Flattening a vector in CS2

I have a vector logo of a star, with designs and colors inside it. Is there a way to flatten everything inside the image so it's not editable anymore, but still maintain the vector star shape??

I just want the star shape to be editable, but maintain the graphics inside as more like a patter fill almost, I did manage to select all graphics and rasterize it, there is a check mark under options to create clipping mask. Seems to work out, I can still edit the star shape only, the graphics inside are rastered.

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Problems with image after flattening transparency in illustrator cs2

Hi,Could someone please help me.Im using illustrator cs2 with windows xp.
The problem i have is that after flattening any image using transparency
masks or opacity i can see thin broken white lines in the image.
They appear where the opacity masks are,or where they cross in the image.
I haven't been using illustrator for long and am not sure if it's something
i'm doing incorrectly or not.
Also if i select all the paths after flattening i can see double the paths
that were there before which run along the unsightly white lines in the image.
Please could someone shed some light on this,it's driving me crazy.
Thanks, Cal

Hi,I spent weeks trying to sort it out. Apparently it's unavoidable. I read somewhere that the white lines wouldn't appear when printed but i saved one of the images as a jpg an the lines were clearly visible.
Its because when the transparency in the image goes through the flattening process to enable printing it breaks the image into atomic regions and the white lines are the gaps in between.
People seem to think it's completely normal and acceptable but i don't . I think it's a load of old rubbish.
The way round it is to use stuff that doesn't use transparency like the gradient mesh and all that.
I can't be bothered with all that so i just save the unflattened image as a large png or jpg file for printing.
I'm no expert but if the facility to use transparency is there surely it should save perfectly after flattening. The whole things a real pain.
Take care , Cal

Flatten Transparency&Other in CS2

1- I'm trying to place a transparent image from photoshop to my illustrator artwork and get the white box around the image.
   What is the best way to prevent the white box from appearing in illustrator?
   What should I do.. either in photoshop or illustrator.. to prevent this from happening? (please explain details & proper procedures).
   I will be using this file for print in cmyk.
When I place a photoshop transparent image with NO white box into illus. and try to flatten it, it does not flatten.
When I place a flatten image from photoshop with the white box and try to use the magic wand to remove the white area nothing happens,
I can't use the wand?
Can someone please tell HOW to accomplish the above?
2- Also when trying to synchronize my color settings between Photoshop & illus. it says to use the color settings in Bridge under edit.
    When I try to do this I do not have that option (color setting) in Bridge? Any help ideas with this as well? I do not have the Suite edition,
    Just PhotoshopCS2 and IllustratorCS2.
3- I created Gradient artwork in illus. and I get the following warning window:
    Illustrator PDF warning: > This Document contains PDF objects that have been reinterpreted >An unknown shading type was encountered??
Sorry for so many questions, but I tried numerous books,help menus,etc. and have found no answers! My brain is seeping out my ears from
all the head banging trying to solve these 3 issues!! Can someone PLEASE HELP!!!
I work on a mac.any other info needed to solve the above.
john....and many THANKS in advance!!!!!!!!

1- I'm trying to place a transparent image from photoshop to my illustrator artwork and get the white box around the image.
   What is the best way to prevent the white box from appearing in illustrator?
   What should I do.. either in photoshop or illustrator.. to prevent this from happening? (please explain details & proper procedures).
   I will be using this file for print in cmyk.
When I place a photoshop transparent image with NO white box into illus. and try to flatten it, it does not flatten.
When I place a flatten image from photoshop with the white box and try to use the magic wand to remove the white area nothing happens,
I can't use the wand?
Can someone please tell HOW to accomplish the above?
2- Also when trying to synchronize my color settings between Photoshop & illus. it says to use the color settings in Bridge under edit.
    When I try to do this I do not have that option (color setting) in Bridge? Any help ideas with this as well? I do not have the Suite edition,
    Just PhotoshopCS2 and IllustratorCS2.
3- I created Gradient artwork in illus. and I get the following warning window:
    Illustrator PDF warning: > This Document contains PDF objects that have been reinterpreted >An unknown shading type was encountered??
Sorry for so many questions, but I tried numerous books,help menus,etc. and have found no answers! My brain is seeping out my ears from
all the head banging trying to solve these 3 issues!! Can someone PLEASE HELP!!!
I work on a mac.any other info needed to solve the above.
john....and many THANKS in advance!!!!!!!!

Set 'transparency flattener presets' to [High Resolution]

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/illustrator/cs/using/WS9327D15E-A9FF-4698-BDA5-8791A891D061.ht ml
I am editing thousands of images that need to be exported as High Res .eps's.
Is there a way to make [High Resolution] the default rather than [Medium Resolution] ?

edit this file
user/(yourname)/library/preferences/adobe Ilustrator 4 settings/en us/Transparency Flattener Presets
Collection 2 is your default so I edited those values to match the screenshot below hope I got them right. Replace the code with below (keep a backup of original just in case)
/collection3 {
/attributes {
/AI9\ Mesh\ Rasterization\ Resolution 144.0
/AI9\ Output\ Rasterization\ Resolution 288.0
/AI10\ flattener\ raster-vector\ balance 75
/AI10\ flattener\ clip\ complex\ regions 0
/AI10\ flattener\ outline\ strokes 1
/AI10\ flattener\ outline\ text 0
/collectionName [ 16
5b4c6f77205265736f6c7574696f6e5d
/canEdit 0
/canDelete 0
/collection2 {
/attributes {
/AI9\ Mesh\ Rasterization\ Resolution 300.0
/AI9\ Output\ Rasterization\ Resolution 1200.0
/AI10\ flattener\ raster-vector\ balance 100
/AI10\ flattener\ clip\ complex\ regions 1
/AI10\ flattener\ outline\ strokes 0
/AI10\ flattener\ outline\ text 0
/collectionName [ 19
5b4d656469756d205265736f6c7574696f6e5d
/canEdit 0
/canDelete 0
/collection1 {
/attributes {
/AI9\ Mesh\ Rasterization\ Resolution 300.0
/AI9\ Output\ Rasterization\ Resolution 1200.0
/AI10\ flattener\ raster-vector\ balance 100
/AI10\ flattener\ clip\ complex\ regions 1
/AI10\ flattener\ outline\ strokes 0
/AI10\ flattener\ outline\ text 0
/collectionName [ 17
5b48696768205265736f6c7574696f6e5d
/canEdit 0
/canDelete 0
/Sketch {
/Version 1
/Description (Flattener catalog for AI11)
/Owner (AI11 Flattener Catalog Manager)
/NumberOfCollections 3
/CatalogName (AI11 Flattener Presets)
A different version I made with the help of Carlso Canto, worked for me to slide the vector balance to bitmapped . So hope the code above works for you.

(How can we) Export FXG from Flash Professional using JSFL

How can we export a selection from Flash Professional as .FXG using JSFL? It appears that this is not possible... just yet! I have added this as a feature request within the Adobe Labs site for Flash Professional. Someone at Adobe suggested that I also explore the forums, so here we are. If you would also like to have this feature added, please let Adobe know by promoting the idea.
Our use case is this: we have a large Flash file with a library of over one thousand skins and assets that were built in Flash with Adobe's Flex Skins Templates. These stateful, graphical skins were used within a custom theme by several Flex 3 projects. Our ultimate goal is to bring these through Catalyst, maintaining their vectors, and use them to create Spark skins.
We've got a JSFL that can export each linked library asset, as well as any frame-labeled 'state' within these clips. However, currently we are using exportPNG, which is not ideal as it flattens our vector art into raster images. We are about to try the exportSWF option, and see what Flash Catalyst does with this. Our early attemps with importing swf's haven't been too amazing.
I'm starting to imagine some cross-product scripting in which we export symbols at a state-by-state level as .swf from Flash, then rebuild these onto layers in Illustrator, and THEN import these into Catalyst...yikes!
Anyone have a better solution?

Follow-up:
Out of pure wishful thinking I decided I would just see what happened if I pretended 'exportFXG' was already a part of JSFL. Based on the signature of 'exportPNG', i tried the following lines:
var success = fl.getDocumentDOM().exportFXG("file:///C:/mySymbol.fxg");
fl.trace("success:"+success); // output: success:true
It worked! Fantastic! I'm not sure if exportFXG is considered still in "beta" and therefore intentionally excluded from the docs, or if it was just an oversight. But at least it gives us something to experiment with.

Photoshop 2014.2 bug with duplicating layers in different doc

Encountered an issue with Photoshop 2014.2 that occurs when I try to use some_basic_bitmap_layer.duplicate(some_layer_in_different_doc, ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER). So this is code that has been pretty much unchanged for a year and works in CS6 and CC2012 and used to worked in CC2014.1. I use .duplicate() with docs and with layers inside same doc, but this is the one giving exception:
General Photoshop error occured. This functionality may not be available in this version of Photoshop.
- The object " <unknown> of layer 2" is not currently available
Another strange thing is is that in ESTK debugging the exception surfaced in a bit different places depending on factoring. I.e. before I added more detailed exception catching, it occured later in code. But this place is the only spot there is a layer named "layer 2". But gives me the feeling it's an internal state corruption
I'm guessing it might so specific no-one else will hit it, but I'd like to ask
- Any workarounds you can think of?
- Any ways to directly escalate it to Adobe given it's a new release. The general feedback site seems a waste of effort.
- Any way to downgrade (in a way that normal users could do it also) to 2014.1?

Thanks for the feedback!
The sample code is meant for the sample psd, so it's playing on assumption that there is only one layer that is not background, is visible and not locked. In the production code it's always inside a group so it's not a background and we check for locked. Visibility we don't check but it has not been the case in the PSDs we've replicated this in.
However playing with this I did manage to find a workaround: it's possible to duplicate the layer to beginning of doc and then move it like below.
try {
    var original_doc = app.activeDocument
    var copy_doc = original_doc.duplicate("copy_doc", false) // duplicate original
    var export_doc = app.documents.add(original_doc.width, original_doc.height, original_doc.resolution, "export_doc", NewDocumentMode.RGB, DocumentFill.TRANSPARENT) // create empty export doc
    app.activeDocument = copy_doc   // select copy and first layer of it
    var layer = copy_doc.artLayers[0]
    // create dummy layer to merge to to flatten all vector & style data
    var tmp_layer = copy_doc.artLayers.add()
    tmp_layer.move(layer, ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER)
    layer = layer.merge()
    var duplicate = layer.duplicate (export_doc , ElementPlacement.PLACEATBEGINNING)
    app.activeDocument = export_doc
    var dummy = export_doc.artLayers.add()
    var target = export_doc.artLayers.add()
    duplicate.move(target, ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER)
} catch (e) {
    alert(e.message)
} finally {
    copy_doc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES)
    export_doc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES)
Also if I try to move duplicated layer without setting the active document Photoshop raises the same exception "The object " <unknown> of layer 2" is not currently available". I.e. it's hitting some internal issue instead of giving the right error of "not allowed to move layers in non-selected document". It kind of makes sense, i.e. duplicating to different doc after certain layer is a combo operation that duplicates to different doc and moves and they different requirements (what is the active doc).

White lines appear around placed images in printing.

A native Illustrator document with placed Photoshop (both CS6) images produces whites lines around the placed images when printed. The Illustrator document does not show white lines on screen. Nor does the PDF (Acrobat X Pro) generated from the IA doc show white lines when viewed on screen. When the document goes to press, the printed product show the white lines:
See upper left image and lower right image-note: other images are not affected. Both both are native Photoshop images, placed on a gradient in IA. Perhaps the PDF settings: "Adobe PDF Preset" or "Standard" are not chosen correctly? Why the white lines?

You screenshot shows a modified Illustrator Default preset with Compatability to Acrobat 4. That setting always flattens transparency which is what I would suggest avoiding first.
Note the Warnings summary alerts that transparency will be flattened.
garlic541 wrote:
2.That same initial 'Save Adobe PDF' widow allows for three settings: Adobe PDF Preset (12 choices); Standard (6 choices), and Compatibility (5 choices). Note how the window signals a Warning (Warnings: Saving this file with Compatibilty set to Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) requires items with transparency to be flattened.) Could this be a warning that produces the stitch lines in the actual printing?
Yes
garlic541 wrote:
After researching....
Discussion seems to indicate seeing 'stiching lines' on screen; sometimes in the designing application; or in the generated PDF. My instances are visible only in printing-in two of the four images.
1. Transparency. Is this an automatic occurence in generating the PDF? Can I turn it on/off? (The 'Save Adobe PDF' window that allows changes to: General, Compression, Marks & Bleeds,Output,, Advanced.....)
Transparency is part of some design and all Effects. Note that you can change a color by using a tint or by setting it's transparency. Many times a tint will suffice. It looks the same and has the same values.
Your original screenshot apears to use images with clipping paths. (Full disclosure - I should know this, but don't...I expect) clipping paths require/invoke the transparent background to place the images within the colored area.
You cannot get around transparency but flattening converts vector objects to raster objects (when transparency touches/abuts/interacts with raster images).
You should be able to use the Illustrator Default, High Quality Print or PDFX-4 to maintain live transparency
2 very old (2004) Adobe white papers, not too legnthy which I can shed some light. Note - PDFX-4 superceeds all of these.
Transparency in Adobe Applications: A Print Production Guide
A Designer's Guide to Transparency for Print Output

Illustrator does this, but why? picture included

The brown layer shown here, which consists of just a vector rectangle and a pattern fill, is on the very bottom layer, yet whenever I slide this previously made logo copied from another document on top of it, parts of
the logo are getting covered, i.e. the brown pattern fill shows through. In fact it seems to be sliding over or under whatever layer it wants! (text layer remained on top)
Is there anything I can do about this?
It seems impossible considering that the pattern fill is underneath everything else! All transparencies are set to 100 percent opacity.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a349/coffeyville1975/Picture10.jpg

heh, no you are totally wrong, it's a vector image, live traced in color in Illustrator.
But since 5 minutes ago i came up with a quick solution, i suspect if this logo had to be scaled too large i would run into problems with pixels but..
flatten the vector image into one layer, export logo only to Ps as a raster image, modify the logo in raster and try to stick it back into illustrator, but at that point probably indesign as Ai is not too friendly with raster anything.
I'm at a loss for what Ai was trying to show me in layers, what could it have had to do with vectors or the fills?

Can I export solid objects into Illustrator / InDesign CS2 and maintain vector format

Can Adobe 3D export solid objects in vector format into Illustrator or InDesign CS2 suite?
I'm interested in taking solid 3D objects developed in Pro/E 2.0 and import from Adobe 3D into Adobe Illustrator & InDesign in vector format for page layout. I want to import solid objects in vector format and maintain color scheme and surface textures.
I'm running 3D trial version and can successfully import 3D objects (asm & prt files) solid views from Pro/E but can only export wireframe views from Adobe 3D Toolkit into Illustrator or InDesign (CS2). Solid objects first have to get rendered in a raster format before importing into Illustrator.
If this function is not supported does anyone have experience doing this using Quadraspace or Right Hemisphere 3D software?

Any help???? After 2 weeks I still can't learn from Adobe or Right Hemisphere people how to import solid objects in vector format into Illustrator with color and surface textures in place. All imported objects in vector format are converted to a wireframe or line format unless they are first rasterized.

Help converting Fireworks CS3 to Illustrator CS2 (vector file)

Hello,
I have a customer trying to send artwork that he created in Fireworks CS3 that I need to have in some sort of Vector file.
It appears that Fireworks CS3 can only save an AIv8 file. When doing this, it loses its shading and some (I believe) objet styles when opening the file in AI CS2.
Is there any insight on how to do this?
Thanks,
Josh.

quote:
Originally posted by:
artysmarty
The way I've converted large text blocks is to copy it from
Illustrator into MS Word and then from there to FreeHand. You may
lose your character styles doing this, but if you open your
Illustrator 8 file in FreeHand (with the broken text), delete all
the text 'bits' except one, highlight it and use then Paste
Special: Unformatted text - it should drop in with the correct
style. Then its only a matter of adjusting the text box size.
It's slightly long-winded, but it should work. Hope this
helps...!
How about that... I’ve been using this program for 18
years and never used “paste special”. Thanks!

My vector (flattened) images are pixellated when imported in Illustrator. How do I fix this?

Hello.
I am experiencing an issue in Adobe Illustrator.
When attempting to import picture files in Illustrator from PhotoShop, the image appears blurred/pixellated. The image (a .psd file) is converted in Illustrator to a .ai file. I create vector (flattened) images in PhotoShop, which should maintain their picture clarity and quality regardless of what program the vectored image is opened with. Somehow, they are becoming pixellated when converted to .ai files in Illustrator.
I use both Adobe CS6 and Adobe Creative Cloud
Is there a setting or solution that I can implement to rectify this issue?
Many thanks in advance for everyone's input and assistance.

Hello, Doug and John.
Thank you for your replies and for providing feedback.
I am aware that vector format files are only for illustrator. However, I believe you can make a smart object in photoshop using the vector art and it will keep its vector file format in photoshop allowing it to not pixelate.
I would be more interested in seeing if uninstalling and reinstalling the programs would have anything to do with it and also trying to find the settings. Would anyone happen to know if this will resolve the issue? I am hoping this is correct forum in which to post this topic/issue.
Thank you again for your help.

In InDesign CS5 Vector Drop Shadows Flattening at 150dpi

If I have an InDesign Vector Element (Box or Type) with a drop shadow effect, that is not interacting with an image, I am getting 150dpi or under image created for the shadow when flattened (I am exporting a PDF1.3 out of InDesign for the flattening). This is not consistent at all, one machine will do it at 300dpi, so there is definitely a setting. We have tried all the usual suspects, Flattening Settings, Spread Overrides, Export Settings, etc, but we cannot find the control. If an image is put in, which interacts with the shadow, the resulting image from flattening will match the image resolution. Has anyone else seen this issue?
Thank You
Michael Connelly
Imtech Graphics
Director of Premedia

Went through all the settings, including this and they match. Even tried creating another Flattener Preset increasing the Line Art and Text Resolution and the Gradient and Mesh Resolution, and still got the same results.

Flattening vector-drawings for pdf-presentation

as an architecture firm, we are using lots of (heavy) vector drawings (eps or pdf) in indesign. when exported to a pdf-presentation (no printing purpose, only screen-presentations), the pages containing these vector drawings take often too much time to load on screen. what is the best way to reduce these vector-drawings (i.e. completely flatten them), without affecting the images on other pages of the presentation? thanks.

Are these drawings just for on-screen presentation? If so you might give this blog post a read - I think David in the first few comments hit the nail on the head.
http://indesignsecrets.com/creating-smaller-pdfs-from-a-vector-dense-book.php
If you need more detail on creating this flattener preset then do ask.
But you know it would decrease the quality of your images - so the PDF would be good for onscreen - but you wouldn't want to print with it.
It's either the vector data or the raster data - the vector being the better but slower redraw on your screen, like you're getting now.

Pshop CS2 Mac: How do I keep effects after flattening layers?

Macintosh Tiger: PHOTOSHOP CS2
When I apply layer effects features, especially emboss (on type) and patterns, they look great.
Then when I flatten the layer (either merging or flattening the whole file), the effects are substantially diminished.
Sometimes it doesn't even look embossed.
This is immediately evident on the screen as soon as I flatten, and also in printing out on a fairly hi-res printer.
How do I maintain the effects?

Muchas gracias, Ramón. I've read other discussions on this issue, and,
with your sage counsel, I think I've grokked enough to run experiments
based on your suggestions and solve the problem.
I'll continue to test for maintaining the effects in print, which is
my goal—as soon as this week's deadlines are done!
In the meantime, a quick test shows the effects are crisp and strong
at 100%, even after flattening (or merging just a few layers with the
effects layer).
I'll create smaller dimensions of the file for on-screen viewing,
which seems to be the key: you have to be able to see the image at
100%.
I appreciate your help!
Gio

CS2 vector files v CS5 vector files.

My plotter accepts CS2 vector files but not CS5 vector files. Can anybody explain why and is there a solution?

desertdriver,
My plotter accepts CS2 vector files but not CS5 vector files. Can anybody explain why and is there a solution?
Unless they can be updated, often applications can only work with files from certain versions of other applications, chiefly versions of the latter that were available when the former was created.
Have you tried to see whether the plotter driver/software can be updated to work with CS5 files?
Is it an option to save as CS2 files and take it from there?

Flattening a vector in CS2

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