Shadow Overprint

[Srik]

Hi all,

I'm sorry I had posted this thread under Adobe Indesign.

If anyone can help me on this. I use Illustrator and Photoshop CS. When I place a Photoshop .PSD file in Illustrator the drop shadow given in Photoshop does not multiply with the ground colour in Illustrator. I tried with Layer multiply as well as Layer effect shadow with multiply on. The overprint of black shadow does not seem to happen. It would be great if someone could throw some light on this issue.

Cheers,

Srik

[GuyB]

Hi Srik,

I'm supposing that when you say : "the drop shadow given in Photoshop does not multiply with the ground colour in Illustrator", you mean that you loose transparency ? I guess that when you saved your .psd file that you flattened it ? If so, you happened to remove the transparency.

Put your image and the drop shadow that goes with it on a layer on top of the backround; double-click on the backround layer (a dialog will name the layer "layer 0") click OK. Then select this layer and erase it : this will make it transparent. Now save as .psd (don't flatten) and place in Illlustrator, transparency will be there.

[Srik]

Hi GuyB,

You have got the question wrong, actually the image in photoshop is in layer and transparency is retained, the drop shadow (feathered) applied to the image is given as multiply in the layer blending options, but when I place this .PSD file in Illustrator on a background color, the shadow kept in photoshop is not overprinting on the illustrator background. I tried using layer effects for the drop shadow but in vain. Hope I have conveyed the problem in a more better manner now.

Looking forward to your suggestions, and coz everyone on the forum!

[DCurry]

It's a bug - I noticed it about 1-1/2 years ago. You'll have to either incorporate the background color into the PSD, or remove the shadow from the PSD and apply it in Illustrator. Or, you could create the shadow as its own PSD and set it to Multiply in Illustrator, placing it underneath the PSD that it was originally part of.

[GuyB]

Hi Srik,

Sorry... had a bug in my english ! ;)

[Srik]

Hi DCurry,

Thanks. That is what I had been doing, like create the shadow separately and place it in Illustrator and then multiply it in Illustrator. But the problem now is like I'm handling a file of 44 inches X 27 inches, so the final file size is very high (1.2GB), this creates some problem in ripping as I'm using more than 20 PSDs. Creating PS and PDF or saving the Illustrator file itself consumes lot of time and I'm using 2GB of RAM. If I crack this overprinting problem then I will save time by not making two PSDs for each of my image with shadows. Any options in CS2 to over come this? Adobe needs to eliminate this if it is a bug. Your suggestions please.

[DCurry]

Hi DCurry,

Thanks. That is what I had been doing, like create the shadow separately and place it in Illustrator and then multiply it in Illustrator. But the problem now is like I'm handling a file of 44 inches X 27 inches, so the final file size is very high (1.2GB), this creates some problem in ripping as I'm using more than 20 PSDs. Creating PS and PDF or saving the Illustrator file itself consumes lot of time and I'm using 2GB of RAM. If I crack this overprinting problem then I will save time by not making two PSDs for each of my image with shadows. Any options in CS2 to over come this? Adobe needs to eliminate this if it is a bug. Your suggestions please.

I think I would put it together in InDesign, rather than Illustrator (if your design allows for it.)

[Srik]

Nope DCurry, I can't take the design to Indesign...the client prefers the file in Illustrator as it is a package with die cut (carton box).