Find out in this article,
- which requirements must be met to carry out this Fixup and
- how to apply the Fixup.
1. Introduction
The Fixup Flatten Transparency is available in the Workflow. This Fixup aims to Flatten the Transparencies of a PDF file and thus reduce the complexity of the file to a minimum.
2. General
Use the Flatten Transparencies Fixup to flatten all transparent objects. The transparency of the objects is reduced based on the entered values (converted into "simple" image and vector objects).
Find the Fixup in the detail view of a Print Item or Article as well as in the Data Preparation tab of an Article, Order or Production Job by:
- entering the name of the Fixup in the Filter area,
- activating the option Page Content in the Category area,
- activating the option Flatten and Optimize in the Action area,
- activating the option Transparency in the Search area
3. Description
Use this Fixup to flatten transparencies. Fill the variables either with a defined value (Static content) or with values from the Print Item or user-defined fields (Variable content).
3.1. Requirements and Functionality
For the Fixup to do what it promises, there must be transparent objects in the print file. Transparent objects include
- a drop shadow.
- objects with an opacity other than 100%.
- objects that deviate from the "Normal" Blend Mode.
Figure 1: The dialog of the Fixup Flatten Transparency
Select from the following options to flatten transparencies:
- Template [1] – settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a template and thus applied to other Articles/Print Items.
- Pixel/Vector balance [2] – enter the target value for vectors that should be maintained despite flattening. With a higher setting, more vector objects are maintained. With a lower setting, more vector objects are rasterized (converted into an image). For the Variable Content [5], select the desired placeholder - Database field or User-defined field - from which the value for the pixel/vector adjustment should be retrieved.
- Line art and Text Resolution [3] – enter the desired target resolution in dpi for rasterized vectors and texts here. For the Variable Content [6], select the desired placeholder - database field or user-defined field - from which the value for the resolution of vectors and text should be retrieved.
- Gradient and Mesh Resolution [4] – enter the desired target resolution in dpi for rasterized gradients here. For the Variable Content [7], select the desired placeholder - database field or user-defined field - from which the value for the resolution of gradients should be retrieved.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, refer to the sample file "Sample_Flatten Transparency.pdf". Some gradients and a line of text with the "Drop shadow" effect have been included in the file. These transparencies should now be flattened.
After applying the Fixup, the file "Sample_Flatten Transparency_End.pdf" is created. The transparencies were reduced here. The values from Figure 1 were used.
Figure 2: Left: initial file; Right: Revised file where the transparencies have been flattened
Article update: Workflow 1.18.0 – 08/2024