EPS transparency and color conversion

WB
Posted By
Wanda Bellamy
Sep 23, 2003
Views
769
Replies
13
Status
Closed
This is a two part question/problem.

I’m using PhotoShop 7.0 on a PC and Quark 5.0. To save the transparent backgrounds in pictures I’ve been using the "Export Transparent Image" option under the "Help" menu which saves the file as a COPY and EPS file while retaining transparent backgrounds. Up until recently this has worked just fine. I’ve been able to insert the graphics files in Quark with no problem while still retaining the transparent background.

Problem 1: For some reason lately when opening the same eps files in PhotoShop, the background is solid white instead of transparent, AND the image, which I had converted to grayscale before exporting it, now converts to RGB.

Problem 2: The same eps files in "Problem 1" still look just fine in Quark…retaining the transparent background, BUT when the outside printer gets the files…all the eps images have a white background.

So, anyone have any idea what is going on? I’ve never had these problems before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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L
LenHewitt
Sep 24, 2003
Wanda,

For some reason lately when opening the same eps files in PhotoShop, the
background is solid white instead of transparent<<

It will be. EPS does not support transparency. When you use Export Transparent Image, Photoshop create a Clipping Path defining where the edges of the transparency are. It then flattens the file as it saves to EPS. A Clipping Path merely tells an application or printer not to print or display the area outside the clipping path.

BUT when the outside printer gets the files…all the eps images have a
white background.<<

That sounds like a RIP problem. The clipping path is not being respected.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.<<

The best possible suggestion is to switch to InDesign where you can use native PSD files which DO support true transparency.
EG
Eco Gatdula
Sep 24, 2003
Does Postscript Level 2 supports TRUE transparency?
P
Phosphor
Sep 25, 2003
Eco – no.
EG
Eco Gatdula
Sep 25, 2003
Chris – Thanks.
WB
Wanda Bellamy
Sep 25, 2003
* sigh* I work for a non-profit organization and we recently got the latest version of Quark. So no chance of getting InDesign now. Besides the printer having the problem is on a dinosaur age system and version of Quark.

So, any idea why the eps is being converted to an RGB when it was originally saved in greyscale? I never really noticed that before, but then I’ve never looked for it.

Thanks for you help!
GH
Gernot Hoffmann
Sep 25, 2003
Wanda,

Problem 1:

How the transparency is SHOWN in PhS depends on the settings, e.g. white or chess board.

How the grayscale image is HANDLED depends also on the settings. If it is placed in RGB mode, then it becomes RGB, with equal R=G=B. (Place or import in grayscale mode) .

Problem 2:

The clipping path in an EPS is defined by geometry, not by colors. If the RIP cannot decipher this information, then it might help to convert the EPS to PDF.

Best regards –Gernot Hoffmann
GH
Gernot Hoffmann
Sep 25, 2003
Forgot to mention this perhaps important information:

In clean PostScript an EPS is never intended for printing, it´s just a component of a page description (maybe the complete content of a page), it´s not the page description itself.

Just to avoid problems, one should construct a page by placing an EPS on a page and write to file either as Postscript or PDF.

Sometimes some EPSs are directly printable, but this is not guaranteed.

G.H.
L
LenHewitt
Sep 26, 2003
Wanda,

any idea why the eps is being converted to an RGB <<

It shouldn’t happen….

However, the facts as you describe them (no clipping path and RGB) lead me to wonder if , when selecting Export Transparent Image, you inadvertantly chose "Online" rather than "Print". However, that would save an RGB .gif or ..png NOT an .eps
GH
Gernot Hoffmann
Sep 26, 2003
Len,

indeed, Export Transparent converts Grayscale or Indexed Grayscale to RGB, the clipping path is correct and transparency is shown as expected in PageMaker.

The problem can be solved by

Open new doc in Grayscale mode
Place the EPS here
Save as PhS EPS
Delete old version

Best regards –Gernot Hoffmann
L
LenHewitt
Sep 26, 2003
Gernot (and Wanda),

Confession – it’s an awfully long time since I last looked at the export transparency wizard <g>

If you set your Proof Setup to working CMYK, you can then choose that profile when exporting the greyscale EPS from Export Transparent Image and retain the image in CMYK. (But not as greyscale).
WB
Wanda_Bellamy
Oct 9, 2003
Gernot and Len
It worked. Yippee! I created a new greyscale mode doc, then moved the greyscale pic over to the new doc. I used the Export Wizard, but that converted it to RGB again. I checked the settings and they were just fine, but it still didn’t work, sooooo I just saved it the old fashioned and it saved in Greyscale.
Still dealing with the white background, but one out of 2 fixed. 🙂 Thanks
Wanda
JS
John_Slate
Oct 9, 2003
Wanda:

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the export assistant is for amateurs.

You really need to learn how to create your own clipping paths, preferably with the pen tool.
WB
Wanda_Bellamy
Oct 9, 2003
John,
No offense taken. Using the Wizard worked until recently. Thanks and have a great day!
Wanda

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