PDF headaches

[Dov Isaacs]

Jenny,

PostScript does NOT in any way support transparency. It is not part of
the PostScript imaging model. EPS is PostScript. There is no "transparency"
in EPS because there is no transparency in PostScript.

Perhaps you are referring to content without a background? That is not
transparency. Or perhaps you are referring to an image with a clipping
path such that some arbitrary shape of an image is on top of a clear
background? Again, that is not transparency.

I am not trying to quibble here, but make sure that we are all using the
same terminology. Conventional graphic arts terminology for "transparent"
is to describe all non-opaque objects (which quite frankly, should really
have been described as "translucent" - but I'm a dumb engineer, not an
English major and those who came up with the term "transparent" to describe
non-opaque objects were probably not English majors either!).

In terms of clipping paths or clear backgrounds behind either text or vector
objects, there should be no difference whatsoever between creating PDF via
"save as" or via printing to the "Adobe PDF" PostScript printer driver instance
since in both cases, the EPS content is sent through into the output PostScript
stream unmodified.

	- Dov



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jenny Greenleaf [mailto:jgreenleaf at mac.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:00 PM
> To: Dov Isaacs
> Subject: Re: PDF headaches
> 
> FrameMaker 9.0 will handle a graphic in EPS that has a transparent
> background. Really!
> 
> Jenny
> 
> 
> On Jul 7, 2009, at 1:57 PM, Dov Isaacs wrote:
> 
> > What do YOU mean by transparency? If you are talking about support
> > for non-opaque
> > objects, then with FrameMaker you are plain out of luck.
> > FrameMaker's imaging model,
> > unlike that of InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, does not
> > support anything other
> > than opaque objects. Or do you mean something totally different?!?
> >
> > 	- Dov
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com
> >> ] On Behalf Of
> >> Jenny Greenleaf
> >> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 1:54 PM
> >> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> >> Subject: PDF headaches
> >>
> >> FrameMaker 9.0 (all patches installed)
> >> Running in a Windows XP VM on a recent MacBook Pro (4 GB)
> >> Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended 9
> >> No additional external Frame tools or plugins
> >>
> >> I am having trouble PDF'ing my book and hope you can help. I am not
> >> an
> >> expert in either of these tools.
> >>
> >> When I print to the Adobe PDF printer, I do not get the
> >> transparency I
> >> need for the cover graphic.
> >> When I use Save As PDF, I get the transparency, but the first cross-
> >> reference in the mini-TOC at the beginning of each chapter is
> >> gibberish (random characters).
> >>
> >> I have tried both of these with Standard options and High-Quality
> >> print options, as well as a set of options that embeds the corporate
> >> font.
> >>
> >> If I have to, I can PDF the cover separately, but I would rather not.
> >>
> >> Any clues? Thanks in advance.
> >>
> >> Jenny
> >> Greenleaf Agency, LLC
> >> Portland, OR