Expert: Candice Anderson - 2/14/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Candice,

I'm trying to figure out why I am getting black outlines around my knocked out images when I export to a pdf. The linked photoshop files have backgrounds knocked out, but I am not assigning a clipping path. At first I thought it had something to do with putting drop shadows on them in indesign, but it still happens with images without shadows. Is this an Indesign setting, pdf setting or what?

ANSWER: Hi Cynthia,

try printing it and see if you get those lines - you shouldn't. If you are getting them when you print, there's something going on with the images themselves. take them out and put them back in again.

if it's not printing the lines - it's just something .pdfs do. They aren't as advanced as the other programs, and usually do that when you add something special to your images in Indesign - even after you take it off.

Candice :)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Candice,

We did have an 8-page booklet printed and the lines ARE visible! When I sent the pdf to the printer, I alerted them to the fact and included native files too, but they couldn't get rid of the lines either when they tried making the pdf. First they said the lines were caused by my paths in Photoshop, but I pointed out that some of the images didn't even have paths. Then they said the problem was I needed to assign clipping paths. If this is true, this is going to really suck because I have thousands of images that no longer have the original paths in the files. I thought there were no longer problems placing PSD files in indesign. So, any other ideas?

Answer
don't give the printer a .pdf.
It's always best to give the printer your Indesign file so that if there's a problem, they have the original and it's much easier for them to fix it, as opposed to you fixing it, then sending it back. And it'll take the black marks away.

don't forget to package your files and fonts, so they have everything.

...if you're printer won't take this - find a printer that will.

if you are doing this through online printing, you can save it as a .jpeg and make each page a separate file. That will be a huge pain though and I don't recommend it.