Framers Digest, Vol 23, Issue 13

[rradcliffe at invacare.com]

Steve,

Check the Illustrator help under the "Transparency" headings. We do not 
use this feature, but glancing through, it looks like the help should 
answer your questions about placing one graphic over another.

4.5 MB sounds like a large file size for your background file, Not knowing 
your experience with Illustrator and not claiming to be an expert...We 
perform the following on most of the graphics we use (Windows XP, 
Illustrator CS2, FrameMaker 7.0 and Acrobat Standard 6).

In Illustrator:
If necessary, save a copy of the file and "Flatten Layers" (compressing 
everything to one layer), or delete unused layers.
"Select All" to ensure there are no extra points or shapes hanging off to 
the side making the graphic larger than it needs to be and delete them. 
Apply a cropping mask to get rid of extra background (especially on the 
chapter number graphic). 
-or-
Open the graphic in acrobat, open the crop pages window, and set the 
margins manually or check the "Remove White Margins" box. Click OK and 
save the file.

In FM;  Ensure runaround properties to "Don't Run Around" 
(Graphics>Runaround Properties)

If I still have problems with a graphic showing correctly (usually if 
lines are missing from a graphic)  I will then go back to Illustrator, 
open the "Object"menu and ensure "Released" 
under "Clipping Mask" and "Compound Path" are NOT selected. 

Hope at least some of this helps,

Rob Radcliffe
Technical Writer, Technical Writing Department
Customer Interaction Center
Invacare Corporation
Office: 440-326-3195 Fax: 440-326-3912
rradcliffe at invacare.com

>original message<

Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:45:59 +0100
From: Steve Rickaby <srickaby at wordmongers.demon.co.uk>
Subject: FrameMaker and Illustrator EPS files
To: framers at FrameUsers.com
Message-ID: <p06240805c30d616b4e9a@[192.168.0.4]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

FrameMaker 7.0, Mac, Illustrator CS2

I have a chapter opener decorative EPS which is about a 4.5 MB Illustrator 
file and is imported onto the chapter opener master page. Because of 
FrameMaker's paucity of text effects, the simplest way to implement the 
required design [a 180 point reversed-out chapter number with a drop 
shadow] seems to be to overlay the chapter number(s) on the decorative 
graphic in Illustrator, which demands a different chapter opener graphic, 
and so master page, for each chapter and appendix. This is neither elegant 
nor space-efficient.

If I overlay the chapter number on the graphic in Illustrator and import 
it into FrameMaker by reference, it looks great. However, to save space, I 
thought it ought to be possible to create the chapter numbers separately 
and overlay them onto the decorative background in FrameMaker [one 4.5 MB 
background file instead of 27 of them]. When I do this, though, the 
chapter number EPS appears in a white frame that not only obliterates the 
underlying decorative EPS, but, startlingly, causes text on the body pages 
to wrap to avoid it. This occurs even when the fill of the number graphic 
is set to none in Illustrator, and is unaffected by grouping of the two 
graphics and moving them to the back relative to the text frames.

I appreciate that all I am seeing in FrameMaker are the EPS previews, but 
the same is true of actual PDFs created from the document..

Why it this, and is there a way around it?

-- 
Steve
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:  The information in this e-mail
message and any attachments may contain confidential health
and/or other information protected by Federal and Ohio law.
Such information is intended only for the individual or entity
named above.  If you are not the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any use or disclosure is prohibited by law.