5 Replies Latest reply: Dec 27, 2011 6:09 AM by JETalmage RSS

    How do I create a transparent document in Illustrator?

    cocteau3 Community Member

      Photoshop creates jagged text when I create a banner logo with a transparent background and simple text.

       

      In Illustrator, the text is smooth, controls are better. BUT, I cannot open a new Illustrator document with a transparent background.

       

      WHY NOT??? I thought the point of the Creative Suite was to have some consistency...

       

      I cannot create the logo in Illustrator and use its smooth text because I do not want a &*^&(^ background.

       

      I am using the logo on a web site, it is not being imported into anything. Thus the need for transparency. It needs to be a gif image with transparency and professional looking lettering, not the cutout look

      that appears like somebody tore the letters out and glued them on a page. Not for me.

       

      Exporting an eps doesn't work, nor does PDF. Exporting for the web using the gif creator only creates a ridiculous, knock out lettering effect that looks like someone clicked on the wand tool. Absurd

      controls on this expensive as hell software.

       

      Am I missing something? Hello Adobe! People use transparency on website logos.

       

      When I export an eps from .ai file, and open the eps in photoshop, it opens with transparency. Fine. But when I save as a gif for the web, it goes back to the original problem with creating the text logo in photoshop

      and creates jagged text. I"m giving up on this garbage soon and making a graphic with a blasted colored background that will make my site look like beginner garbage. Thanks a lot adobe! Lower the price of this

      software if this is all that can be done.

       

      cocteau

        • 1. Re: How do I create a transparent document in Illustrator?
          JETalmage Community Member

          In Illustrator, the text is smooth, controls are better. BUT, I cannot open a new Illustrator document with a transparent background.

          Actually, a new Illustrator document is EMPTY. There is no background. This is a vector drawing/design program, not a raster imaging program.

           

          I cannot create the logo in Illustrator and use its smooth text because I do not want a &*^&(^ background.

          There is no &*^&(^ background unless you create one.

           

          I am using the logo on a web site, it is not being imported into anything.

           

          If you are using it on a website, it is being imported into a browser.

           

          Thus the need for transparency. It needs to be a gif image with transparency and professional looking lettering,

          It dosn't need to be GIF to have transparency. You can export to GIF with antialiased (rasterized) text, but the antialiasing is only going to work on a background that is colored the same as whatever SINGLE COLOR you assign as transparent in the stupid indexed-color GIF format. I don't call that "professional looking."

           

          not the cutout look that appears like somebody tore the letters out and glued them on a page. Not for me.

          Know what PNG stands for? "PNG Not GIF." Don't use GIF. It's outdated crap. Use PNG and you can get your nice anti-aliased text with true alpha trasparency that will work on any backgorund.

           

          But understand: PNG is a raster image format. That's why you have to EXPORT your Illustrator artwork to PNG. That's what the Save For Web command is for. It will also let you export your "professional" GIF if you must.

           

          Have you even looked at the documentation for Illustrator?

           

          JET

          • 2. Re: How do I create a transparent document in Illustrator?
            cocteau3 Community Member

            Well this is out on a limb....

             

            I"m familiar with these ideas. The export as GIF or PNG both result in crappy looking letters that once looked beautiful in my Illustrator file. I realize AI is an illustration program. My question seems to be all over the forum but no one has been able to answer other than exporting to these file formats, which make text look awful and of no use unless one wants the "torn paper" look or "typewriter magnification" letters looks. Yuk.

            • 3. Re: How do I create a transparent document in Illustrator?
              Silkrooster Community Member

              Use Jet's advice. Go with png. gif files uses a single color for the transparency which is why you get the effects you see. It requires an 8-bit channel (256 colors) to have a smooth anti-aliased look to the text, which is required to make it look smooth.

              Your only other choice is to use a color for the background that matches the background on your web site, then and only then you can use other file formats that the browser supports simple because you are not using a transparent background. Jpg is the main format for web design but does not support transparency. Only png and gif support transparency.

              If you don't mind using plugins then your options increase for swf and pdf.

               

              So to recap, png is king for transparency, gif can be used but not recommended, jpg is excellent if you can get away without using transparency and swf or pdf if you don't mind the user require plugins for their web browser.

              • 4. Re: How do I create a transparent document in Illustrator?
                Wade_Zimmerman Community Member

                Try using Save or the web and device

                 

                select png 24 and in the image tabo fo the save for web and device dialog select type optimized.

                 

                Screen Shot 2011-12-27 at 12.13.00 AM.png

                 

                Looks like this when exported and used on the web or device.

                 

                Nice-Text.png

                 

                Also make sure you check transparent

                • 5. Re: How do I create a transparent document in Illustrator?
                  JETalmage Community Member

                  I realize AI is an illustration program.

                  Do you realize it is an object-based vector-based program? Do you know the difference between raster-based and vector-based content?

                   

                  My question seems to be all over the forum but no one has been able to answer other than exporting to these file formats, which make text look awful and of no use....

                  And yet everyone else in the world makes proper web images every day using a plethora of programs, including these...go figure.

                   

                  Am I missing something?

                   

                  Yep. Pretty much.

                   

                  Hello Adobe! People use transparency on website logos.

                   

                  Hello, cocteau! What you're calling "transparency" is inherent to object-based vector artwork. But web browsers don't support object-based vector artwork, except via file formats like Flash and SVG, or by viewing as a PDF in a plug-in version of Reader. Raster imaging in general only supports "transparency" by either indexing a specific color (i.e.; "don't display this color", as in GIF) or including an alpha channel (i.e.; "blend all the pixels with existing pixels, based on values from this extra channel", as in PNG). It's all in the raster file format you use, cocteau; it has little-to-nothing to do specifically with Adobe software. Such things are among the most basic matters understood by someone doing web design.

                   

                  When I export an eps from .ai file, and open the eps in photoshop,...I save as a gif for the web, it goes back to the original problem...creates jagged text. I"m giving up on this garbage...Thanks a lot adobe! Lower the price of this software if this is all that can be done.

                   

                  Once it leaves Photoshop (or Illustrator, or whatever) as a non-proprietary raster image format, it's all about what the format can do re "transparency". You can do this stuff with most any graphics program. You should read about basic web design and the differences between raster and vector content, rather than rant.

                   

                  JET