EPS and Transparency

[dispatch]

S.S. from Australia, using Adobe with Windows, writes in with:

I've been trying to help my workmate save a file that has transparency in it into an EPS format for his printer to produce. The thing is that his PSD file has the transparency but when its saved as an EPS file the transparency becomes an opaque background. When its saved as a TIF file the transparency is still there. Is there a setting in Photoshop the he should be looking at to make this work correct

If you can help, click "Post Reply" below! Thank you!

[posted by PS 911 dispatch on behalf of DTG reader]

[Tips]

What you need is a Clipping path.

You can read specific instructions in the Photoshop Help files.
(Search drive for file named: 1_20_8_1.html)

Clipping path saved with EPS will render image outside the path to transparent

Mike's "Sketchpad" site has a good tutorial on Clipping Paths:
http://www.sketchpad.net/paths3.htm

See:
http://photoshop911.typepad.com/help/2004/01/clipping_paths_.html

See this older tutorial about clipping paths.

http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/Seminars/paths/index.html

[mharrison]

EPS file format does not support transparency so the image has to be "flattened" which is why all thee transparency shows up as white. There is little more information to help. If the Printer can take an inDesign file a native Photoshop file can be placed on an inDesign page and retain transparency. I can't waste too much more time trying to dream up what the real issues are here to help any further. Perhaps you could post what the final result is meant to be, what programs you have available and what the printer is willing to accept?

[Tips]

Okay... let's try this again...

Yes, you can indeed save with transparent backgrounds...

See Photoshop 911 tutorial: Clipping Masks (http://www.photoshop911.com/clipping/index.html)

:cool:

[mharrison]

OK. I realize you can achieve what appears to be transparency with a clipping path, but clipping paths and true transparency through an Alpha Channel are two completely different things. A clipping path in effect "masks" off certain portions of the pixels with a hard edge. With true transparency you can acheive feathered edges and have semi transparent areas which far more desirable than the old fashioned clipping mask. inDesign understands the alpha channel transparency so it allows you to say place a featherd edged transparent background or semi transparent photoshop file over a line of text so that the text emerges from under the photo like a ship in the fog. Let's see you try that with a clipping path! Like I said - Postscript does not understand transparency which is why clipping paths were invented. Adobe has been promising a new printer language based on PDF that will understand true transparency and layers and blend modes for quite sometime. My understanding is that they are in the last stages and have been field testing with some of the larger printer and print development companies.

[cybAlien]

Open with PSD with Illustrator. Use Export option in file menu. And save it in eps mode. bt make sure to select the transparent option in the window appears. with this method u don't want to worry about clipping path or anything. I am thankful to "Tharinda" (My photoshop guru) for find this method...