Printing Drop Shadows

[BJ Carter]

Hi All,
I use X3 to design with and I have issues with the drop shadows looking like a thick outline instead of a gradule fade. It does this when the drop shadow is over a bitmap. I can print my object with shadow on white vinyl and it looks fine. I use the interactive drop shadow when I do this. Also when I convert my object to bitmap and use the drop shadow in photo paint, I cannot get it to save back inot draw. I use a Roland Sp330V with versaworks.
Thnx, Bj Carter

 

[KR3signguy]

I tend to use blends, you have more control.
How are you saving the file for print from X3?
Can you show a picture?

 

[BJ Carter]

I save it as an EPS

 

[BoogerB]

I've had problems getting the drop shadow in photopaint to open in draw as well. I just build them in draw and continue on...

I'll also set (some) drop shadows to 100/100/100/100. Though it won't drop that much ink when printed (due to the fade/gradient of it) they look much better...

the property bar changes around when you get into the drop shadow. work with the settings and change them around to see what yuo like. add/multiply/etc/etc options all change the way they look and print.

before I print, i'll break the drop shadow apart from its initial object, and convert it to a raster image/bmp at a lower resolution (it builds at 300dpi default) there is little visible difference in 72dpi interactive drop shadows compared to those built/sent at 300dpi.

 

[bob]

Careful with Corel drop shadows. Internally the drop shadow is kept as a rectangle with a lens applied. What happens, especially if the drop shadow is over another bitmap, when the image is exported to print is Corel converts the rectangle that is the drop shadow to a bitmap and it screws up the transparency values such that the entire rectangle becomes obvious on any image underneath it.

What you have to do to avoid this is separate the drop shadow and convert it to a bitmap and then convert both the underlying image and the bitmap that was the drop shadow into one bitmap.

Or construct the drop shadow in PhotoPaint, separate it there and import it into Draw. Corel somehow manages to get it right if you do it this way. Most of the time.

 

[jimdes]

I like to use the transparency lens to create shadows. It's old school but it works.

Create a copy of the object you want to shadow, place the copy where you want it, put it on the appropriate layer and apply the transparency lens.

Try one of the graduated trasnparencies and i think you'll be happy.

 

[Ken]

Thanks for those last 3 posts..I've also had issues with Corel drop shadows..I'll give that a go.
Ken

 

[BoogerB]

I like to use the transparency lens to create shadows. It's old school but it works.

Create a copy of the object you want to shadow, place the copy where you want it, put it on the appropriate layer and apply the transparency lens.

Try one of the graduated trasnparencies and i think you'll be happy.

bob, could you explain how you are using the interactive shadow in PhotoPaint and getting it back into Draw? I've been trying for a while now, but I've never been able to get it to work. Open/import/etc

and actually selecting and using lens gives me a major headache. I know they work well (for some) but for me, they are killer... Maybe I just haven't figured that out so well either, but I can make it work with the interactive shadows and gradients.

Oh, a small tip: When using the interactive transparency tool, click the button on the far left on the property bar, it allows you to make it fade in and out on one line, instead of using multiple lines or objects.

 

[bob]

bob, could you explain how you are using the interactive shadow in PhotoPaint and getting it back into Draw? I've been trying for a while now, but I've never been able to get it to work. Open/import/etc

Assume that you have some object in Draw, be it text, or whatever. Note that in both Draw and PhotoPaint, you'll want to have the Object manager docker open.

Select the object to be shadowed in Draw. Copy and paste it without moving it. [control c then control v].

Select just the copy and convert it to a bitmap [Bitmaps->Convert to Bitmap...] Make sure you have Transparent Background checked.

Select the bitmap and invoke 'Edit Bitmap' with either the 'Edit Bitmap' button on the properties bar or via Bitmaps->Edit Bitmap... This will start PhotoPaint and create the necessary image.

In PhotoPaint do Image->Paper Size and set the paper size sufficient to contain the drop shadow.

In PhotoPaint, create the drop shadow.

In PhotoPaint on the Object Manager right click the object that now has a drop shadow and do Drop Shadow->Split Shadow. This will create the drop shadow as a seperate object.

In PhotoPaint delete the object that is the original object brought over from draw.

In PhotoPaint do Edit->Save. This will paste the drop shadow back into Draw.

Exit PhotoPaint.

Back in Draw, note that the bitmap you created to start things off has been replaced by just the drop shadow.

In Draw put the bitmap that is the drop shadow behind the original object. The easiest way to do this is to drag it in the Object manager.

There you are...

There's a couple of variations on this but this is the simpler of them in my never humble opinion.

 

[BoogerB]

bob, nice description. I just seem to have a problem getting it to show up in draw. It always comes back as a blank object.

I'll try your method verbatim and see whats going on in just a minute.

 

[BoogerB]

There it is! I think splitting the drop shadow through the object manager is what I've been missing. I'll see how it works on some huge files soon enough.

 

[SignManiac]

I tried Bobs method and it does work. I also had another idea and it works, I think?

In Corel, apply interactive drop shade to your object or text. Then right click on the shadow only. You will see an option to "Break drop shadow group apart" or Ctrl+K for the hot key. It seems to do the same thing as bobs method without having to go through PhotoPaint.

Unless I'm missing something it seems to work the same.

 

[BoogerB]

I tried Bobs method and it does work. I also had another idea and it works, I think?

In Corel, apply interactive drop shade to your object or text. Then right click on the shadow only. You will see an option to "Break drop shadow group apart" or Ctrl+K for the hot key. It seems to do the same thing as bobs method without having to go through PhotoPaint.

Unless I'm missing something it seems to work the same.

Thats what I've been doing for years and years. I usually convert that to a raster image at 72dpi or 100dpi... otherwise its problematic when sending to print (for large large shadows) or it rebuilds when sized up or down to that 300dpi.

There is an option to set that to a lower resolution, but I still convert it to a raster image before print. If converted to a pdf then dropped into the Onyx Rip, its ok... if not, its a pain.

 

[bob]

I tried Bobs method and it does work. I also had another idea and it works, I think?

In Corel, apply interactive drop shade to your object or text. Then right click on the shadow only. You will see an option to "Break drop shadow group apart" or Ctrl+K for the hot key. It seems to do the same thing as bobs method without having to go through PhotoPaint.

Unless I'm missing something it seems to work the same.

Not quite the same. Breaking apart the drop shadow group yields a rectangle object with a lens applied. If you convert that to a bitmap Draw has problems dealing with the transparent regions of the resultant bitmap. If you place another bitmap behind the drop shadow bitmap when you print it you'll probably be able to see the original rectangle that originally was the drop shadow as being noticeably lighter. The problem being that you won;t see this in draw, and, if you publish to a PDF you may or may not see it in the PDF. But you sure as hell will see it in the print.

You can either combine the drop shadow bitmap with whatever is behind it in one big bitmap in Draw or, if you have reason to keep the drop shadow as a separate object, use PhotoPaint as previously described. Either way will eliminate the different colored rectangle. Transparent bitmaps brought in from PhotoPaint don't seem to exhibit this annoying characteristic.

 

[SignManiac]

Ok now I see the distinction. Learn something new everyday!

 

[Replicator]

Thanks for the posts Bob . . . !

 

[BJ Carter]

Thnx to all of you.
Bj