Adobe Illustrator CS4 - Manual (Page 429)

422 USING ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4
Printing
• Export a file that contains transparency to a vector format that does not understand transparency (such as EMF or WMF).
• Copy and paste transparent art from Illustrator into another application with both the AICB and the Preserve
Appearance options checked (in the File Handling & Clipboard section of the Preferences dialog box).
• Export in SWF (Flash) or use the Flatten Transparency command with the Preserve Alpha Transparency option
selected. This command lets you preview how artwork will look when exported in SWF.
For more information on creating and printing transparency, see the Transparency white paper in the Adobe
Technical Info/White Papers folder on the Illustrator CD. You can also find more information on printing and
flattening files with transparency in the Adobe Illustrator User to User forum. This is a public forum that offers a wealth
of tips and answers to frequently asked questions, and can be found at www.adobe.com/support/forums.
Set transparency flattening options for printing
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Select Advanced on the left side of the Print dialog box.
3 Select a flattening preset from the Preset menu, or click Custom to set specific flattening options.
4 If the artwork contains overprinted objects that interact with transparent objects, select an option from the
Overprints menu. You can preserve, simulate, or discard overprints.
Note: If the artwork does not contain transparency, the document will not be flattened and the flattening settings are not
relevant. Use the Flattener Preview panel to determine which areas of the artwork contain transparency.
See also
“ Transparency Flattener options ” on page 422
Transparency Flattener options
You can set Transparency Flattener options when creating, editing, or previewing flattener presets in Illustrator,
InDesign, or Acrobat.
Highlight (preview) options
None (Color Preview) Disables previewing.
Rasterized Complex Regions Highlights the areas that will be rasterized for performance reasons (as determined by
the Rasters/Vectors slider). Keep in mind that the boundary of the highlight area has a higher probability of producing
stitching problems (depending on the print-driver settings and the rasterization resolution). To minimize stitching
problems, select Clip Complex Regions.
Transparent Objects Highlights the objects that are sources of transparency, such as objects with partial opacity
(including images with alpha channels), objects with blending modes, and objects with opacity masks. In addition,
note that styles and effects may contain transparency, and overprinted objects may be treated as sources of
transparency if they are involved in transparency or if the overprint needs to be flattened.
All Affected Objects Highlights all objects that are involved in transparency, including transparent objects and objects
that are overlapped by transparent objects. The highlighted objects will be affected by the flattening process—their
strokes or patterns will be expanded, portions of them may get rasterized, and so on.
Affected Linked EPS Files (Illustrator only) Highlights all linked EPS files that are affected by transparency.
Affected Graphics (InDesign only) Highlights all placed content affected by transparency or transparency effects. This
option is useful for service providers who need to see graphics that require attention to print properly.