Adobe Illustrator - White field with clear background

Author

White field with clear background

Mike Teegarden

2005-06-15, 11:18 pm

I have seen this effect, and am trying to duplicate it without success.
I want to use type to create a knockout in a white box along one edge.
Then I can place the graphic in InDesign and the white area would hide
all but where the letters are knocked out, showing whatever is below in
the stack.

I have made a white box, set my type, and converted it to paths, then
use the pathmaker tools to knock out the type outline from the edge of
the white box. Then I save the graphic. But when I place it in InDesign,
all I get is a solid white box.

What am I missing?

-Mike

Orchid

2005-06-16, 7:14 am

Mike Teegarden <miket@ruralite.org> wrote:

> I have seen this effect, and am trying to duplicate it without success.
> I want to use type to create a knockout in a white box along one edge.
> Then I can place the graphic in InDesign and the white area would hide
> all but where the letters are knocked out, showing whatever is below in
> the stack.
>
> I have made a white box, set my type, and converted it to paths, then
> use the pathmaker tools to knock out the type outline from the edge of
> the white box. Then I save the graphic. But when I place it in InDesign,
> all I get is a solid white box.
>
> What am I missing?

I'm not sure what you're missing as I was able to get this to work in
Pagemaker (and InDesign is far more capable than Pagemaker). I will tell
you the steps I took then you can decide if you missed any:

1. Draw a box filled with white.
2. Use the text tool to make text on top of the box.
3. Convert the text to outlines.
4. Select both objects, choose "minus front". (Do a quick test by
placing a red box behind the white box to see if I can see through the
text-delete red box when it's effective).
5. Save as an .eps format file.
6. Choose "place" in Pagemaker and put it on top of an object.

This worked fine.

I don't have InDesign installed on my present work computer so I can't
test this as I reply but I'm pretty sure you can use InDesign to do the
sort of effect you want without using Illustrator. You might want to
check the online help in InDesign for information on creating clipping
paths.

Anyway, sorry that I couldn't tell you more specifically what is causing
the problem but the process you describe seems to be fine. Perhaps
you're saving the file in a format which can't retain
transparency/clipping paths?

Orchid

Mike Teegarden

2005-06-16, 7:17 pm

Orchid wrote:
> Mike Teegarden <miket@ruralite.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> I'm not sure what you're missing as I was able to get this to work in
> Pagemaker (and InDesign is far more capable than Pagemaker). I will tell
> you the steps I took then you can decide if you missed any:
>
> 1. Draw a box filled with white.
> 2. Use the text tool to make text on top of the box.
> 3. Convert the text to outlines.
> 4. Select both objects, choose "minus front". (Do a quick test by
> placing a red box behind the white box to see if I can see through the
> text-delete red box when it's effective).
> 5. Save as an .eps format file.
> 6. Choose "place" in Pagemaker and put it on top of an object.
>
> This worked fine.
>
> I don't have InDesign installed on my present work computer so I can't
> test this as I reply but I'm pretty sure you can use InDesign to do the
> sort of effect you want without using Illustrator. You might want to
> check the online help in InDesign for information on creating clipping
> paths.
>
> Anyway, sorry that I couldn't tell you more specifically what is causing
> the problem but the process you describe seems to be fine. Perhaps
> you're saving the file in a format which can't retain
> transparency/clipping paths?
>
> Orchid
Thank you, you are correct, I could have done this much easier in
InDesign!! Thank you.

-Mike

FlippyTheCat

2005-06-16, 11:17 pm

in article 11b31msoe4fd75f@corp.supernews.com, Mike Teegarden at
miket@ruralite.org wrote on 06/16/2005 7:04 AM:

> I could have done this much easier in
> InDesign!!

Then go use it and stop whining about Illustrator.

Mike Teegarden

2005-06-17, 7:15 pm

FlippyTheCat wrote:
> in article 11b31msoe4fd75f@corp.supernews.com, Mike Teegarden at
> miket@ruralite.org wrote on 06/16/2005 7:04 AM:
>
>
>
>
>
> Then go use it and stop whining about Illustrator.
>
>

You have an interesting way of making friends. Does it work for you, often?

Jimmy

2005-06-17, 7:15 pm

in article 11b5otm8jgqlad7@corp.supernews.com, Mike Teegarden at
miket@ruralite.org wrote on 06/17/2005 7:52 AM:

> FlippyTheCat wrote:
>
>
> You have an interesting way of making friends. Does it work for you, often?

Do you think you would be a good friend to him? Maybe he does not seek your
friendship.

FlippyTheCat

2005-06-17, 7:15 pm