illustrator and vector question

[crny1]

I am having trouble understanding why certain vectors color changes when placed over another object.
I have a shape that is filled with a gradient. I have a sun vector that is very detailed and has alot of layers too it. When I take the sun off the black background layer and place it on top of the filled shape it either looses its color and becomes more white or its really washed out looking. WHy is this? I am sure this is something simple for the experienced but for me it has me confused. How can I use the vector without keeping the block background that is black? Hope this makes sense.

Thanks

 

[CaliDude]

I am having trouble understanding why certain vectors color changes when placed over another object.
I have a shape that is filled with a gradient. I have a sun vector that is very detailed and has alot of layers too it. When I take the sun off the black background layer and place it on top of the filled shape it either looses its color and becomes more white or its really washed out looking. WHy is this? I am sure this is something simple for the experienced but for me it has me confused. How can I use the vector without keeping the block background that is black? Hope this makes sense.

Thanks

HI crny1,

A picture of your sun before and after placing it over another object would be extremely helpful to illustrate the problem. I would first check to make sure that all your layers that make up the sun are grouped together. I don't know why yet, but for some reason in Illy when gradients and transparencies are in use ungrouping the layers can cause the gradient or transparency effects to be lost. I would also make sure that all of your layers and vector objects are set to "Normal" in the transparency menu, it sounds like one of your layers or objects have overlay or multiply set.

Also, if none of those work I would suggest saving your work and throwing away your preferences for Illy. You can backup your preferences if you would like before trying this method. After deleting your preferences you can start up Illustrator fresh and see if the problem persists. Sometimes for whatever reason the working file can in fact become corrupted so you might want to create a new file and start from scratch on the sun to see if you can replicate the problem. If the problem still persists you could always do a re-install, but this is a last ditch method and my money is on a preference setting that is accidentally turned on or off.

So check all your preferences first and foremost and troubleshoot from there. Check the "View" dropdown menu in the menu bar and make sure there aren't any settings checked that you usually don't use in your workspace.

 

[crny1]

Sorry for the delay in replying back. Life kind of got in the way. Here is a picture of the vector in illustrator. I put a copy of the sun next to the one with the background for reference of what it looked like when I put it with the shape. The other one is of the sun half on the shape and half off. When zoomed out the shape is actually filled with a gradient. I did reset the essentials prior to these.

 

[Pete Moss]

If that sun is a vector image...holly cow man! I cannot imagine how much time it took to create that. Looks like a bitmap image to me. The white looks like the result of your transparency or filter layers reacting with the layer beneath it. The best way to eliminate this would be to bring the image into Photoshop while creating two separate layers (the sun and the background) and use a layer mask to discard unwanted remnants.

 

[T_K]

You're taking an image that was built in RGB and transferring it to CMYK. This completely screws up any transparency and colors. I've been driven mad by this process too.

The only real solution I've found is to resize the object you want in the RGB file, then flatten it. You won't be able to easily adjust it in in the CMYK file, but it shouldn't do a major color shift on you.

 

[oksigns]

Nah. Not RGB/CYMK issue.. without seeing the actual file.. I would have to say it is actually the blending mode under the Transparency panel. You would have to rebuild/repurpose that sun for your needs unless you flatten it and edit it in Photoshop.

 

[crny1]

If that sun is a vector image...holly cow man! I cannot imagine how much time it took to create that. Looks like a bitmap image to me. The white looks like the result of your transparency or filter layers reacting with the layer beneath it. The best way to eliminate this would be to bring the image into Photoshop while creating two separate layers (the sun and the background) and use a layer mask to discard unwanted remnants.

Yes its a vector......quite complex.

 

[crny1]

It is a RGB vs CMYK issue. Once I changed my drawing to RGB then it works fine. Thanks! I have been fighting with it for some time now!

 

[dubhcaora]

You're taking an image that was built in RGB and transferring it to CMYK. This completely screws up any transparency and colors. I've been driven mad by this process too.

The only real solution I've found is to resize the object you want in the RGB file, then flatten it. You won't be able to easily adjust it in in the CMYK file, but it shouldn't do a major color shift on you.

This is 100% correct.

If you must work on this in CMYK then you will have to modify some of your fill colors and transparency settings. The best way if you must stay in CMYK (and it is not very easy most of the time) is to get the transitions with no transparencies at all. The easiest way would of course be to do this particular job in RGB. Unless you are making separations, by that I mean physical plates or screens, there is no driving reason to convert to CMYK. That said I do keep my workflow in CMYK for the specific reason that our shop is also a traditional offset printshop, If it was not for that I would just take the easy route and run everything in RGB and have the luxury of a higher color gamut then the limited one you get from swop or sheetfed.