EPS and Transparency

[ajr]

We have been supplied an Indesign file with placed eps files with transparency in them. We have made a PDF (1.7) ripped it through Rampage and the areas with transparency haven't worked they have produced a white reversed out area. The Client says we should flatten the file, the file is in CS5 which we dont have so cant open. I have bounced it back to them to sort out, but am i right in thinking an eps wont support transparency and they should place a native illustrator file (.ai) instead. As a rule we dont flatten as our Rip handles most things.

Like to hear your views.

AjR

 

[davidmwe]

InDesign, placed Illustrator Files, Preflight and Flatten

InDesign, placed Illustrator Files, Preflight and Flatten

You can best have them flatten it, when using native Illustrator artwork in InDesign, for that avoids many other prefight pitfalls (see below). EPS itself does not support transparency, as far as I know.

Adobe advises flattening as well:
Adobe InDesign CS5 * Best practices when creating transparency

However I am sure many of the prepress experts here will have unique work-arounds and such for your case.

Be careful when using placed .AI artwork within your InDesign layout, as InDesign will not see non-embedded links and fonts used within that placed Illustrator file... I should add, of course being from Markzware, that FlightCheck can Preflight and Package used Illustrator Links placed within InDesign...
See recent video on this related topic here:
Collect Illustrator Links with FlightCheck when InDesign CS5 Cannot

 

[almaink]

They must be placed ai files because eps don't support transparency, it also sounds like the PDF is getting flattened in Rampage. What version of Rampage are you using and what settings? I'm guessing you don't have Rampage support? You could also see if the customer can back save the InDesign file and open it in CS4 if you have that. Or post the PDF so we can have a look.

 

[buckeye]

We have been supplied an Indesign file with placed eps files with transparency in them.

AjR

Ditto on what almaink said. When you export as eps OR postscript, you lose transparency. I can run it through my Rampage rip if you'd like.

Erik

 

[ajr]

Its not a problem with Rampage I have the latest version of 11, (I do have support was a bit early to ring) you can see it on the PDF before you even RIP it.

Its the customers problem, I thought it was a bit funny when they supplied native ID files they always supply a PDF.

AjR

 

[buckeye]

Forgive my confusion but how did you make a PDF (1.7) if you can't open the CS5 InDesign file?

 

[ajr]

CS3 file with a newer version of Illustrator eps maybe CS4 or 5 cant open that.

A

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

Are spot colours involved? Is the customer assesing the output with overprint preview.

Some transparent effects require overprint. If your RIP is configured to turn off/alter overprint then that may be your problem.

 

[ajr]

The RIP is not the problem you can see it in the original PDF, before its ripped.

A

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

Even with overprint preview?

 

[ajr]

Even with overprint preview?

Yep!

AjR

 

[buckeye]

ajr,

I thought your InDesign file was CS5. Now I understand. So you have a CS4 or CS5 Illustrator eps placed in CS3 InDesign. This white area you are talking about, can you select it in Rampage's TrapIt and tell it to overprint?

Erik

 

[pkleinheider]

I support ajr's thoughts.

In a CS Workflow I can only encourage everyone to NOT USE EPS anymore. Saving as EPS has a lot of disadvantages. Flattening of Transparency is one of it.

If a RIP can handle live transparency, the let the RIP handle it.

PDF 1.5 is out since some years by now. The format is mature. Modern RIPs can handle those quite well. So why go the perilous way with EPS (aka PDF 1.3)?

 

[John W]

If you save an eps format out of native Illustrator properly (that's the key point here), the flattening that occurs WILL BE CORRECT providing your RIP is good enough (Rampage of course is). IME, using an old Hq Rip, objects with "Effects" and other Psd images etc that obviously utilize transparency must be "expanded" in Illustrator or embedded (images) before saving out as eps. We do it all day long in folding carton work with spot colors etc without issue. However, if you go near pdf at all during this process and are using an older postscript Rip, you are now at risk depending on how the file and the pdf was built. Sometimes the pdf will be used perfectly and other times it will go south. A newer rip such as is mentioned here will produce differently again so some experimentation is/may be required for that workflow.
John W

 

[CHM]

We have been supplied an Indesign file with placed eps files with transparency in them.

AjR

This is inpossible, EPS is flattend and has no transparantys.
Can you poste a file or somthing?

 

[david123music]

Have you tried printing the pdf down again as postscript.

For me this has solved a myriad of problems. In acrobat select a suitable page size, the correct ppd for output enviroment, (check the pdf overprint settings) and save as a postscript file. Ensure your distiller settings are on the money, and normalize it to a new pdf. Adjust the trim, bleed and any other boxes in acrobat or your workflow.

Give it a go if you have the time

 

[WharfRat]

Rampage used to say that, in your situation,
the eps file must be embedded in the InDesign document
and NOT linked.
See if that is still in your tech notes.
Won't do you much good, if you can't open the inDy file tho.

MSD