PDF file for print with transparent background

[martag23036585]

Hi! I have a problem, because I have no idea how to do that.

I need to print (in a professional printing company) a transparent flyers, with one word in black (transparent foil, and a black word "CATS" on it). I already sent to the print company TIFF and PSD files (with transparency), but they require PDFs only. 

How can I create PDF file with transparent background (or in other words - no background) in InDesign? Is that even possible? 

[Willi Adelberger]

1. Save the Photoshop file as PSD with layers.
2. Place both files in InDesign, Use layers.
3. Export the INDD file as PDF according of the printer’s requirement.
4. Send it to the printer.

[martag23036585]

Hi Willi, thank you 🙂

I followed your advice, and just created this. Do you think it will be ok now?

[rob day]

Hi @martag23036585 Typically foil or varnish plates are setup as Spot color separations with the Foil swatch Color Type spec’d as Spot. The PDF you posted is not doing that—it would output as 4-color to the process plates

You want the word cats outputting to both the Black plate and a Spot plate like this:

Has the print company offered instructions on how to setup the foil plate?

[rob day]

There are a number of ways to generate a foil or varnish separation, so you should talk to the printer.

FWIW, I setup a Foil Spot Swatch and Mixed Ink Swatch combining the [Black] and the Foil swatch in InDesign:

[martag23036585]

All these things look very complicated to me., and I don't understand them...

In general, I work with InDesign almost every day (in my work I prepare files for print, like brochures, flyers, info-cards etc.), and most of these things have always been clear and simple for me. Now I'm totally confused, becasue it looks like creating just one word withany background is way more complicated than creating a magazine design.

[Willi Adelberger]

I would make the word Cats not in Photoshop, but in InDesign or Illustrator.

Write the word in the wanted color.

Duplicate it to an upper layer and change it to the vanish spot color.

[rob day]

I think you need to talk to the printer—foils and varnishes have to be printed on a separate plate. If you inspect your PDF in AcrobatPro the text is an image that is going to separate as a process CMYK 4-color mix:

[martag23036585]

Acrobat Reader shows me the file I created as transparent. Are you sure it's wrong?

[rob day]

An InDesign page itself is always transparent—the black text is going to output to separations as 75|68|67|90 CMYK and the background is going to output as 0|0|0|0.

Your original question seemed to be implying you want the text to output to the Black plate and a separate plate for the foil printing with no CMY. Is that what you are trying to do?

[martag23036585]

Hi Rob. I will try to explain it better.

I need the word "CATS" in black, with no background around it. 

This word will be printed on many different surfaces with different patterns (some of them will be transparent, like glass), and these surfaces need to be visible. That is why I need the transparent PDF file with "CATS" word in black color, with NO BACKGROUND around this word.

An example: the print company have a silver paper. And I need them to print the "CATS" word on that silver paper, so the printing machine will not print ANYTHING ELSE: only the word "CATS" will be printed, and original silver surface will be visible around that word. So no other prints except the dlack word "CATS". Just like you would make a black (rubber)stamp on a silver paper, or on any other surface.

[jmlevy · Accepted solution]

Maybe it is because English is not my native language, but I do not actually understand your concern: when you export a PDF from InDesign, there is no background (unless you create one with a colored frame). So, if there is nothing behind the word “cats”, there is no problem.

[martag23036585]

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW.

THANK YOU 🙂

I was affraid the word "Cats" will be printed together with the white background. Now I know I created my file correctly 🙂