How To Delete Area Outside Of Clipping Mask?

[LMSigns24]

I have artwork for a brochure that needs to go to a printer. They would like a PDF file. I have put a clipping mask around the border to crop some areas out, but when i save the file and open it as a pdf, it displays a white area where the image was deleted. How can I delete that area outside the mask?? Is this possible? Thanks

 

[blackicefx]

I may be unclear on what you're asking... but I would assume one of 2 things is happening... one) your document is a set size, your clipping mask deleted part of the image or design but is still within the document border, creating a blank area or two) you haven't expanded/flattened the clipping mask to delete the clipped area.

Matthew
BlackIceFX

 

[Mason]

Save the file first as an eps, then print to pdf, this should cure the problem

 

[blackicefx]

Mason's got it. That also clears up what you were asking. Sorry, I don't think or process before noon.

:Sleeping:

Matthew
BlackIceFX

 

[LMSigns24]

I may be unclear on what you're asking... but I would assume one of 2 things is happening... one) your document is a set size, your clipping mask deleted part of the image or design but is still within the document border, creating a blank area or two) you haven't expanded/flattened the clipping mask to delete the clipped area.

Matthew
BlackIceFX

The mask has not deleted anything I did not want deleted. The clipped area is exported along with the file. It is blank, but it is their. Hmm... ok so I need to flatten the clipping mask?

 

[LMSigns24]

Save the file first as an eps, then print to pdf, this should cure the problem

ok, I have saved it as an eps, but it still shows that white area when i open it in pdf.

 

[LMSigns24]

I am able to delete the images outside the mask that i drew, but not an image that i got off the internet. Why is this? Are we all on the same page as to what i am talking about? I know it can sound confusing.

 

[Techman]

vector verses bitmap....

outside the mask that i drew, but not an image that i got off the internet

 

[Bigdawg]

What's happening is the pdf file will pick up all the image whether clipped or not in the eps. But if you save as a pdf from Illustrator, it will save only the part of the file on the printable page. So if you added bleed on a 8.5 x 11 making it 9 x 11.5 total, then change your page size to 9 x 11.5 and save as a pdf.

Edited to add: that works with both vector and bitmap when you save as a pdf directly from illustrator

 

[GK]

The clipping mask will only mask the surround areas it will not delete it. If you are looking to make that area deleted then try using the crop tool in the transform palette. Once that is done however, it will not come back. The clipping mask however can be removed and the original work underneath will remain untouched.

 

[iSign]

if the only thing that still bothers you is the excess area of the image from the internet, which is masked to show as white, but fouling up your .pdf with that white excess... then you just need some bitmap editing tools. I'm assuming you don't have photoshop because I think this solution would be clear if you did. Do you have any program you can crop a bitmap in? If not, chalk this up as one of many many jobs that will arise to justify the expense of Photoshop.
You should also be able to ask your brochure printer to deal with it. As long as there are guidelines & measurements provided that make it clear you don't want white space there, it shouldn't be a problem, and if it is, it may be time to find another printer anyway.

 

[Bigdawg]

I come from a print background, and if you send a pdf file that is sized wrong, it will generally incur additional charges in prepress.

Another problem when pulling into photoshop is that it doesn't always handle the black right if your color mode is RGB in Illustrator. Have you tried saving it as I suggested?

 

[LMSigns24]

if the only thing that still bothers you is the excess area of the image from the internet, which is masked to show as white, but fouling up your .pdf with that white excess... then you just need some bitmap editing tools. I'm assuming you don't have photoshop because I think this solution would be clear if you did. Do you have any program you can crop a bitmap in? If not, chalk this up as one of many many jobs that will arise to justify the expense of Photoshop.
You should also be able to ask your brochure printer to deal with it. As long as there are guidelines & measurements provided that make it clear you don't want white space there, it shouldn't be a problem, and if it is, it may be time to find another printer anyway.

yes, you are right. I was in the process of purchasing photoshop. Then, i had many jobs I did not nee dit for, and I did not buy it. I have photoshop on my mac at home, but it doesnt help for a pc. Thanks though, I do need to buy it!

 

[GK]

Another problem when pulling into photoshop is that it doesn't always handle the black right if your color mode is RGB in Illustrator. Have you tried saving it as I suggested?

If you have both of your color settings sync'd in Photoshop and Illustrator you will get accurate colors as well as blacks. If the document was previously CMYK and you go to Document Color Mode and change it to RGB the document itself is in RGB but all of the colors retain the CMYK colors until you swap them out in the color palette or use the live color tool.

 

[Bigdawg]

If you have both of your color settings sync'd in Photoshop and Illustrator you will get accurate colors as well as blacks. If the document was previously CMYK and you go to Document Color Mode and change it to RGB the document itself is in RGB but all of the colors retain the CMYK colors until you swap them out in the color palette or use the live color tool.

Agreed, but I mention it because in my prepress experience too many people don't sync the color modes like they should.

 

[iSign]

yes, you are right. I was in the process of purchasing photoshop. Then, i had many jobs I did not nee dit for, and I did not buy it. I have photoshop on my mac at home, but it doesnt help for a pc. Thanks though, I do need to buy it!

sure it does.. take image file home on usb drive, or email it to yourself... crop in PS on your Mac, and email it back

 

[LMSigns24]

I come from a print background, and if you send a pdf file that is sized wrong, it will generally incur additional charges in prepress.

Another problem when pulling into photoshop is that it doesn't always handle the black right if your color mode is RGB in Illustrator. Have you tried saving it as I suggested?

Hi, yes, thank you! I changed the document size to 9 x 11.5 and printed it from acrobat and it worked. Thanks so much

 

[GK]

Agreed, but I mention it because in my prepress experience too many people don't sync the color modes like they should.

Ohh so true...unfortunately true. I was fortunate enough to have a professor who taught color theory and was consultant for ICC and Pantone so he really stressed how important it was. New designers shouldn't be allowed to open a program or touch a computer in a class before learning it.

 

[Mason]

ok, I have saved it as an eps, but it still shows that white area when i open it in pdf.

Okay, open the eps up in Illustrator....
Go to File/Print...
In the drop down menu where your printers are located select "Adobe PDF" You will see the menu just below that one become active "PPD" you need to do nothing there.

Click print, it will then print to the PDF Writer which is different than saving as PDF, you should then find that the bounds of the PDF have been defined by the artboard and not the artwork bounding box.