TIFF with transparent background?

MH
Posted By
Marlene_Hochberg
Dec 5, 2006
Views
395
Replies
11
Status
Closed
I’m using PS CS2, and my colleague who would probably be producing the files is using an older version — CS1, I believe. Also on PC.

Is it possible to create a TIFF with a transparent background? We need to create a set of files that would consist of a couple of lines of 10-point type on a transparent background. These files would be imported into, placed in, or positioned on top of existing ad files in a page layout program. (Currently Quark, but considering moving to InDesign. Sometimes I send native files, sometimes the printer wants PDFs.)

The ad files are in various formats, but most are TIFFs. A few are Illustrator EPS files.

My feeling is that the lines of 10-point text should be created in Illustrator and saved in EPS format, which I know will give me a transparent background.

However, we’ve been asked to provide TIFFs, so I need to know if we can create them with transparent backgrounds that will work in Quark, ID, and/or PDFs.

TIA,

Marlene

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BL
Bob Levine
Dec 5, 2006
What version of Quark? If it’s not 7 that won’t work.

And I would highly encourage you to look into InDesign. If you’re going to be using text, I would also suggest saving as PDF instead of TIF.

Bob
MH
Marlene_Hochberg
Dec 6, 2006
Ah, so it depends on what application I’m bringing the TIFFs into.

I see that it does work in ID CS2 (but not in my version of Quark, which is 6.5). I am still learning ID — I’ve been using it for small publications that don’t require quick turnaround (since I have to keep stopping to figure out how to do things) but am not yet brave enough to use it for the monthly magazine into which these text images will be imported. The magazine is fairly large, and the production schedule usually pretty hectic.

If you’re going to be using text, I would also suggest saving as PDF
instead of TIF.<<

Never thought of that! But is there any advantage to using a PDF saved out of Photoshop over creating an EPS in Illustrator?

And are there any gotchas as far as using PDFs in ID? I never use import them into Quark, because of the wacky results I’ve gotten.

Thanks,

Marlene
JS
John_Slate
Dec 6, 2006
My feeling is that the lines of 10-point text should be created in Illustrator and saved in EPS format, which I know will give me a transparent background.

That is definitely the best idea if you are using QXP.

If using ID then save .ai.

As far as Photoshop PDFs go, I would be wary of placing any kind of PDF in any version of Quark.

Also, some types of rips have problems with Photoshop vectors (since they are vector masks filled with rasters)

Best to stay 100% vector.
BL
Bob Levine
Dec 6, 2006
As far as Photoshop PDFs go, I would be wary of placing any kind of PDF in any version of Quark.

Quark actually has zero support for PDF. If you place a PDF, it will internally convert it to EPS, so you might just as well start with that format.

Start forcing yourself to use ID, you won’t look.

Bob
MH
Marlene_Hochberg
Dec 7, 2006
John,

If using ID then save .ai.<<

What’s the advantage of using .ai rather than .eps in ID? My feeling is that we’d probably go with .eps because it would be more versatile (these files might be sent to printers to drop into jobs produced in various programs), but would still like to know why it’s better to use .ai files in ID.

I would be wary of placing any kind of PDF in any version of Quark.<<

I don’t — I tried once and gave up.

Also, some types of rips have problems with Photoshop vectors (since
they are vector masks filled with rasters)<<

You mean that text in Photoshop is really vector masks filled with rasters? Flattening the file rasterizes the text, right? When I have to place text in a Photoshop file, usually over a photo, I always save (as a copy) a non-layered version of the file to place in my page layout.

Marlene
MH
Marlene_Hochberg
Dec 7, 2006
Bob,

Quark actually has zero support for PDF. If you place a PDF, it will
internally convert it to EPS, so you might just as well start with that format.<<

I did not know that. Does that apply also in Quark 7?

Start forcing yourself to use ID, you won’t look.<<

As Middle-Aged Man used to say, "I’m workin’ on it!" <g>

Marlene
L
LenHewitt
Dec 8, 2006
Hi Fontessa,

What’s the advantage of using .ai rather than .eps in ID?<<

Well that .ai will be an .ai with PDF compatibility. It’s really two files, an ai for Illustrator and a PDF for other applications, all in the one file.

That means you have one file which you can still edit in illustrator, but can use wherever you would use a PDF file, (Saving as PDF with preserve Illustrator editing capabilities will produce exactly the same file but named as a PDF rather than an .ai).

So you don’t need an .ai AND an .eps (and possibly a PDF) – the one file will serve all purposes – Until you want to use in QXP!

Even with ‘bloat’ of the illustrator-compatibility part, the file is likely to be smaller than an ASCII encoded EPS file.
BL
Bob Levine
Dec 8, 2006
EPS doesn’t support transparency. AI files do.

You must save the AI file with PDF compatibility for use in InDesign.

Bob
BL
Bob Levine
Dec 8, 2006
I did not know that. Does that apply also in Quark 7?

AFAIK, yes.

Bob
A
AlienGG
Dec 9, 2006
Quark 7 is different.

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BL
Bob Levine
Dec 9, 2006
Not according to anything I’ve heard. If you have a link, I’d be interested in seeing it.

Bob

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