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EPS file with a drop shadow has white box

Participant ,
Jun 09, 2020 Jun 09, 2020

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When I import a particular EPS file into InDesign and turn on overprint preview, it has a white box around it. This EPS has a drop shadow which appears to be causing the problem. Although I can find plenty of work arounds, in this instance the file needs to keep the drop shadow in the original file and must be CMYK since it's for print

 

I've tried saving as an AI, PDF, EPS, and SVG. So far only the SVG format has eliminated the white box in InDesign, but that typically isn't a print format file. 

 

The final file is a graphic that I need to provide to a client for a variety of print uses, on a variety of background colors, and want to maintain it as a vector. Any thoughts on how to keep the tranparent drop shadow without the annoying white box? 

 

Thanks,

Laura

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Import and export , Print

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Community Expert ,
Jun 09, 2020 Jun 09, 2020

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Is the frame filled with white?

EPS is not a very good format to use here, though. Resaving in Illustrator as PDF and placing that in InDesign along with showing options when doing so will allow you to choose a transparent background.

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Participant ,
Jun 11, 2020 Jun 11, 2020

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Thanks for your reply. The box is filled with white. I have tried a PDF but that doesn’t work either. If I remove the drop shadow the white box goes away so I assume this is the cause. 

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Community Expert ,
Jun 12, 2020 Jun 12, 2020

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Without seeing the file it's impossible to say, but EPS will never work properly for this. 

Can you show us some screenshots and provide one more bit of data...where are you seeing this whitebox? InDesign or in an exported PDF?

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Community Expert ,
Sep 02, 2021 Sep 02, 2021

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@LauraFig Your post was highjacked into a different issue. Did you solve your problem? If not, can you post an EPS file that is causing the problem?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 14, 2023 Sep 14, 2023

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This same issue can occur even with PDF files.

The issue comes from the "transparency flattener" and the solution is not to be using it, just convert to paths and export.

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LEGEND ,
Jun 26, 2020 Jun 26, 2020

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Hi there,

 

Thanks for reaching out. I hope your issue is resolved by now. We'd appreciate if you can share the solution with us. It'll help other users with similar concern.

If you still have issue, please share the information asked by Bob.

Looking forward to your response.


Regards,

Ashutosh

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Community Beginner ,
Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021

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I have had this same problem lately when using .AI graphics that have drop shadows. When they export to PDF there is a thin white box around the graphics. Really need to figure out how to fix this issue.

Indesign-PDF-whiteboxissue.png

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Community Expert ,
Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021

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What you are seeing is called Stitiching and is the result of transparency flattening (the drop shaodws are transparency effects). Export to a PDF version that does not flatten the transparency (like PDF/X-4).

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Community Beginner ,
Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021

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But I need an interactive PDF. So there isn't a way to fix it for interactive PDF?

Thanks

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Community Expert ,
Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021

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I'm a print designer, but I think not.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021

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A possible work-around is to export the graphic from InDesign as PDF/X-4, open it in Photoshop, and save it as an image, then place it back into your InDesign file. 

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LEGEND ,
Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021

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You don't have to flatten to make interactive PDF. Quite the opposite. 

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Community Expert ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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Interactive PDFs get exported as Acrobat 8 PDF 1.7, so there can be live transparency. If you are getting stitching artifacts in an interactive export, they must be from a placed file inside of the AI file that was flattened.

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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The AI graphics were all created in Illustrator adn the drop shadows are created in Illustrator. 

It seems the work around I have found is to export a High Quality PNG and linking that to my Indesign file instead of linking the actual AI file. Kind of annoying to have to export a new AI file each edit I make to the graphic but oh well. 

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Community Expert ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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Are you using spot colors? Is anything set to overprint?

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Community Expert ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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Can you share the problem AI file?

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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Unfortunately I cannot. It's for a client and I don't have permission to share it.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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Not sure if it would make a differnce, but be sure you have your AI transparency flattener sttings on High Resolution.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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I’m not seeing the problem here. Can you recreate it using your own content?

 

An RGB file with transparency saved as AI 2020:

 

Screen Shot 3.png

 

Placed in InDesign and exported as Interactive PDF. Transparency is live in the PDF so there are no stitching artifacts:

 

Screen Shot 5.png

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Community Expert ,
Sep 01, 2021 Sep 01, 2021

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Also, if the Illustrator file was saved as PDF/X-1a or PDF 1.4 sometime in the past, then reopened in Illustrator and resaved as an AI file, the flattener slicing from the intermediate PDF 1.4 save would be baked in to the AI file.

 

If that happened it would be obvious in outline mode. Here on the right is my test AI file saved as X-1a and reopened where you can see the path slices from the X-1a save:

 

Screen Shot 6.pngScreen Shot 7.png

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 14, 2023 Sep 14, 2023

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The issue comes from the "transparency flattener" and the solution is not to be using it, just convert to paths and export.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 14, 2023 Sep 14, 2023

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No, the problem is, that EPS does not support transparency. Don't use EPS. Use PDF/X-4 or AI instead. EPS is an old outdated file type. Do not use it anymore.

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