Importing PSD files to Indesign

[suppersppy]

am using Indesign CS1 and Photoshop CS1. During the comp stages I often import photoshop files that have had the background knocked out with a mask into Indesign. Usually I have no problem and the files come in with no background as they should. Ocassionaly though the files come in and if there is no background it adds a white one. I have tried doing it where there is no mask only the image without a background [mask deleted and applied]. I have tried both RGB and CMYK. I have tried with and without paths and alpha channels in the file. I made sure that there is no fill on the picture box in Indesign. Also I checked that the same Indesign file has other PSD files that imported as they should. I have noticed that when the image imports correctly it seems to create a tiff preview while when it does not work correctly it places a jpeg preview. I don't know how to control that though. What am I missing that causes Indesign to add a background or not?

[J Rock]

maybe try saving it as an EPS?

[defjoe]

i honestly think it's just a bug. it happens to me from time to time also.

[Mr Dibbs]

save clipping path

[jdeeesign]

I would try to save it as a transparent TIFF and see if that helps. Have you exported the file to PDF or printed it? I've had the problem of the white background in preview modes, but when I do an overprint preview it goes away, so it may not be there at all - just appear to be.

[suppersppy]

I checked that it is a 16bit psd file, I tried changing the InDesign documents transperancy blending space from RGB to CMYK. No difference. I looked at it on high quality display and the overprint preview with no change. I exported to a pdf and it still has the white box. I could save it as other file types however that defeats the purpose of the Creative Suite. I can't use a clipping path because there is a soft shadow that needs to be visible.

[suppersppy]

I checked that it is a 16bit psd file, I tried changing the InDesign documents transperancy blending space from RGB to CMYK. No difference. I looked at it on high quality display and the overprint preview with no change. I exported to a pdf and it still has the white box. I could save it as other file types however that defeats the purpose of the Creative Suite. I can't use a clipping path because there is a soft shadow that needs to be visible.

[suppersppy]

I found the problem. If the file is 16bit then it will create the problem I was describing. Convert to 8 bit and everything is fine.

[DeleteYourself]

Damnit, that's what I was gonna suggest. Glad you got it figured out.

Welcome to the GDF!