparency, depending on how the PDF is encoded and how the site handles it.

Maybe try

Export from Illustrator

Since your logo is in AI format, try exporting it as an SVG (best for logos on the web due to scalability and transparency support) or a PNG with a transparent background.

Avoid copy-paste between apps
Copying from Illustrator into InDesign can carry over unpredictable clipboard data it’s better to place the artwork properly into InDesign if you need to use it there.

Why PDF for web?
PDFs are better suited for print or document sharing. For online use, especially in Wix, SVG or PNG is the way to go.

Check your old files
Do older versions of the same file still work online? If yes, maybe there’s been a change in how Wix handles transparency or how you're saving/exporting the file.

Software changes
Any updates to InDesign, Illustrator, or system clipboard handling settings could affect how transparency data is transferred or interpreted between programs.

Test in Photoshop
If the PDF looks good in Acrobat, open it in Photoshop and save as PNG or export directly from Illustrator.

Ultimately, for consistent web display, skip the PDF step and export your logo in a true web format directly from Illustrator.

[BobLevine]

I think the OP copy/pasted the logo from one InDesign file to another. That shouldn't be an issue.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @tbledsoe,

Thanks for reaching out! I understand how frustrating it must be to see your logo transparency display incorrectly online, especially when it's something that worked just fine before.

I hope Eugene's suggestion helped clarify things. If not, could you let us know which version of InDesign and operating system you're using? Also, is this issue happening with just this one file or with other similar ones as well?

Since you mentioned copying the logo into InDesign, I'd recommend placing the logo directly into the document instead. Sometimes, copying between apps like Illustrator and InDesign can introduce hidden formatting issues that affect the final output. Also, if you're planning to use this logo online, exporting it as an SVG or PNG directly from Illustrator might give you better results with transparency.

Let me know how it goes or if the issue still persists after trying that. 

Abhishek

[darif_0000]

Hello,

Try exporting your PDF from InDesign using the PDF/X-4 or High Quality Print preset to preserve transparency. Also, check that transparency flattening is set to high resolution or disabled. PDFs sometimes show transparency fine on your PC but not in browsers. For web use, PNG or SVG with transparency usually works better than PDF.

Best Regard,

Darif

e-zpassri

[Willi Adelberger]

When you use Illustrator files in InDesign, don't copy and paste Import them with the place command as AI or PDF/ -4 files into InDesign. 

[BobLevine]

Viewed online? All bets are off, especially if you're using any kind of transparency.

Check the PDF in Acrobat, if it works there, it's fine. If not, make sure the white logo is not set to overprint and as already pointed out, export to PDF/X-4

[BobLevine]

One other thing...make sure there are no spot colors involved. Might help to post the logo along with the full PDF export and a link for us to look at.

[rob day]

Hi @tbledsoe , Can you share the PDF?

[Laubender]

Hi @tbledsoe ,

I would export the page the following way:

Standard: None
Compatibility: Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)

Output > Color >
Color Conversion: Convert to Destination
Destination: sRGB IEC61966-2.1
Profile Inclusion Policy: Include Destination Profile
[ x ] Simulate Overprint

Important: If you are using any spot colors in your document, do NOT convert any spot colors to CMYK with the Ink Manager. Leave them visible as spot colors in the Ink Manager.

Note: The settings above do not match settings that are neccessary for CMYK printing. Do that only for PDFs that should be viewed in browsers and other PDF viewer apps that are not Acrobat Pro or Adobe Reader for macOS and Windows.

Speculation: A white rectangle is set to "overprint" inside your PDF.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Luke Jennings3]

"The transparency in the logo displays correctly in the file on my PC". Are you saying the pdf looks ok in Acrobat? Is your Acrobat page display preference for viewing overprint set to "Always"? (recommend). Your InDesign clipboard preference should be set to "prefer pdf when pasting".  I suspect the drop shadow in your Illustrator logo may be causing issues, possibly due to grouping with other elements, try flattening illustrator layers and re-saving the logo before pasting into InDesign.

[BobLevine]

Well, the OP seems to have disappeared (which drives me batty) but I don't think the logo is being pasted from Illy. I read it to say that it's placed in one ID file and then pasted from there which would just paste the same link.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I believe the OP is talking about a PDF of an InDesign document that they have uploaded to the website, and NOT talking about the logo as PART of the website. In any case, what they describe as the "transparent" part of the logo is probably a Composite shape "cutout" in Illustrator. It seems whatever browser viewer they are using is not rendering the winding direction properly, which causes it to lose its "cutout" status and end up being white layered on white. 

Copying and pasting thos logo from one documnet to another is irrelevant.

My question is: Is it only one specific Browser that does it? (i.e. chrome/firefox/safari/edge, etc), or all of them?

In any case, if the PDF can be shared here, we can poke at it abit.

[BobLevine]

That's kind of the problem when the OP never comes back. I guess we wait.

[Scott Falkner]

Try reversing the path direction of the round rectangle.

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Hi @tbledsoe,

Hope you're doing well!

We would like to follow up on your issue. Were you able to resolve it using the suggestions provided by our experts in the post?

Please let us know if you need any further assistance. Also, if a particular solution worked for you, we’d appreciate it if you could share it here to help others who might face a similar issue in the future.

Thanks,
Harshika