Transparency problem

Dear Corel Users

I have encountered a problem with transparency in CorelDRAW which I hope you can solve or explain. In a vector drawing I have one object with transparency covering another object with an outline. When using the Publishing To PDF feature from within CorelDRAW X6, I receive a perfect result. If I however export my drawing as EPS and later insert it into Adobe Indesign or MS Word and then export the document as PDF, the outline in the object covered by the transparent object appear jagged and not perfect at all. Since I need to do my Work in Indesign (there is a lot more to it than just figures ...), I am a bit surprised and disappointed. Can you explain this behavior and/or describe a way to get it right?

I have attached an image showing the problem!

Erik

  • Don't use EPS in ID. Not from Illustrator either. Place your PDF in ID.

    • Hello Erik; When you import into MS The drawing has become RASTER, and you will have the Jaggies.

      George

      • MikeWe, I actually tested your suggestion and to my big surprise it seems to work, i.e. selecting a drawing in CorelDRAW export it as pdf and inserting it into Indesign and then later exporting the Indesign document as pdf. I never figured that exporting to pdf twice did the trick. It preserves vector Graphics. Doesn't this way of doing it have any drawbacks?

        TheSign Guy: It is not correct that the drawing becomes raster when using EPS, only the part behind the transparent object!

        It is very important that my Graphics stay vector when my documents are exported to pdf, because much of what I use is line drawings, sensitive to bit map ...

        Erik

         

         

        • Erik...it is the same advice myself and many others would have given on the Adobe InDesign forum as well. InDesign uses a process called PDF pass-through. Which basically means the linked PDF is passed through unchanged to the output, which in your case is simply another PDF. 

          Also, PDF/x-4 would further be the best option out of InDesign for anything with transparency. This will leave flattening to the RIP.

          Take care, Mike

          • Erik Vestergaard said:
            TheSign Guy: It is not correct that the drawing becomes raster when using EPS, only the part behind the transparent object!

            That is correct, and it is necessary because EPS, at level 2 at least, does not support transparency. Consequently, CorelDraw must simulate the transparency by converting the transparent areas to a bitmap.

            • Thanks! Interesting that Indesign is just passing a pdf through ... I have usually been using EPS, since it Works well if no transparency is present, but now I should consider going for pdf, when using Adobe Indesign.

              When importing the pdf into Indesign via File > Place... a poor version of the image is displayed on the screen, but when the document is exported as pdf it looks perfect.

              Inserting pdf in MS Word doesn't work however, neither as an image or an object file.

              Erik

              • Erik,

                Once placed in ID, and depending upon how the preferences are set, you can right-click on the frame with the PDF and choose to view the placed PDF in high(er) resolution. I usually don't bother as I prefer the performance gain with the lower resolution preview image. About the only time I change it is when I am wrapping text close to one of the elements in the placed file, then ocne set I turn it back to the lower resolution.

                For MS Word, I use PNG files where the art has been sized appropriately for its placement. Once in a blue moon I may use an EMF if I must.

                Take care, Mike

                • David and Harry gave you the answer why this happens with EPS files.
                  Personally I don't understand why people still keep on using EPS for different purposes, it's an ancient format and PDF is in most cases far superior.

                  The only reason I can find is actually the transparency issue.
                  Since EPS doesn't support it, a workaround has to be used. This will make it look pixelated but it will also prevent problems when printing, because some RIPs may have problems processing transparencies.

              • Erik Vestergaard said:

                Dear Corel Users

                I have encountered a problem with transparency in CorelDRAW which I hope you can solve or explain. In a vector drawing I have one object with transparency covering another object with an outline. When using the Publishing To PDF feature from within CorelDRAW X6, I receive a perfect result. If I however export my drawing as EPS and later insert it into Adobe Indesign or MS Word and then export the document as PDF, the outline in the object covered by the transparent object appear jagged and not perfect at all. Since I need to do my Work in Indesign (there is a lot more to it than just figures ...), I am a bit surprised and disappointed. Can you explain this behavior and/or describe a way to get it right?

                I have attached an image showing the problem!

                Erik

                EPS has limited transparency support, PDF has live transparency support.