Problem with transprency

[brakai295]

Hi folks,

I'm actually a web designer and don't work a lot with programs like Indesign or Freehand.

For this customer tho, I need to create a promotional postcard using Freehand.
On the 2nd side the postcard (which you can download here http://www.alphacomputer.com.au/postcard_design.pdf) I'm using 2 TIF images which I've edited in Photoshop to create an alpha channel. The transparency works fine whilst working in Freehand but once I print it or create a PDF of it, the transparent areas still look only 90% transparent and show a slight layer. (see second page)

Can anyone help me and tell me what I'm doing wrong? Is there a better way to include photos with transparency levels in them?

Thanks so much for your help!

Kai

[WannaBrie]

why are you using freehand to lay out the project when you have Indesign? Freehand is an Illustration program like Illustrator and Indesign is a layout program...try bringing your tiff into Indesign and then make your PDF. I've never had any problems with transparencies or alpha channels, whatever...I was unable to view your link to see if what you are experiencing is some sort of banding, so I am just guessing here...

[Albert_chu]

i think he said the customer wants it to be done in freehand.

[DivineDesign]

how would the customer know what program its done in if in the end, i assume you are making a PDF of it?? Even then, I am still confused on why the program matters at all...

[PrintDriver]

Who cares why the customer wants anything in whatever program.

Does anyone have a Freehand answer for this poor guy?

[doubting_thomas]

I'm no Photoshop or Freehand wiz, but I can at least throw some stuff out there.

Do you have any color management applied to any of the elements?

Have you tried applying a clipping path to the images to remove
the background (which seems to be what's causing the problem)?

Have you tried to save the Photoshop images as eps files, then placing
them into FH?

Have you tried to Export an eps of the FH document?

Do you have access to any other lauyout programs? I'm wondering
what would happen if you tried the same thing using a more modern
application (InDesign primarily). I've had some "interesting" issues when
producing pdf files from FH, and generally find that eps format works better
then generating a pdf from another layout application.

If you have to use a certain application to create it, it would be an odd
request unless you are handing over the native files to the client upon
completion. It would be easy to tell what app made the pdf by checking
the Document Properties under the Description tab in Acrobat 6+

Hope something here helps...

[Broacher]

The other thing is that FH has a whole menu of EPS flavours to choose when exporting. Have you tried just printing to a PS file and distilling that?

[doubting_thomas]

I was looking a bit more at your pdf and ran an Acrobat
Preflight on it. The entire thing is comming up as RGB.
That may be a contributing factor. I don't do enough
full color work here to be a wiz at that either though :(

Make sure your print vendor is comfy with RGB, or that
they have the Pitstop plugin for Acrobat.

Another thing is that the black created FH is a different
build/color than the one from Photoshop. They should be
the same if you want a smooth transition.