Ummm... how to do this? I'm stumped...

[sarahpeller]

I have a file that I would like to print like so:

The swan layer is set to "darken" transparency style in the layers panel. This works when I have this brown background behind it.

But, I need to delete this brown background so that my client can print on actual kraft paper. When I delete the background, my swan layer no longer has any layer behind it to "darken" into, so I get this resulting file, where the swan is colored in with white:

It would be pretty hard to get the white out of the swan file, since it is hand-drawn... Is there another way to allow for the swan to print without any white? There's got to be some sorta trick that I'm not aware of...

Thanks!

[Semaphoric]

The white will print as "paper white", which would be the kraft paper. You should be good as-is.

[sarahpeller]

Hmm, I don't think that is so... Because I just tried saving a similar file. I saved the layers as "multiply" that have white in them, and deleted the background. I saved as a high quality pdf, and uploaded to a website that prints on flour sacks. The white areas were still there... How to get rid of them?

[Semaphoric]

Unless your printer uses white ink, only the black will be printed (in black).

Have you contacted the website top see if it will be an issue?

[Conrad_C]

Semaphoric’s right…for print, white simply doesn’t print because there is no ink laid down for it. In other words, the white areas and transparent areas will print the same. I checked the image with the Eyedropper tool and the white areas are truly 0% black, so assuming white ink is not being used, no CMYK ink will go down in those areas on press. The kraft paper will fully show through.

If you need to “fix” this anyway, there are at least two approaches:

A. Flatten the image (Layer > Flatten Image). This removes all transparency, which isn’t used in print anyway. Now the white and transparent areas are the same.

B. Select the bird layer and choose Select > Color Range. Sample the white, adjust Fuzziness to make sure you pick up any semi-white fringes, and click OK to create a selection of all white areas. Press Delete and the white areas should be gone.

The white and transparent areas were going to print the same anyway even if nothing was done, but using either A or B, now at least they look like they will.