Quark and Transparent images

[obelix]

Hiya All,

I am using QuarkXPress 6.5... and I've run into a problem.

Can anyone tell me how to insert a transparent image in Quark and actually have it render with the transparency. What I am trying to do is take this Camera, and overlay it over a box maintaining its transparency. I know for a fact that Adobe's InDesign can do this but for the life of me I can't figure it out in Quark. Once I actually insert the image into the page it seems to add a white background in, no matter what format I use. I have tried EPS, GIF, and PNG all with transparency.

Even Microsoft Word can handle transparency... so why can't Quark? Or is there something I'm missing.

 

[Lacero]

Does the picture box have runaround, or a white fill? The image itself probably needs a defined clipping path created from programs such as Photoshop.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[obelix]

I am fairly new to Quark so I'm still trying to figure a few things out pardon my ignorance but what is a runaround?

There is no fill for the image (I selected none in the fill for the box the picture is inserted into)

How does one define a clipping path in PS?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Quark does not currently support transparency for picture elements in version 6.x -- it will be available in Quark 7.

When you say transparency do you mean you want objects or type appearing through the image or do you mean you want a clipped image so that there's no white background around the camera?

If you want transparency on the page, then -- if you have to use Quark -- it's perhaps best to use a layered TIFF placed into the Quark document. You can always flatten it later if necessary.

Exporting an EPS from the current Quark layout and temporarily dropping it onto a new layer in your TIFF is a handy way of producing a guide to align your picture elements.

But... if you mean just to have the picture clipped, then you can either use an Alpha Channel saved with a TIFF (larger file size) or save a path with an EPS. For the Alpha channel, make your selection of the white area in Photoshop, clean it up and under 'Select' go 'save selection' and then save the image. For the EPS, make a path with the pen tool and save the path, giving it a name.

Import it into a picture box in Quark and under 'modify' (apple-M) choose the runaround and clipping options to import it as you want it. You should see a preview of how your image will appear.

I'm sorry that I can't provide much more info than that -- this post is long enough as it is. Run a search in Quark's Help for clipping.