Adobe Illustrator CS3 - Manual (Page 430)

ILLUSTRATOR CS3
User Guide
424
Flatten transparency for individual objects
The Flatten Transparency command lets you see what your artwork will look like when flattened. For instance, you
might use this command before saving the file in SWF (Flash) format or if you are having problems printing legacy
art where transparency may be the culprit.
1 Select the object.
2 Choose Object > Flatten Transparency.
3 Select the flattening settings you want to use, either by choosing a preset or setting specific options.
4 Click OK.
To save the flattening settings for use with other objects and documents in the current session, click Save Preset. If
you want to create a permanent preset, choose Edit > Transparency Flattener Presets instead.
See also
“Transparency Flattener options” on page 419
Rasterize all artwork during printing
When you print to a low-resolution or non-PostScript printer, such as a desktop inkjet printer, you can choose to
rasterize all artwork during printing. This option is useful when printing documents that contain complex objects
(such
as objects with smooth shading or gradients) because it reduces the possibility of errors.
1 Choose File > Print.
2 Select Advanced on the left side of the Print dialog box.
3 Select Print As Bitmap.
This option is only available if the printer driver for the selected printer supports bitmap printing.
Overprinting
About overprinting
By default, when you print opaque, overlapping colors, the top color knocks out the area underneath. You can use
overprinting to prevent knockout and make the topmost overlapping printing ink appear transparent in relation to
the underlying ink. The degree of transparency in printing depends on the ink, paper, and printing method used.
Consult your print shop to determine how these variables will affect your final artwork.
You may want to overprint in the following situations:
• Overprint black ink to aid in registration. Because black ink is opaque (and usually the last to be printed), it doesn’t
look much different when printed over a color as opposed to a white background. Overprinting black can prevent
gaps from appearing between black and colored areas of your artwork.
• Overprint when the artwork does not share common ink colors and you want to create a trap or overlaid ink
effects. When overprinting process color mixes or custom colors that do not share common ink colors, the
overprint color is added to the background color. For example, if you print a fill of 100% magenta over a fill of
100% cyan, the overlapping fills appear violet, not magenta.