[Solved] Issue with transparent export as pdf

[Superlateral]

Hi everyone,
My first post and it's urgent. Please be gentle and help.

I have done a vector drawing in Draw and set the page background as Fill NONE to keep background transparent.
My vector drawing is black and I'm able to export it to pdf and png with transparent background.
But then I changed the black colour of the same drawing to white to create another version. This time around when I export it to png all is good I still get the white drawing with no background but when I export pdf all the white colour components disappear as if they are transparent including vector image part and texts as well.
I need this drawing to print on A5 page and also on different tshirts of various colours as well as to print a poster as big as 3meterx2meter. Therefore wanted a vector pdf.
Please tell me what is this I'm doing wrong

Thanks a lot.

[Hagar Delest]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

When you say that you export the white drawing to PDF and it disappear, do you mean in the PDF file or when you actually print that PDF file?
In the PDF, you'll have white on white so you won't see anything but it doesn't mean that the shapes and texts have disappeared. Try to select something in the page and the highlighting should give you something.
For printing, however, a standard printer is based on the fact that white is just "no ink" (there is no white color cartridge [or they are quite expansive and require a compatible printer]). Thus, even if you print on a colored page, you won't get anything at all.
Printing in white requires some specific printer I guess.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the *EDIT button if your issue has been fixed.

[Superlateral]

Thank you for the reply.
I changed the paper colour on pdf to green and white drawing is still not there but I can select it and it appears highlighted when I select the area with cursor as if there is something.
I suspected that it's because of the white background of adobe reader and then decided to print it on home printer. All white parts of the graphic didn't print but black and other colour parts did print when I printed on coloured paper.
It's an Epson WF 2660 printer home based.
Thanks!

[Superlateral]

Thanks Hagar. Your explanation is spot on. Could you please suggest what format should I export it for 3meterx2meter poster.
I already have .pdf, .tif, .png in 300dpi, .bmp but bmp again coming as white background.
Thanks!

[John_Ha]

I have done a vector drawing in Draw and set the page background as Fill NONE to keep background transparent.

Why do you need a transparent background? Why can't you leave it as default white?

Could you please suggest what format should I export it for 3 meter x 2 meter poster.

Export it as a PDF.

Upload the Draw file so better advice can be given as you have a mix of vector (presumably text and graphic) and image. Press POSTREPLY and click the Upload attachment tab below where you type (128 kB max); or use a file share site such as mediafire, Dropbox or Google Drive for a larger file.

See test.odg and [url=hhttps://www.dropbox.com/s/601xs5bmvelebsx/test.pdf?dl=0]test.PDF[/url] for a 3m x 2m Draw .odg file and the PDF created from it.

As an image

If you must use an image remember 3 meter x 2 meter is 118 inches x 79 inches and 150 dpi gives good quality printing though you may get away with 75 dpi if people are not too close to the poster.

If it's a graphic, or anything with text, use PNG with a minimum of 150 dpi giving an image 17,700 x 11,900 pixel.

If it's a photo, use JPG at 150 dpi although there is no point using any higher dpi/pixel count than the original photo(s).

The huge images can then also be saved as PDF files with a paper size of 3m x 3m - use the Microsoft Print to PDF virtual printer.

You may find Draw cannot produce images that size. If so, break the poster into separate pieces and join the images using IrfanView > Image > Create Panorama image.

See [Tutorial] Some useful hints on using images for more information.

[Hagar Delest]

I changed the paper colour on pdf to green and white drawing is still not there but I can select it and it appears highlighted when I select the area with cursor as if there is something.

Can't reproduce your problem. Can you upload a sample file showing the issue (see How to attach a document here)?
Note: I use LibreOffice, it may behave slightly differently but don't see why it would in this very case.

As for the format, if the issue is actually to print white shapes on colored supports, then I don't think there is solution except asking a professional. PDF is the most appropriate one in your case I think.

[Superlateral]

Why do you need a transparent background? Why can't you leave it as default white?

I need transparent background to print it on different design socks and don't want the white background on the print. I can easily print black and orange version of same drawing with transparent background. The issue is only with white and .pdf. It's fine when exported as .png file.

Export it as a PDF.


Thanks, I'll use PDF.

Files attached. There is a text 'SNOW' in bottom left corner in white colour. And white boxes in top middle design where I've changed one box to red.
No images. Only text and graphics.
Previously when I used a combination of image and graphics and text on transparent background (no fill page) and exported that in PDF, although whites were not visible in default view mode but on changing pdf to night mode I could see the full graphics confirming everything is there. But this one I drew this image using shapes and curves and added text boxes. A simple example attached. This one if I view in night mode doesn't show the white part.
As Hagar suggested, I can select the texts in pdf file confirming it's there. Then changed the white parts to grey1 and can easily print it and it's visible in.pdf.


Thanks for the links.

[Hagar Delest]

I think I see what you mean but still I don't understand what is your problem.
The white shapes/text on a transparent background will be shown as white on... white because the transparent "color" is considered white on screen. If it were to be printed with a white color cartridge, I think that the white items would be correctly printed in white (and the background would not be printed in white of course).

[Superlateral]

My problem is that I want to confirm that SNOW and white boxes are there in the pdf and aren't transparent. Secondly, I can't see on print
preview how it'll look if printed through Officeworks online poster print service. Don't wanna pay for a print I end up with missing details.
From the pdf file attached, can you confirm that full design is there? How do I see it in print preview.
Thanks.

[John_Ha]

Read the tutorial. It says:

It is far better to process your images in an image editor so that they are exactly how you want them to appear before inserting them into AOO.

So, handle the transparency in IrfanView and insert the file with transparency.

The white area is transparent in this image.

[John_Ha]

My problem is that I want to confirm that SNOW and white boxes are there in the pdf and aren't transparent.

Changing the page background to green in the .odg shows the SNOW as white text so it must be white text and not transparent.

what happens when you print the PDF on your printer?

[Superlateral]

When I print on my printer on a green paper 'SNOW' and white boxes aren't there in the print. But this is a basic printer and as Hagar mentioned, doesn't look like it has white ink.

[Superlateral]

Thank you everyone. I think this is solved. I'll send it to the print and find out soon.
Thanks so much John and Hagar. Really appreciate your quick replies.

[Superlateral]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hK-ZQa ... p=drivesdk

This is the png file of the exported from same .odg.

Everything seems to be alright with this.

If I use this instead of PDF. Would I be able to print a banner from this?

[Hagar Delest]

Honestly, PDF is good.
If you want to be absolutely sure, ask the guy who will actually print it, he will tell if he can do that and will confirm that the PDF has all the data.

Note that in the file you provided (DESIGN SD FILE 2), one of the squares (top) was white but shouldn't I think.

[Superlateral]

All good. I'm sure now that all the info is there in the pdf. Yes, that box is meant to be black. Thanks heaps.