Expert: Amy - 2/11/2009

Question
I am using a PC, CS3. I am trying to export a complicated drawing to WMF. I need to keep it vector for scalability to use in System Architecture, but it gets rasterized when I export it and open it again in AI. I have outlined text and lines, changed to RGB and removed all effects. ANy suggestions?

Answer
Hi April,

I don't think WMF can handle transparency effects (like drop shadows).

If you flatten the effects, your art will be rasterized, so I guess the short answer is WMF files can't contain transparency effects. The Illustrator Help files confirm that.

I did a quick test to verify this and filled one of my shapes with a gradient only to find that only solid fills remained vector. Gradients were also rasterized.

That is probably not what you wanted to hear. Let me know if you find an answer that proves this wrong.

Amy

***I have to look into this further. I swear I used to export WMFs with gradient fills?????????

Almost immediately, I found my answer... from some WMF FAQ... Windows metafiles (WMF) don't have any concept of a gradient fill. If you see a gradient fill in a Windows metafile, it is composed of many polygons or other objects. I guess I knew this. Lots of clip art contain these concentric polygons.

-Amy