[Framers] FrameMaker and transparency

[Mike Wickham]

Ken, FrameMaker 10 is capable of honoring transparency in certain 
circumstances, but presents difficulties. It has been a long time since 
I've used a transparent graphic, so let me see if I can remember how I 
did it. One thing I seem to recall is that having a transparent 
background wasn't enough, or maybe wasn't even necessary. The key thing 
was to put a clipping path around the object you want to keep. Then FM 
would recognize it and  knock out the rest. HOWEVER, FM 10 doesn't 
always display that transparency. So-- again, I might be remembering 
this wrong-- but, if you put one graphic with clipping path over another 
graphic, only the graphic in front actually displays. BUT it would print 
correctly to PDF. I do seem to recall that some graphics would honor the 
clipping path in display, i.e. not show the stuff you want knocked out, 
but that they had to be background graphics maybe? I can't recall. In 
other words, if I put the graphics fully  within the text column, the 
transparency would not show. But if I placed the graphic in the page 
margin, I could move it in toward the text column, overlapping it, and 
text would run around the clipping path.

I probably got some stuff wrong there, but maybe it will point you in 
the right direction. The key point to remember is that clipping paths 
are necessary to get results in some circumstances, and those results 
might be visible on when you print.

Oh, and I think the graphics have to be EPS files. I don't think PSD 
files work. Your text frame on top of a text frame might also add a 
factor of complexity to it. So try it in the main text frame, first.

Mike

On 5/16/2020 11:21 AM, Ken Poshedly wrote:
> Ladies & Gents,
>
> Short question: Does FrameMaker 10 support transparency (i.e., no background) in imported graphics or not?
>
> Details: I've created a "Text Frame" (not a Graphic Frame) on a page in a new document which has, of course, the usual frame for text flow. So that's a newly created Text Frame ON TOP OF a system-created "text flow frame" on a blank page. Then, in FrameMaker 10, I used 40 percent Royal Blue as the Fill for the new Text Frame.
>
> I then inserted my text into the new tinted Text Frame and inserted (by reference) a small graphic saved as a psd file which I've modified in Photoshop CS4 to have a transparent background (checkerboard pattern where the white background had originally been).
>
> In this case, the text warns the readership of the journal that I edit to be responsible and not open certain e-mails (and you know the rest). I've found a small little anti-virus symbol to use with that text (a red-framed triangle with an exclamation point and the word "Virus" inside the triangle -- like a European road sign). The original version of the graphic was a jpg which had a white background around the triangle; so, like I said, I used Photoshop CS4 to do the layering-thing and delete the white background around the triangle, then saved the new image as a psd file (and also as a png file). The newly modified image looks just right.
>
> But when I import (by reference) the psd (or even the png) version of that new image, the area around the red triangle still shows as white inside the tinted Text Frame. So it displays (and prints on a color laserjet printer) as a white box with the red-framed triangle inside the the blue-tinted Text Frame.
>
> I checked various resources, including Adobe and YouTube videos, about doing the transparent layering thing and I am apparently doing that part correctly.
>
> So is this a limitation of FrameMaker 10 (to not recognize transparent layers or whatever) or am I missing something? I would be most happy to take this off -list and send the image (and even the FM file) to whoever wants to take a stab at this.
>
> Or must I somehow learn how to set the area surrounding the red triangle to the same color as the blue tint in the Text Frame in the FrameMaker 10 doc. And how to do THAT?
>
> By the way, I do not have the resources or desire (especially in these tough times) to "upgrade" to a new FM version with a perpetual monthly fee.
> -- Ken in Atlanta
>
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