printing bitmap images with alpha in Freehand?

[imalbion]

How do I save images with alpha channel transparency (from Photoshop) so that they will print with transparency in Freehand MX (v11)?

Thanks much,

James

[Judy Arndt]

There are some issues with imported PSD files and alpha channels. See this
technote:
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/freehand/ts/documents/cmyk_psd_alpha.htm[/url]

The foolproof method of masking images in FHMX is to use a clipping path.
See this tutorial by Ken Kehl:
[url]http://www.concentric.net/~ellipsis/PSClip.html[/url]

Judy Arndt

imalbion wrote:

> How do I save images with alpha channel transparency (from Photoshop) so that
> they will print with transparency in Freehand MX (v11)?

[wailly]

I'm using FH MX, and tried this method. It sort of work, but with job done with
a nasty jagged edge. I have also tried "smoothing out" working path in PS (as
suggested in TechNote 3677) but still can's exactly solve the problem. Any
suggestion?

[Judy Arndt]

wailly wrote:

> I'm using FH MX, and tried this method. It sort of work, but with job done

with a nasty jagged edge.

Which method are you referring to?

> I have also tried "smoothing out" working path in PS (as suggested in TechNote
> 3677) but still can's exactly solve the problem. Any suggestion?

Do you mean you are getting a jagged edge when using a clipping path? Are
you printing to a Postscript printer? If the printer is not Postscript, you
will have to set File > Document Settings > Raster Effects Settings to a
resolution appropriate for your printer.

Judy Arndt

[wailly]

Thanks Judy for your help!

Actually I have tried both methods as mentioned above, which yielded similar
results. I have also tried making clipping path within FHMX (as opposed to
importing clipping path made with PS) with the imported .tif image, but that
too can't solve the problem.

I just tried various Raster Effect Settings as you suggested and print; still
no-go. I was printing on a non-postscript regular Canon inkjet printer btw.

I have noticed a strange thing though. When I draw a path in FHMX, the edge
was smooth (anti-aliased), but upon Paste Contents with the imported .tif
image, it just became all jagged, like there's no anti-aliasing at all. Maybe
there is a setting somewhere within FHMX I'm not aware of?


Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
wailly wrote:

> I'm using FH MX, and tried this method. It sort of work, but with job done

with a nasty jagged edge.

Which method are you referring to?

> I have also tried "smoothing out" working path in PS (as suggested in

TechNote

> 3677) but still can's exactly solve the problem. Any suggestion?

Do you mean you are getting a jagged edge when using a clipping path? Are
you printing to a Postscript printer? If the printer is not Postscript, you
will have to set File > Document Settings > Raster Effects Settings to a
resolution appropriate for your printer.

Judy Arndt

[Judy Arndt]

Wailly,
In Preferences > Redraw, have you checked 'On-screen image resolution' >
Full?

On-screen anti-aliasing works with strokes and fills, but the edges of
raster images are not anti-aliased to background color. When you zoom in to
a high magnification, don't you see more image pixels being displayed along
the inner edge of the clipping path?

Is the TIFF a plain flattened TIFF with no layers, channels, clipping paths
or file compression? Is this a color TIFF or bit-map (1-bit) TIFF?

What is the ppi (pixels per inch) resolution of the TIFF when placed at 100%
size? Are you scaling the image in FH?

Judy Arndt


wailly wrote:

> Thanks Judy for your help!
>
> Actually I have tried both methods as mentioned above, which yielded similar
> results. I have also tried making clipping path within FHMX (as opposed to
> importing clipping path made with PS) with the imported .tif image, but that
> too can't solve the problem.
>
> I just tried various Raster Effect Settings as you suggested and print; still
> no-go. I was printing on a non-postscript regular Canon inkjet printer btw.
>
> I have noticed a strange thing though. When I draw a path in FHMX, the edge
> was smooth (anti-aliased), but upon Paste Contents with the imported .tif
> image, it just became all jagged, like there's no anti-aliasing at all. Maybe
> there is a setting somewhere within FHMX I'm not aware of?
>
>
> Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
> wailly wrote:
>

>> I'm using FH MX, and tried this method. It sort of work, but with job done

> with a nasty jagged edge.
>
> Which method are you referring to?
>

>> I have also tried "smoothing out" working path in PS (as suggested in

> TechNote

>> 3677) but still can's exactly solve the problem. Any suggestion?

>
> Do you mean you are getting a jagged edge when using a clipping path? Are
> you printing to a Postscript printer? If the printer is not Postscript, you
> will have to set File > Document Settings > Raster Effects Settings to a
> resolution appropriate for your printer.
>
> Judy Arndt
>
>
>

[wailly]

I don't think it has anything to do with redraw, since it also happens on
print.

I have try setting the bitmap image in various ppi (from low at 150 to high
at 800) but seems no help whatsoever except it takes a lot longer to process in
FH due to large image file size (obviously).

The tiff file has been compressed with no layer and with no transparency.

Images below was printed on paper with clipping path done in FH; not imported
from PS. I appologize for the poor quality of the images, as they were taken by
a mobile phone DC which is the only one around I've got handy. But you can
still see the nasty jagged edges...

[url]http://a4.cpimg.com/image/7A/F3/36655994-a345-014000F0-.jpg[/url]

...no matter what size it is in...
[url]http://a6.cpimg.com/image/7C/F3/36655996-9b44-014000F0-.jpg[/url]

This is the very same tiff file which is done with clipping path in AI, which
is perfect.
[url]http://a5.cpimg.com/image/7B/F3/36655995-17c2-014000F0-.jpg[/url]

I have already finished this project with everything ported over to AI, but I
really want to solve this problem in FHMX, since that's the only one I have got
at work.



Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
Wailly,
In Preferences > Redraw, have you checked 'On-screen image resolution' >
Full?

On-screen anti-aliasing works with strokes and fills, but the edges of
raster images are not anti-aliased to background color. When you zoom in to
a high magnification, don't you see more image pixels being displayed along
the inner edge of the clipping path?

Is the TIFF a plain flattened TIFF with no layers, channels, clipping paths
or file compression? Is this a color TIFF or bit-map (1-bit) TIFF?

What is the ppi (pixels per inch) resolution of the TIFF when placed at 100%
size? Are you scaling the image in FH?

Judy Arndt

[Danny Whitehead]

wailly wrote:

> I don't think it has anything to do with redraw, since it also happens on
> print.

It has if you're using a non-Postscript printer. A Postscript printer is
reccommended for use with FH. You can print to non-PS printers, but the
results can be unreliable, as they is affected by screen redraw. You
should try Judy's suggestion before dismissing it on a hunch.

--


Danny

[Danny Whitehead]

Danny Whitehead wrote:

as they is affected by screen redraw.

Sorry, I meant 'coz dem affected by screen redraw'. ;)


--


Danny

[wailly]

I have tried different settings with screen redraw, but since I don't have
access to a post-script printer around, there's no way for me to verify that at
the moment. I'll see if I can send the file over to one of the old colleague's
place (who has a postscript printer) to print.

That would be a pain then, coz then I'll have to assume it is the cause of
such and send the job off to the printer output (with a postscript printer),
sit tight keeping my finger cross, hoping that the jagged edge won't be there
when the final product comes out... Hmmm, sounds risky to me. Afterall, I can't
bother my old colleague every time a project is done.

So I guess either will have my boss to invest on a new postscript printer, or
switch over to AI as workaround then...

Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
wailly wrote:

> I don't think it has anything to do with redraw, since it also happens on
> print.

It has if you're using a non-Postscript printer. A Postscript printer is
reccommended for use with FH. You can print to non-PS printers, but the
results can be unreliable, as they is affected by screen redraw. You
should try Judy's suggestion before dismissing it on a hunch.

--


Danny

[Ken Kehl]

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 00:57:47 +0000 (UTC), "wailly"
<webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote:

> That would be a pain then, coz then I'll have to assume it is the cause of
> such and send the job off to the printer output (with a postscript printer),
> sit tight keeping my finger cross, hoping that the jagged edge won't be there
> when the final product comes out... Hmmm, sounds risky to me. Afterall, I can't
> bother my old colleague every time a project is done.

Every prepress shop I have worked with required that I supply a
postscript print of the project when I submit the job. Then, they
produce a proof which I must approve before they will go ahead with
the work. Your press shop doesn't prepare proofs for your approval
before making film or printing?

> So I guess either will have my boss to invest on a new postscript printer, or
> switch over to AI as workaround then...

You can use Acrobat Distiller as a rudimentary 'substitute' for a
Postscript printer, since it contains a genuine Adobe Postscript
interpreter.
______
Ken
ellipsis design
(remove the _xx_'s)

[wailly]

Some of the job which I'm now sending to digial output don't make film anymore.
Still need to do proof for job; just that I'll have to trust that file, and
send it over for proof.

Does Acrobat Distiller works with FH? I guess I'll take a deeper look at it.
Thanks!

Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 00:57:47 +0000 (UTC), "wailly"
<webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote:

Every prepress shop I have worked with required that I supply a
postscript print of the project when I submit the job. Then, they
produce a proof which I must approve before they will go ahead with
the work. Your press shop doesn't prepare proofs for your approval
before making film or printing?

> So I guess either will have my boss to invest on a new postscript printer,

or

> switch over to AI as workaround then...

You can use Acrobat Distiller as a rudimentary 'substitute' for a
Postscript printer, since it contains a genuine Adobe Postscript
interpreter.
______
Ken
ellipsis design
(remove the _xx_'s)

[Ken Kehl]

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:57:13 +0000 (UTC), "wailly"
<webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote:

> Does Acrobat Distiller works with FH? I guess I'll take a deeper look at it.

Acrobat doesn't really 'work' with any application, it installs into
your system as a virtual Postscript printer which you print to as you
would any other printer. It sends your print stream through Distiller,
and the result is a PDF file. Using Distiller directly, you can also
process a Postscript file (also known as "Print-To-Disk" file, PS
file or PRN file) or an EPS file.
______
Ken
ellipsis design
(remove the _xx_'s)