Operation Manual

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USING ILLUSTRATOR

Printing

Last updated 11/8/2011

File formats that retain transparency

When you save an Illustrator file in certain formats, the native transparency information is retained. For example,

when you save a file in Illustrator CS (or later) EPS format, the file contains both native Illustrator data and EPS data.

When you reopen the file in Illustrator, the native (unflattened) data is read. When you place the file into another

application, the EPS (flattened) data is read.

When possible, keep your file in a format in which native transparency data is retained, allowing you to make edits as

necessary.

Native transparency data is retained when you save to the following formats:

• AI9 and later

• AI9 EPS and later

• PDF 1.4 and later (when Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities option is selected)

Illustrator flattens artwork when you perform any of the following actions:

• Print a file that contains transparency.

• Save a file that contains transparency in a legacy format such as native Illustrator 8 and earlier, Illustrator 8 EPS and

earlier, or PDF 1.3 format. (For the Illustrator and Illustrator EPS formats, you can choose to discard transparency

rather than flatten it.)

•

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.