This is a read-only archive of the inkscapeforum.com site. You can search for info here or post new questions and comments at I used Inkscape to create a business card.
The places I've found online that will allow me to upload do not accept most of the formats Inkscape outputs. They'll take AI, PDF, PS, PNG, for example. I've tried all of them.
The PNG output is mushy and bad.
The PS output is similar.
The PDF output is crisp and nice but lacking 3/4 of the colors I used.
And Inkscape doesn't output in AI.
Please help. What can I do to get my file output?
Thanks in advance.
Trouble with printable output
Re: Trouble with printable output
Use the pdf format.
Avoid the using of masking.
Use clipping instead if possible.
Avoid the using of masking.
Use clipping instead if possible.
Re: Trouble with printable output
Hi BenBors,
use the "Export as PNG" functionality in the File menu instead of 'Save as...' *.png. The latter will save with a fixed resolution to a format called Cairo PNG, while the former allows you to set the resolution and export area precisely.
The reason why Inkscape does not support AI as output format is explained here:
http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php ... vice_versa
The 'loss of colors' in pdf sounds weird. Can you upload an example file (svg + pdf)? Also tell us which settings you selected for pdf export. It could be related to transparency in your objects. Make sure you export to at least pdf 1.4 format (not 'print to file'). PS is a format that does not support transparency at all.
Moini
use the "Export as PNG" functionality in the File menu instead of 'Save as...' *.png. The latter will save with a fixed resolution to a format called Cairo PNG, while the former allows you to set the resolution and export area precisely.
The reason why Inkscape does not support AI as output format is explained here:
http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php ... vice_versa
The 'loss of colors' in pdf sounds weird. Can you upload an example file (svg + pdf)? Also tell us which settings you selected for pdf export. It could be related to transparency in your objects. Make sure you export to at least pdf 1.4 format (not 'print to file'). PS is a format that does not support transparency at all.
Moini
Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!
Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)
Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)
Re: Trouble with printable output
Hi Lazur.
I'm not actually sure what is "masking" in Inkscape. I understand the principle and have done it in PS but haven't gotten that far in Inkscape. Or clipping.
Moini,
I saw somewhere that if an object wasn't 100% opaque it would sometimes not appear in the PDF. I am using gradients in some areas, so that might have something to do with it, but other items are set to 255 on the transparency/opaque scale.
Hmm. Not sure how to upload a file without having an FTP. I'll have to research that one.
I'm not actually sure what is "masking" in Inkscape. I understand the principle and have done it in PS but haven't gotten that far in Inkscape. Or clipping.
Moini,
I saw somewhere that if an object wasn't 100% opaque it would sometimes not appear in the PDF. I am using gradients in some areas, so that might have something to do with it, but other items are set to 255 on the transparency/opaque scale.
Hmm. Not sure how to upload a file without having an FTP. I'll have to research that one.
- Attachments
-
- BC Celt Simple - Dolly - Cali.pdf
- (33.52 KiB) Downloaded 255 times
Re: Trouble with printable output
Did that PDF upload?
Not sure how to do the SVG but the string work around the outside is a brown and the letters of the name have a brown-yellow-grown gradient.
Not sure how to do the SVG but the string work around the outside is a brown and the letters of the name have a brown-yellow-grown gradient.
-
tylerdurden
- Posts: 2344
- Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 12:04 pm
- Location: Michigan, USA
Re: Trouble with printable output
Howdy,
Seems the gradients in the file use transparency... I'd use a single gradient with opaque stops. (e.g. letter P)
Also seems the fill on the tagline is made with the bucket... I'd use solid fill on each letter. (e.g. letter G)
I'd probably drop the black outlines.
The ropes can easily be changed to brown stroke rather than black.
The tutorials in Inkscape's help menu should cover most of the needed info.
Seems the gradients in the file use transparency... I'd use a single gradient with opaque stops. (e.g. letter P)
Also seems the fill on the tagline is made with the bucket... I'd use solid fill on each letter. (e.g. letter G)
I'd probably drop the black outlines.
The ropes can easily be changed to brown stroke rather than black.
The tutorials in Inkscape's help menu should cover most of the needed info.
Have a nice day.
I'm using Inkscape 0.92.2 (5c3e80d, 2017-08-06), 64 bit win8.1
The Inkscape manual has lots of helpful info! http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/
I'm using Inkscape 0.92.2 (5c3e80d, 2017-08-06), 64 bit win8.1
The Inkscape manual has lots of helpful info! http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/
Re: Trouble with printable output
@BenBors: There's a second setting for an objects opacity, which is not a property of the fill or stroke color, but of the whole object.
It can take on values between 0 and 100. Click on the object, open the Fill&Stroke dialog (Shift+Ctrl+F), then look below the settings for the colors. There's one slider for blur, and one for opacity. Make sure
- there's no blur (this will create partial transparencies)
- the opacity slider is at 100
- and the alpha slider for the color is at 100, too
- there are no other filters on the object's fill that induce partial transparency
Sometimes, because of grouping, it can be difficult to find the partial transparency - it can be applied to a group, or any object inside the group. Systematically checking from outside in may help to find it quickly.
(without the SVG file we can't say for certain what's causing it
)
It can take on values between 0 and 100. Click on the object, open the Fill&Stroke dialog (Shift+Ctrl+F), then look below the settings for the colors. There's one slider for blur, and one for opacity. Make sure
- there's no blur (this will create partial transparencies)
- the opacity slider is at 100
- and the alpha slider for the color is at 100, too
- there are no other filters on the object's fill that induce partial transparency
Sometimes, because of grouping, it can be difficult to find the partial transparency - it can be applied to a group, or any object inside the group. Systematically checking from outside in may help to find it quickly.
(without the SVG file we can't say for certain what's causing it
)Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!
Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)
Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)
Re: Trouble with printable output
BenBors wrote:Did that PDF upload?
Not sure how to do the SVG but the string work around the outside is a brown and the letters of the name have a brown-yellow-grown gradient.
Yes, the PDF is uploaded. You can see it at the bottom of that message. But it sounds like those guys want to see the SVG too. It's the same process to upload the SVG. (Use full editor, look for Attachments tab below Submit button)
There's a bug where any transparency in the drawing affects how it's printed in PDF. So by eliminating the transparency, you'll be able to print from PDF. Although PNG seems so much easier to me....
Good luck
Basics - Help menu > Tutorials
Manual - Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program
Inkscape Community - Inkscape FAQ - Gallery
Inkscape for Cutting Design
Manual - Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program
Inkscape Community - Inkscape FAQ - Gallery
Inkscape for Cutting Design
Re: Trouble with printable output
Thanks all.
Thanks, Tyler. I am a noobie and I do appreciate your suggestions.
For what it's worth, the rope is supposed to have brown fill and the black stroke is intentional. I assume your suggestion to drop the outline refers to the letters. I'll have a look at that and decide if I like that change.
Moini & Brynn:
Ironically I was struggling last night to figure out how to put a file into a message (it was very late) and I finally did a simple drag-n-drop that worked when other attempts had failed. Unfortunately, as tired as I was, I couldn't guess how I'd done it.
I now see that the user must first enter the advanced edit mode where a small-enough file can be dropped. Then a dialog appears below that gives the user the ability to add more files.
So here are two. In the first you'll see a screen grab that shows show blur at 0 Opacity at 100% and the color opacity at 255. I'm told the full SVG is too large to upload, however, so I"ve reduced it.
And Brynn, I want the PDF because it _is_ vector-based. When I upload the PNG to these business card printing websites (and all the ones I've tried behave identically so they're probably using the same rented code) the sample it shows me looks mushy like a blown-up JPG--even after I designed the card to the correct size. Why pay to print junk, right?
Thanks, Tyler. I am a noobie and I do appreciate your suggestions.
For what it's worth, the rope is supposed to have brown fill and the black stroke is intentional. I assume your suggestion to drop the outline refers to the letters. I'll have a look at that and decide if I like that change.
Moini & Brynn:
Ironically I was struggling last night to figure out how to put a file into a message (it was very late) and I finally did a simple drag-n-drop that worked when other attempts had failed. Unfortunately, as tired as I was, I couldn't guess how I'd done it.
I now see that the user must first enter the advanced edit mode where a small-enough file can be dropped. Then a dialog appears below that gives the user the ability to add more files.
So here are two. In the first you'll see a screen grab that shows show blur at 0 Opacity at 100% and the color opacity at 255. I'm told the full SVG is too large to upload, however, so I"ve reduced it.
And Brynn, I want the PDF because it _is_ vector-based. When I upload the PNG to these business card printing websites (and all the ones I've tried behave identically so they're probably using the same rented code) the sample it shows me looks mushy like a blown-up JPG--even after I designed the card to the correct size. Why pay to print junk, right?
- Attachments
-
- BC Celt Simple - Dolly - Cali - Sample.svg
- (205 KiB) Downloaded 191 times
-
- BC Sample.pdf
- (181.58 KiB) Downloaded 196 times
Re: Trouble with printable output
All the paths which are used as fills for the outlined objects (borders, vignettes, text) have a tiny, tiny stroke applied (basically not visible at all). These tiny stroke widths cause that the paths are completely omitted in PDF exports (due to a bug in a more recent version of the graphics library Inkscape uses for PDF export). The attached modified version of the sample SVG file should export ok (all tiny stroke widths on the fill objects have been removed).
- Attachments
-
- BenBors-BC Celt Simple-sample-fixed-for-PDF_export.svg
- (196.14 KiB) Downloaded 331 times
-
- BenBors-BC Celt Simple-sample-fixed-for-PDF_export.pdf
- (36.48 KiB) Downloaded 317 times
Re: Trouble with printable output
- thanks for jumping in suv! (and sorry for making you check all opacities, BenBors, when that wasn't the reason at all... :/)Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!
Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)
Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)
Re: Trouble with printable output
Thanks everyone.
Moini: No worries. Considering how complex programs are these days, I totally dig the importance of investigating every possibility.
Thanks, SUV. I'm not surprised that it came down to being something i was doing wrong. It didn't occur to me to remove the outline, worried that I somehow needed the border to prevent something worse from happening. Like when I try to select a line and change its stroke color.
I really appreciate your taking the time to identify the problem for me.
Moini: No worries. Considering how complex programs are these days, I totally dig the importance of investigating every possibility.
Thanks, SUV. I'm not surprised that it came down to being something i was doing wrong. It didn't occur to me to remove the outline, worried that I somehow needed the border to prevent something worse from happening. Like when I try to select a line and change its stroke color.
I really appreciate your taking the time to identify the problem for me.