Transparency for Print Output in Adobe Creative Suite 3

Transparency: A Print Production Guide

Advanced Flattener controls

All Adobe publishing applications use similar Flattener technology, with slightly different controls. To display the Transparency Flattener Settings dialog box, choose Edit > Transparency Flattener Presets (InDesign CS3 and Illustrator CS3) or Advanced > Print Production > Flattener Presets (Acrobat 8 Professional).

This topic introduces the settings used to control the Flattener (Figure 35) and how to use them.

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Figure 35. The Transparency Flattener settings dialog box: InDesign CS3 (top left), Illustrator CS3 (top right), and Acrobat 8 Professional (bottom).

See

• Best practices when flattening
• About the flattening process
• Setting rasterization
• Flattener resolution settings
• Flattener options
• Flattener presets
• Flattener Preview and sample settings
• Rasterization and resolution settings
• Rasterizing atomic regions containing gradients or image data
• Troubleshooting flattening

See also

• Flattening controls in Illustrator CS3
• Flattening controls in InDesign CS3
• Flattening controls in Acrobat 8 Professional

Setting rasterization

The Raster/Vector Balance setting determines how hard the Flattener works to keep objects in their vector form in the flattened output. This setting can also affect flattening performance. For complex documents, flattening in vector form requires more time and memory than rasterization.

To access the Raster/Vector Balance control (Figure 36):

• In Illustrator CS3, choose File > Document Setup, and then choose Transparency from the pop-up menu. Select a preset and click Custom.
• In InDesign CS3, choose Edit > Transparency Flattener Presets. Select a preset and click New or Edit.
• In Acrobat 8 Professional, choose Advanced > Print Production > Flattener Preview.

Figure 36. Raster/Vector Balance settings (top to bottom): Left-most setting, Intermediate Setting, Right-most setting.

The Raster/Vector Balance setting works as follows:

• At the left-most setting (0), labeled Raster, the Flattener rasterizes all of the objects on any page that includes at least one transparent object. All objects on the page are rasterized, whether or not they contain or interact with transparency.
• Intermediate settings (1-99) affect the degree to which the Flattener rasterizes (or does not) areas of transparency as determined by the number of paths, the number of objects, the amount of object overlap, and the type of objects in that area. The document’s design complexity mainly influences what happens during flattening. In many simple uses of transparency, the results may not differ from a 0 (zero) setting (that is, no rasterization occurs).
• At the right-most setting (100), labeled Vector, the Flattener tries to keep all of the objects in their original, vector form. At the full vector (100) setting, the Flattener nearly always produces the best looking output. Due to the complexity of keeping designs in vector form, this is the slowest Raster/Vector setting. As you create your workflows, start with this setting and move the slider towards Raster if time becomes an issue. Even at this setting, some rasterization may be unavoidable. For example, the flattened objects required to represent a transparent vector shape filled with a gradient mesh may be rasterized, but the ­Flattener creates a clipping path to define their edges.

To best determine what the Flattener will do, use the Flattener Preview, in Illustrator CS3, InDesign CS3, or Acrobat 8 Professional. Choose a preview option in the Flattener Preview panel to quickly determine the areas that will be affected by the flattening process.

For final high-resolution output, always select the highest Raster/Vector setting (vector) unless you want to reduce the time or memory required to flatten a particularly complex transparent design. Be sure to lower the Raster/Vector setting no more than necessary to avoid an unacceptable degree of rasterization.

See

• Rasterization and resolution settings
• Rasterizing atomic regions containing gradients or image data
• Troubleshooting flattening

See also

• Flattening controls in Illustrator CS3
• Flattening controls in InDesign CS3
• Flattening controls in Acrobat 8 Professional

Flattener resolution settings

The resolution settings (Figure 37) control how the Flattener rasterizes transparent objects (in pixels per inch) that won’t be reproduced as vectors. InDesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional have these settings.

Figure 37. Resolution settings in the Transparency Flattener Preset Options dialog box (InDesign CS3)

Two settings are common to all Adobe publishing software:

• Line Art and Text Resolution: This setting determines the resolution applied to vector art and text that need to be rasterized by the Flattener during the flattening process. Set the Line Art and Text Resolution setting at the minimum resolution needed to represent fine elements, such as small fonts or thin strokes, on your output device. Typically, on devices up to 600 dpi, just use the resolution of the device. For high resolution devices (such as imagesetters and platesetters), you may find that using precisely half of the device’s resolution rather than the full resolution is sufficient; using this lower resolution will decrease the flattening times and reduce file sizes as compared to using the full resolution. For example, when printing to a 2540 dpi output device, using a 1270 ppi resolution for line art may produce acceptable results.
• Gradient and Mesh Resolution: This setting determines the resolution applied to any meshes and gradients that are involved in transparency. In addition, InDesign CS3 applies this resolution to all InDesign drop shadows and feathered edges. This setting controls the resolution of all meshes and gradients printed to RIPs that don’t support the PostScript 3 “Smooth Shading” feature. The Flattener will ignore this setting if mesh- or gradient-filled objects aren’t involved in transparency and are printed to a PostScript 3 RIP.

One setting is unique to Illustrator:

• Document Raster Effects Settings Resolution (Illustrator 10, CS, CS2, and CS3): This setting determines the resolution applied to all Illustrator raster effects, including drop shadows, vignettes, and feathered edges. To select this option, choose Effect > Document Raster Effects settings (Figure 38).

Figure 38. Illustrator CS3 Document Raster Effects Settings dialog box

See Troubleshooting flattening for correcting unexpected results.

See also

• Flattening controls in Illustrator CS3
• Flattening controls in InDesign CS3
• Flattening controls in Acrobat 8 Professional

Flattener options

Flattener options provide important controls that may improve the final appearance of transparent objects after flattening. Available in Illustrator CS3, InDesign CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional, these settings control how the Flattener processes text, strokes, and whether it should clip complex regions of rasterized transparency with a clipping path (Figure 39).

Figure 39. Conversion option settings in the InDesign CS3 Transparency Flattener Preset Options dialog box

Convert All Text to Outlines

This setting controls how type is processed, and causes the Flattener to convert all type to outlines (whether the type interacts with transparency or not). In some cases, this option eliminates flattening artifacts that are apparent onscreen and when printing to lower resolution output devices. For example, with this option turned off, some type may be converted to outlines, while other type remains unaffected. On low resolution output devices, the outlined type may appear heavier than the unaffected type. With this setting enabled, all type will print with the same weight.

Convert All Strokes to Outlines

This setting controls the processing of strokes and causes the Flattener to convert all strokes to outlines—whether they interact with transparency or not. In some cases, this option eliminates flattening artifacts that are apparent onscreen and when printed to lower resolution output devices.

Clip Complex Regions

This setting controls the Flattener’s analysis of complexity regions (discussed later in this section). When selected, this option creates clipping paths around these portions of a transparent design.

Preserve Alpha Transparency (Illustrator CS3)

The Preserve Alpha Transparency option is available only when using the Object > Flatten Transparency in Illustrator CS3. The concept of alpha transparency takes into account only the attribute of opacity; it does not include blending modes. After you’ve flattened the transparency with this option chosen, alpha transparency remains and the resulting artwork is suited for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Flash File Format (SWF) web file formats. All objects with blend modes other than Normal are flattened and their appearances are preserved. In general, do not use this setting in the context of print workflows.

Preserve Overprints and Spot Colors

Only in Illustrator CS3, this setting lets you flatten individual or groups of objects (choose Object > Flatten Transparency). The Preserve Overprints and Spot Colors setting (Figure 40) produces the same effect as using Preserve Overprints in the Advanced pane of the Print dialog box.

Figure 40. Transparency flattening settings unique to Illustrator CS3

See Troubleshooting flattening for correcting unexpected results.

See also

• Flattening controls in Illustrator CS3
• Flattening controls in InDesign CS3
• Flattening controls in Acrobat 8 Professional

Flattener presets

Presets make it easy to ensure consistent flattening results throughout the workflow and when printing or exporting documents. Transparency flattener presets let you control Flattener settings. You can use one of the three built-in presets or create your own custom presets. You can save, export, and distribute custom presets to other computers in your organization and, if necessary, to your customers.

InDesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional all include similar transparency flattener presets. The flattener presets apply to their respective applications and are not interchangeable. You can also customize flattener presets.

Selecting flattener presets

The process of selecting flattener presets in InDesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional is similar. You can apply a Flattener preset to a document by using the Print, Export, and in Illustrator CS3, Save As dialog boxes. A dialog box menu lets you select the ­desired preset; selecting a preset (Figure 41) automatically enters all the settings in the dialog box.

To choose a flattener preset in InDesign CS3 or Illustrator CS3:

1. Choose File > Print or File > Export, and then click Advanced in the Print or Export dialog box.

    

   

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   Figure 41. InDesign CS3 Export Adobe PDF dialog box

2. Choose a preset from the pop-up menu.

Note that in InDesign CS3, you can temporarily override spread flattening by turning off any Spread Flattening override options applied in the Pages panel.

To choose a flattener preset in Acrobat 8 Professional:

Do one of the following:

• Choose File > Save As, choose the PostScript or EPS file format, and then click Settings.
• Choose File > Print, click Advanced (Figure 42).
• Click Output in the left pane. From the pop-up menu, choose a transparency flattener preset installed with Acrobat or one that you have customized, and click OK. Then click Print.

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Figure 42. Advanced Print Setup in Acrobat 8 Professional

Customizing flattener presets

You can customize flattener presets, for example, to make your own variation of the high-resolution Flattener preset. In such a case, if your device has an output resolution of 2540 ppi, you might create a preset with a Line Art and Text resolution of 1270 or 2540 ppi.

In InDesign and Illustrator, you use the Transparency Flattener Presets dialog box (Edit > Transparency Flattener Presets) to select defined Flattener presets and customize them.

In Acrobat 8 Professional, you can customize and save presets using the Advanced > Print Production > Flattener Preview dialog box.

To create a custom flattener preset in InDesign CS3 and Illustrator CS3:

1. Choose Edit > Transparency Flattener Presets to display the Transparency Flattener Presets dialog box (Figure 43).

    

   

   Figure 43. Transparency Flattener Presets dialog box (InDesign CS3)

2. Choose from the following options:
   
   
   • To create a new preset based on the settings of an existing one, select a preset in the upper left pane and click New. You cannot modify the predefined presets, but you can base custom presets on them. Adjust the settings as desired.
   • To modify an existing preset, select the preset in the upper left pane, and click Edit. Adjust the settings as desired.

   The Transparency Flattener Preset Options dialog box appears (Figure 44), where you can define and edit Flattener styles for use when printing or exporting.

   

   Figure 44. The Transparency Flattener Preset Options dialog box (InDesign CS3)

   Use this dialog box to adjust the Raster/Vector Balance control, Flattener options, Line Art and Text setting, Gradient and Mesh Resolution setting, and define custom Flattener presets. New styles use the settings of the currently selected style.

3. To load a Flattener preset created by others, click Load (InDesign CS3) or Import (Illustrator CS3).
4. To save a preset for distribution to others, click Save (InDesign CS3) or Export (Illustrator CS3), and name and save the settings.

To create a custom flattener preset in Acrobat 8 Professional:

1. Choose Advanced > Print Production > Flattener Preview. In the Transparency Flattener Presets dialog box that appears, adjust any setting to customize the preset.
2. Click Save to name and save the preset for use when printing and editing.

Flattener Preview and sample settings

Your most important tool when working with files containing live transparency is the Flattener Preview. Using the Flattener Preview is the best way to determine exactly which elements in an Illustrator CS3, InDesign CS3, and PDF file will be affected by flattening prior to generating the output. This section gives some examples of the effects of several Transparency Flattener settings on an artwork sample created in Illustrator CS3; the effects would be the same in InDesign CS3 and Acrobat 8 Professional.

To access Flattener Preview, choose it from the appropriate menu (Figure 45):

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Figure 45. Accessing the Flattener Preview dialog box and panels (left to right): in Acrobat 8 Professional, InDesign CS3, and Illustrator CS3.

See

• Setting rasterization
• Flattener resolution settings
• Flattener options

See also

• Flattening controls in Illustrator CS3
• Flattening controls in InDesign CS3
• Flattening controls in Acrobat 8 Professional
• Troubleshooting flattening

Sample Image

In Figure 46, the artwork being flattened consists of three overlapping elements, each with a blending mode of Multiply. Each element consists of a blend from an inner to an outer shape. In the example, the blend is from a star to a circle. The combinations of transparent blends creates a condition in which the Transparency Flattener may rasterize portions of the artwork, depending on the Raster/Vector Balance setting.

Figure 46. Flattening example image: Illustrator CS3 artwork in outline mode (left) and normal preview mode (right).

Complex regions rasterized

With the Raster/Vector Balance set to 0 (full raster), the only option available in the Highlight pop-up menu in the Flattener Preview panel is Rasterized Complex Regions (because everything on the page is part of the complexity region). In Figure 47, note that all three objects are included in the rasterized region, and that the Clip Complex Regions option is not enabled. The edges of the three circular objects will be rendered at the Gradient and Mesh resolution.

Figure 47. Illustrator CS3 Flattener Preview panel highlights which objects are sources of transparency or will be affected by flattening. A Raster/Vector setting of 0 (full raster) rasterizes all of the artwork.

Mixed raster and vectors and clipped vector edges

With the Raster/Vector Balance set to 5, the Highlight menu has additional options (Figure 48). At this setting, almost all of the artwork is still included in the rasterized region. Most (but not all) of the edges of the artwork will be rendered at the Gradient and Mesh resolution. Two parts of the outer edge of the bottom object fall outside the rasterized region, and would thus be rendered as vectors. This Raster/Vector Balance setting could create a visible difference in the edges at the points where the raster and vector edges meet.

Figure 48. Flattener Preview panel: Highlight > Rasterize Complex Regions: All elements that the Flattener will rasterize are highlighted. Raster/Vector set to 5 leaves some of the artwork as vectors. Clip Complex Regions creates a clipping mask that renders the outer edges of the artwork with a clean, uniform vector edge.

If the Raster/Vector Balance is set to 5, and you choose the Clip Complex Regions option (Figure 49), the Flattener will create a clipping mask that renders the outer edges of the artwork with a clean, uniform vector edge.

Figure 49. Flattener Preview, showing how the Clip Complex Regions option affects flattening.

Central parts of objects rasterized

With the Raster/Vector Balance set to 20, only the central parts of each object are rasterized. If you choose the Clip Complex Regions option (Figure 50), the Flattener will create a clipping path along the image’s contours. This rasterizes parts of the inner circular edges; where rasterized edges meet, their vector neighbors may be visible.

Figure 50. Flattener Preview panel, Raster/Vector slider at 20 and Clip Complex Regions is chosen: only some of the artwork will be rasterized.

No rasterization

With the Raster/Vector Balance set to 75 or higher, no part of the artwork will be rasterized. Thus, the Rasterized Complex Regions option in the Highlight menu is disabled (Figure 51).

Figure 51. Flattener Preview panel, No rasterization will occur: Raster/Vector slider is close enough to Vectors to avoid rasterizing any items.

Rasterization and resolution settings

In the following situations, the Flattener may rasterize vector elements:

Flattening atomic regions  Flattening divides the transparency of a document into a collection of discrete areas called atomic regions. If an atomic region contains an image or multiple transparent gradient or mesh objects, the region is rasterized. The Flattener applies the Gradient and Mesh Resolution to this region unless it contains one or more images, in which case it applies the maximum of their resolutions. The Flattener also clips the resulting raster with the affected region’s outline, thus preserving its shape in a resolution-independent form.

Flattening complexity regions  A complexity region is an area that isn’t retained in vector form except at the highest Raster/Vector Balance setting. Complexity regions are typically made up of a large number of objects that interact with transparency. Flattening a complexity region involves rasterizing all vector objects, images, and text inside it at the Line Art and Text Resolution. For this reason, make sure to set the Line Art and Text Resolution to a value that closely matches the characteristics of the output device.

Rasterization of type  The Flattener will rasterize type at the Line Art and Text Resolution setting instead of converting it to outlines if you use a bitmapped or protected font.

Illustrator CS3 pixel-based raster effects  Pixel-based raster effects in Illustrator CS3, such as Gaussian Blur, are rasterized with the Document Raster Effects Resolution before flattening and, therefore, the Flattener treats them as regular images.

Rasterization of overprinted objects  When overprinted objects are rasterized, the appearance of overprinting is maintained in the final output.

See also Setting rasterization.

Rasterizing atomic regions containing gradients or image data

The Flattener uses the Gradient and Mesh Resolution when rasterizing an atomic region unless the atomic region contains images. If the atomic region contains images, the resolution at which it is rasterized is that of the highest-resolution image involved.

Here are some examples to clarify these relationships:

• If a region to be rasterized includes a gradient mesh object and the Gradient and Mesh Resolution is set to 150 ppi, the region is rasterized at 150 ppi.
• If a region to be rasterized includes image data at 250 ppi and 300 ppi, the 250 ppi image will be upsampled to 300 ppi (using a bi-linear sampling algorithm), and the region is rasterized at 300 ppi.

When the Flattener processes an area that includes a placed image, it attempts to leave both the image resolution and any user-applied rotation unprocessed. The Flattener may not be able to preserve the rotation or resolution of a rasterized image if several images, gradients, or meshes are intersecting in an atomic region. The Flattener uses an algorithm which allows it to automatically determine the rotation and resolution best suited for the atomic region. Generally, the Flattener does not downsample an image’s resolution in order to maximize the image quality. Should the Flattener need to process an image, it usually upsamples an image’s resolution. When processing images, the Flattener uses a bi-linear resampling algorithm.

Troubleshooting flattening

Achieving high-quality, flattened results depends largely on using the appropriate Flattener settings for your production process and output device. Improper settings can contribute to poor quality or unexpected results. (Using an incorrect Flattener setting is analogous to saving a file in the wrong format or choosing the wrong color profile.)

If you get unexpected results from the Flattener, you can usually correct the situation by adjusting the Flattener settings or changing the stacking order of transparent objects (or objects affected by transparency) in the original files. The following topics cover fixes for other common issues you may encounter when working with the Flattener.

See also

• Troubleshooting topics
• Best practices when flattening
• Best practices for working with transparency
• Glossary

Visual effects of rasterization and outlining

Because the Flattener outlines or rasterizes type and vectors, it can sometimes produce undesirable visual results, such as color stitching, jaggies, or slightly thickened letterforms or strokes. These results can be more pronounced if the Flattener rasterizes or outlines only part of a complex design. The Flattener rasterizes or outlines objects based on the kinds of objects being flattened (such as type, gradients, and spot colors), the file’s complexity, and the settings that are in effect when the flattening takes place.

For example, if the Flattener rasterizes or converts part of a line created with a stroke into a filled outline object, the line may slightly change width at the point where the conversion happens. These effects can occur when printing to a PostScript device because PostScript processes strokes differently than filled outline objects. If you get this effect in your output, try choosing the Convert All Strokes to Outlines option in the Flattener settings.

Output devices and resolutions

Sometimes rasterization is required as part of flattening. The resolution used for rasterization must be user defined because the output device resolution is not automatically available at the time of flattening. Flattener resolution set too low may produce apparent areas of rasterization that don’t visually match adjoining unrasterized areas. Flattener resolution set inappropriately high may cause flattening to take a long time and produce large output files that aren’t noticeably better in quality.

As Figure 52 shows, adjoining atomic regions can, under certain circumstances, cause thin white lines to appear, called display artifacts. The noticeable white gap between two parts of the background appears only when viewing a flattened PDF in a viewer that does anti-aliasing or smoothing, not in print. (In Acrobat 8 Professional, the options that may cause stitching in the preview are called Smooth Text, Smooth Line Art, and Smooth Images in the Page Display section in the Preferences dialog box.)

Figure 52. Artifacts: Thin white lines, indicated by the arrows, typically appear only in flattened object viewed onscreen, not in print output.

Host and RIP font mismatch

In some situations, a font loaded on your computer is replaced by a similar font that is loaded on a printer’s RIP. For example, the font Helvetica™ is one of the standard fonts that is included in all PostScript RIPs. In the PostScript printer description file (PPD) for a PostScript printer, Helvetica is listed as being resident in the printer. When you print a job in which you use Helvetica, the PostScript file generated by the application may not include the version of Helvetica on your local system—the RIP’s version is used instead. If the version of a font in the RIP differs from the version used on your computer, the flattened text may look different than the text the RIP printed using its version of the font.

When printing from InDesign 2, CS, CS2, or CS3, you can avoid mismatched fonts by choosing Download PPD Fonts in the Graphics panel of the Print dialog box.

Color stitching and artifacts

Color stitching is the visible color transition that appears between objects whose coloring would otherwise be identical. It most commonly occurs when the Flattener rasterizes only part of a vector object. To eliminate color stitching, increase the Raster/Vector balance setting in the Flattener.

Artifacts may appear in a background image in Illustrator or InDesign that has no transparency effects, when artwork or text with transparency is placed on top of the background image and flattened. The artifact appears because flattening included only part of the background image.  To eliminate the artifacts, include the entire image in the flattening by selecting the background image and make it 99% transparent. The visual appearance of the image won’t be affected.

Font conversion during flattening

If text is involved in transparency, the Flattener often needs to rasterize or outline some of the glyphs in the text. The Flattener uses the font information contained in the font files on the computer where the flattening is taking place. Because the Flattener only flattens text in areas affected by transparency, it’s possible that some glyphs will be flattened while others remain unaffected. In most instances, you cannot detect a difference between the flattened and normal text in the final output.

The example job in Figure 53 shows that the Flattener may need to outline type if the type is involved in transparency. Outlined type can appear heavier than type that hasn’t been outlined, because it does not have font hinting applied. (Font hinting refers to instructions built into a font to optimize its shape at a wide range of sizes.) To ensure that all of the text is uniform in weight, select the Convert All Text to Outlines flattener option.

The stacking order also is important. Notice in the Layers panel that had the text been placed on top of the drop shadow, it would not have been outlined. Whenever possible, place text on top of a transparent element to prevent it from being outlined.

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Figure 53. Outlined text in Illustrator CS3: A. High Resolution Flattener preset and flattening results: left text block, under star’s drop shadow, was outlined; right text block was unaffected. B. Simulates design’s output on low-resolution device, with outlined text appearing heavier than other text. C. Flattener Preview panel with High Resolution flattening settings (top) and transparent objects (bottom). D. Layers panel showing objects’ stacking order. E. Text in red is outlined, other text is unaffected by transparency.

Overprinting

If a document contains no transparency, Illustrator CS3 and InDesign CS3 preserve overprinting. If overprinting is mixed with transparency, the Flattener may remove the overprint settings, but it maintains the appearance of the overprinting in the flattened image.

If an overprinting object interacts with transparency, the Flattener will process the overprint (that is, the overprinted object is broken down into atomic regions and their colors take the overprint into account). Flattening of overprinting does not visually change the graphic.

In other scenarios, the Flattener may generate overprint instructions as a result of the flattening—even if no overprint instructions were originally present. Overprint instructions can be created when the Flattener processes spot color objects that interact with transparency. For this reason, it is important that you enable overprinting support on the RIP.

In most cases, the Flattener preprocessing overprinting instructions, or a PostScript RIP afterwards interpreting the same overprinting instructions, yield the same results.

The Flattener preprocesses overprinting instructions—including when you save an Illustrator EPS file with Preserve Overprints—when overprinting objects that:

• Have transparency directly applied to them (for example, they are less than 100% opaque).
• Belong to a group to which transparency is applied.
• Overlap (that is, sit underneath—regardless of layer) and are within approximately one point of objects or groups that are transparent.
• Are in a placed file to which you apply transparency.
• Belong to a complexity region that the Flattener must rasterize.

Image replacement proxies (OPI/APR) and flattening

When the Flattener encounters a region of a document that involves images that interact with transparency (for example, transparent type or a drop shadow that falls over an image), it uses whatever image data is present during flattening to render the overall effect. If the image involved is a low-resolution placeholder or OPI proxy image, the Flattener uses that image. (Open Prepress Interface (OPI) is an industry-standard mechanism for using low-resolution proxy images in a page layout application that will be replaced by high-resolution counterparts at the RIP.) The PostScript (or flattened PDF) output does not contain the comments required by the OPI server to replace the low-resolution image with its high-resolution counterpart. In fact, the original image was probably broken up among multiple atomic regions. Unless you are absolutely sure that an image does not interact with transparency, you must fatten (that is, replace the low-resolution images with high-resolution images) before you flatten transparency—"Fatten before you flatten!"

If you don’t swap in high-resolution images, the final print quality may be low resolution, and output of transparency effects contained in images may not be as expected.

Transparency effects applied to placeholder or proxy images are properly rendered only if you perform image replacement prior to flattening. The impact on your workflow depends on the file formats that you use and the applications involved. If your workflow is based on Adobe PDF, and you use an OPI server that operates on PDF 1.4, you can keep transparency live by ­using PDF 1.4 until after replacing images. If the workflow is based on PostScript or EPS, you must manually replace images from within Illustrator or InDesign prior to flattening.

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