Creating Text with Drop Shadow to Import into Quark

[Gene Trujillo]

Hi Angi,

I had created some of the text--with drop shadow effects--in Photoshop,
and it's not printing crisp like it would if the text were placed in Quark.




That should be passable in small amounts if the resolution of the images is high enough. 300 dpi is normally sufficient.

Another possible pitfall: Quark has troubles with TIFF files in a picture box with no background color. One way to handle it is to use a background color set to 0%. Or use a clipping path.

However, I can't create the same drop shadow effects in Quark as I can
in Photoshop or Illustrator.




There is a Quark XTension called ShadowCaster which will allow you to create drop shadows and a few other transparency effects. And it's only and extra $100! 'Course, you could solve your problems completely for not much more by switching to InDesign which supports live transparancy.

However, I can't get the file to import and stay transparent.




Because Quark doesn't support transparency. You'll have to use a clipping path or alpha channel.

I am looking for any suggestions on giving this text a decent drop shadow
and still enabling it to print without jagged edges.




Another quick and dirty option would a "faux drop shadow". Duplicate your text, turn one copy 30% grey or so, turn off runaround on both, send the gray text behind the other copy, and position it offset a couple of points. It won't be as pretty as a feathered photoshop shadow, though.

HTH,

Gene

[John Slate]

If the type is a live type layer in Photoshop (ie vector), and you save as EPS, maintaining vector, and you place that in QXP, and if you print that to a certain type of postscript rip (not Scitex), and if your service provider does not make the mistake of opening up (and saving) your vector filled EPS file (which will rasterize your vectors), then the type will be as crisp as type from QXP.

A lot of ifs...

Like: If you used ID you could apply a soft drop shadow to live type in ID without a lot of fuss.

But if you can't make the jump for whatever reason, so be it. The other option, which people have been doing for years, is to have just the feather shadow of the type in the Photoshop file, not the type itself, then set the type in QXP on top of that placed image.

[Brian Ramage]

another way around this sorta' is to create the shadow in Photoshop and then with the shadow only (may need to created a new layer and use gaussian blur, then use that layer only) change the file to greyscale, then to bitmap using the diffussion method - Do Not Use 50% threshold as this will destroy the effect.

Then place the graphic behind the text you want to use (you could use the same settings as in Photoshop for Font/Leading/Kerning/etc.) Make sure the box has a clear background. It wont be the best shadow since it might be a harsh black over another background, but it will diffuse more like a shadow.

[John Kallios]

You should also consider doing the text and shadow in Illustrator.(if you have ver 9 or 10) Set the shadow to multiply.

John