In this article, you will learn
- what requirements must be met for this Fixup, and
- how you can apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
In the Workflow the Fixup Flatten Transparency is available. The purpose of this Fixup is to flatten the transparencies of a PDF file, thereby reducing the complexity of the file to a minimum.
2. General
The Fixup Flatten Transparency can be used to flatten all transparent objects. The transparency of the objects is reduced based on the values entered (converted to "simple" image and Vector objects).
You can find the Fixup in the Detail view of a Print Item/Article and in the tab Data Preparation of an Article, Order or Production Job.
- Entering the name of the Fixup in the area Filter,
- Activating the option Page Content in the area Category,
- Activating the option Reduce or Optimize in the area Action,
- Activating the option Transparency in the area Property.
3. Description
With this Fixup, transparencies can be flattened. The variables can be filled either with a defined value (Static Content) or with values from the Print Item or from User-Defined Fields (Variable Content).
Objects with Processing Steps metadata are excluded
Please note that Spot Color objects containing Processing Steps metadata – for example, Technical Colors or Colors that are Output as Separation – are excluded from this Fixup.
3.1. Requirements and Functionality
For the Fixup to perform as intended, transparent objects must be present in the print file. Transparent objects include:
- A Drop Shadow.
- Objects with an opacity other than 100%.
- Objects that deviate from the Blend Mode "Normal".
Figure 1: The dialog of the Fixup Flatten Transparency
To flatten transparencies, the following options can be selected:
- Templates [1] – settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a Template and thus applied to other Articles/Print Items and used in the Operation Apply Fixups.
- Pixel/Vector balance [2] – specify the target value for Vectors that should be preserved despite flattening. A higher setting retains more Vector objects. A lower setting rasterizes more Vector objects (converts them into an image). The default value of 75% represents a commonly used practical setting that reduces complexity without converting everything into an image. For Variable Content [5], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-Defined Field –, from which the value for the Pixel/Vector balance should be taken.
- Line art and Text Resolution [3] – enter the desired target resolution in dpi for rasterized Vectors and text. The selected value should correspond to the maximum resolution of the printing system. Values above 1200 dpi are not recommended, as they only significantly increase file size without delivering a noticeable quality advantage. For Variable Content [6], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-Defined Field –, from which the value for the resolution of Vectors and text will be taken.
- Gradient and Mesh Resolution [4] – enter the desired target resolution in dpi for rasterized Gradients. The selected value should be set to one quarter of the maximum resolution of the printing system. Values above 600 dpi are not recommended, as they only significantly increase file size without providing a noticeable quality improvement. For Variable Content [7], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-Defined Field –, from which the value for the resolution of Gradients will be taken.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, you can use the sample file "Sample_Flatten Transparency.pdf". This file contains several Gradients as well as a line of text with a "Drop Shadow" effect. These transparencies are now to be flattened.
After applying the Fixup, the file "Sample_Flatten Transparency_End.pdf" is generated. In this file, the transparencies have been reduced. The values from Figure 1 were used for this.
Figure 2: Left: Original file; Right: Revised file with Transparencies flattened
Article Update: Workflow 1.21.1 – 09/2025