Transparency for Print Output in Adobe Creative Suite 3
By the experts at Adobe
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- New transparency features in CS3
- The Adobe Print Engine
- New technology
- Creating transparency
- Transparency: live or flattened?
- Designers Guide to Transparency
- Creating and viewing transparency effects
- Best practices for working with transparency
- Transparency effects in Illustrator CS3
- Transparency effects in InDesign CS3
- Importing and placing files with transparency
- Building effects with transparency
- Saving and exporting files with transparency
- Printing files with transparency
- Delivering files with transparency to your print service provider
- Transparency-related resources
- Transparency: A Print Production Guide
- Best practices when flattening
- Flattening basics
- Advanced Flattener controls
- Flattening controls in Illustrator CS3
- Flattening controls in InDesign CS3
- Flattening controls in Acrobat 8 Professional
- Transparency and color
- Troubleshooting
- Glossary
About this paper
Those who want to know more about transparency in the print production process—how to create it in Adobe® Creative Suite® 3, how to maximize its effect and minimize its processing and undesired results—should read this guide. Topics address design professionals and publishers, print service providers, customer support specialists, and OEMs. You can download the PDF versions of this file, A Designer’s Guide to Transparency for Print Output, and Transparency in Adobe Applications: A Print Production Guide. For details on how to use features discussed in this guide, see Adobe Creative Suite 3 Help.
Introduction
Transparency features in Adobe® Creative Suite® 3 let designers and publishers easily create, display, import, export, and print transparency effects—drop shadows, feathering, blends, and layered see-through artwork. Transparency simulates how objects in artwork show-through when they overlap. It’s easy to design transparent effects in Adobe Creative Suite 3 that print as intended—accurately, with minimal processing, problems (such as flattening), and press time.
Similar transparency capabilities in Adobe® Photoshop® CS3, Adobe® Illustrator® CS3, and Adobe® InDesign® CS3, allow easily sharing transparency effects, and managing and flattening transparency on export and output. Plus, a flexible CS3 workflow lets you work across CS3 components to create the desired effect: Use Photoshop CS3 or Illustrator CS3 to create press-ready graphics with transparency effects; import graphics generated by Photoshop CS3 or Illustrator CS3 that include live transparency into InDesign CS3 layouts; or use the transparency features in InDesign CS3 to apply transparency effects to placed graphics or to native InDesign objects and control the output of graphics, type, and transparency effects.
Newer technology—including the Adobe PDF Print Engine, enabling technology available from third-party vendors—has minimized the problems related to printing and handling of transparency at print time. Plus, the latest Creative Suite 3 transparency features and built-in options for print and web publishing in Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Illustrator CS3, and Adobe InDesign CS3, make it easier than ever to create transparency and control how it’s printed.
This guide describes best practices for designing with transparency and reproducing it on-press accurately and efficiently. It’s important to keep certain principles in mind when designing with transparency—and when processing it before printing—for the best results and the most efficient processing and workflow.
Here’s what design professionals and print service providers—as well as customer support specialists and OEMs who want to know more about transparency in the print production process—need to know about reproducing transparency accurately while minimizing processing and undesired results. Topics cover:
- Best practices for creating transparency effects in Photoshop CS3, Illustrator CS3, InDesign CS3, and Acrobat® 8 Professional, with recommendations for building effects that reproduce as desired.
- Suitable file formats for saving and exporting files with transparency.
- How to prepare files with transparency for low-resolution proofing and how best to deliver files to a print service provider.
- The difference between live and flattened transparency, and how transparency is flattened when exporting or printing documents.
- Best practices for service providers working with transparency, including detecting live transparency and using the Flattener, to get the desired print results.
- How flattening and the use of transparency in files affects the print production workflow.
- How to use Flattener controls—including to rasterize objects, set their resolution, preserve overprinting and spot colors, and use and customize presets for consistent results throughout the workflow.
- How print providers can use controls in Adobe Illustrator CS3, InDesign CS3, and Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional to manage and flatten transparency.
- How to achieve optimal color output from CS3 components and address issues with color-managed files before flattening a print job.
- Troubleshooting information and transparency resources.
- A glossary of common transparency and flattening terms.
For complete information and illustrated examples of designing with transparency, outputting it, and software-specific controls, see A Designer’s Guide to Transparency for Print Output, Transparency in Adobe Applications: A Print Production Guide, and Help in the Adobe Creative Suite 3 components.
See also
- New transparency features in CS3
- New technology
- The Adobe PDF Print Engine
- Creating transparency
- Transparency: live or flattened?
About the author
By the experts at Adobe
