How do I get a transparent background in my Illustrator file?

Ok so I do not know if you did this or not but if one just saves the after flattening the transparency then this will happen if one saves it as an eps this will happen but if one saves it s an .ai file without flattening the transparency then the art retains its transparency..

Like such same art one with the transparency flattened the other as an ai file without flattening the transparency.

I want to clarify he issue if you have effects applied to the art  and save as an eps this will occur with no effects then the eps should work fine.

Without seeing the file it is hard to say. You could try to export it as a psd file.

But if you can post the file I can see if not if you can use the camera icon in the message composer to attach screenshots of you art and or layers panel expanded and the appearance panel also expanded that would be helpful.

If you can describe what steps you foloewed to create the art that might help.

Right now it is a little vague.

Hold Shift as you place the file in InDesign or click on Show Import Options. You may have set the program to add a white background to placed objects. Changing Import Options for a placed file will set that as the default for future imports, where appropriate to the format of the placed graphic.

Save it as an eps file.

When you save it, an EPS Options dialog box will open.

Under "Preview" there is a drop down menu "Format".

Select "TIFF (8-bit Color)", no matter if it is a one colour or 4 colour file.

Under the drop down menu there are 2 options, "Transparent" and "Opaque". Choose Transparent.

When you link this file in InDesign, it will come in without a background.

If you need a raster file, open it in Photoshop and save it as a .tiff and check off "Transparent".

Hope this helps everyone!

If you want to place a file in InDesign, don't use EPS. Use AI or PDF. EPS is kind of dated.

Illustrator >> View >> Show transparency grid

You will see a checkerboard pattern showing you where you have tranparency.

Save your .ai fle with pdf compatible and place into InDesign

If you placed as .eps in InDesign you need to

InDesgin>>View >> Display Performace >> High quality Display

EPS files are not dated. They may be bigger than .ai files but they are still a common file type especially when dealing with all the different levels of software (CS 5, CS 5.5)....

cosimcgrl78 and Mike

t does not matter what you do or what setings you give an eps file if the file contains araster effect it will not place in another application with a transparent background but an ai file will

even in Word if you are using a Ma to import it.

This is an eps witth a drop shadow exported from AI and placed in ID

Withoput the raster effects it will be fine but with raster effect it does not support transparency.

Actually of course it is the pdf compatibility feature that saves a pdf versio in the ai file that allows it to be read by other programs such as ID and Word (on the Mac only).

So saving as a pdf is probably a very good way of going about it.

Here is the ai file with the same raster effect as the eps above.

here is the same ai file in Word on a Mac.

In Illustrator - for the shadow graphic only, taking for granted you gassian blured a vector graphic, try 'tranparency >> set blending mode to Multipy >> Save as an .ai file'

I am not exactly certain of your problem, but when I want to create an image to insert into a word file, or InDesign or whatever, I do a FILE>SAVE FOR WEB.

Then make it a GIF. Set it to have transparancy and it comes right in with no white background. You have to play with the size of it, as they usually start really small.

I have designed a menu with overlapping pics screened to 15% n the background. When I sent this to a print shop for copying I am getting black lines that show up. It looks like my artboard and guidleines. When I used my home printer to print these linses are not there. Can you make a suggestion to remedy this or tell me what I might be doing wrong

Make sure to Place the file! (File > Place...) Hope this helps!

This started happening to my inDesign files and I wanted to pull my hair out.

@pjdv is right, but you have to select SHOW IMPORT OPTIONS in the dialog box for placing objects to get that dialog box in his screenshot

Create an outline of the logo with the pen tool, select the image and the outline and make a clipping mask (Command +7).

Hello @all,

I have a similar problem.

I created the icon in illustrator and saved it via "save for website" as an png-file. Bevor saving the file, I checked that the background is transparent.

But after uploading the the png-file, I noticed that the edges of the bounding box are still white.

Please take a look at the attachments.

Thank you very very much!!!

You can place native files (Ai, Psd) straight into Indesign, also, you can save the Illustrator file as an .eps file.

Or from Illustrator save file to Photoshop:- File - Export - Format :  Photoshop PSD

Hope this makes sense?

Thanks,

but i need the file in png or jpg.

I have to upload this image and there is no other data type possible. :/

Can you show a screen capture of your document (not save for web window) with Show Transparency Grid turned on from the View menu.

If the end use of your png/jpeg graphic is for a web page, the web editor should automatically be able to see that the graphic has a transparent back ground.

Creating the graphic using Illustrator all you need to do is save it as a .eps or native file and place it into Indesign, when using Indesign you have to set the page to -

'View' - 'Display Performance' - 'High Quality Display' to see the image at its most crisp/resolution.

Hope the above info' is of use if not now maybe in the future.

Hello,

sorry, but the Indesign part isn't helpful for me.

I create the icons in Illustrator and save them via "save for website" as an png 24, check transparency, uncheck "whole draw area" an click save.

I have to save it as png for the system I want to upload the icon.

As a suggestion, have you uploaded the 'png' file to the system to see what it looks like?

Seems strange that the only file format that the system can access is 'png' and not gif or jpeg?

Hey!

Thanks, but I wrote

Thanks,

but I need the file in png or jpg.

I have to upload this image and there is no other data type possible. :/

that I need png or jpg.

And of course. By every change of the saving options, I tried how it looks when its uploaded.

But every time it doesn't look like it should be.

That is the reason why I wrote my questions in this forum.

erm.....

after doing this from the previous post...

'You can place native files (Ai, Psd) straight into Indesign, also, you can save the Illustrator file as an .eps file.

Or from Illustrator save file to Photoshop:- File - Export - Format :  Photoshop PSD'

....then save the file from photshop in various formats, but you may have already tried this.

Without seeing the original file I am at a loss of what to recommend.

Hi all! I'm wondering if any can help me, I'm losing my mind over this... I know it's simple but I can't figure it out. My PROBLEM: I purchased these pre-designed badges to edit. The large collection is pre-designed, I created the small one to the left by using the "SLICE" OPITON. WHAT I'M WANTING IS TO CREATE A LOGO THAT JUST LAYS OVER MY PHOTOS (WITHOUT ANY SHAPING OR BACKGROUNDS) I have adobe illustrator 17 & my photography program is Corel PaintShop. CAN SOMEONE explain to me how to get that effect without the background?!

I'm not sure if it's more complex due to the pre-grouped collection. I tried asking the creator of the design but the directions weren't working. Thank you to anyone in advance!!

Which file format is that?

If those are vector objects, you should be able to select just one with the select tool (or direct select or lasso in case all of them are grouped) and paste it into a new file. You should also be able to paste it into image editing software.

Its an AI File, I'm pretty sure they are vector images. But when I go to select one it selects the entire thing, thats why I had to slice it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Its an AI File, I'm pretty sure they are vector images.

Have you checked in outline view?

But when I go to select one it selects the entire thing, thats why I had to slice it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Show us the layer panel. Contents must be visible.

Could be a group, could be a clipping mask, could be a symbol ...

Hello missjeanaboo, just to repeat Monika Gause post.

If it is a eps/vector file, go to select all - ungroup, then with the selection tool and holding down shift key select parts of the logo etc you want and copy, or drag a marquee around the selection and copy, then delete parts you don’t need, then colour if needed.

TREX

Hello Trex! So I Went to Select All- ungrouped and that worked! From that point I was able to select the one logo I wanted, copy it and edit it to my liking. So Thank so much!! My next problem is now, I have tried 100+ different things but when I copy the logo into a new document and edit it, once I save it, the background it still showing, I want the image (obects & texts) to just lay over my image as my logo (as seen below) I have attached a picture to describe what i'm wanting. Do you have any suggestions or steps for me to do? Again Thanks!

Hi Monika Thanks so much for the help, I was finally able to ungroup them, I would attach an image but it's not letting me. Now my problem is trying to get the background invisible so the object and text just lay over my images as my logo. Thanks again!

Hello Missjeannaboo, please to be of some help so far., hope the info below will be of use?

Select the logo/artwork you need - copy it open a new illustrator file - then paste - then save the file with a logo name, .eps etc, if the grey/shaded area is selected by mistake when transporting over, just click on grey area, keep selected - then go to top menu - select - same fill, that will select the all the same colour then delete.

TREX

YOU ARE A LIFESAVER! Thank you so much! I feel so silly, it was so simple! But I would've never figured it out! It worked perfect! I attached an image of one of my photos and the logo over it. Thanks again!!

Thanks missjeannaboo.

A pleasure to be of help.

TREX

For both questions:

If your Illy file is not too big/complex, you can try Copy & Paste thru the Clipboard. Going into Photoshop, it will come in transparent. (Of course, the PDF Save is also good, at least when placing in InDesign.)

For web work, you can Save As either a PNG or PSD, open in Photoshop and then re-size as needed. Export as PNG for use on web.

Perfect!  Thank you.

Just wondering why this question is still open. Shouldn't it be closed with all these answers?