Transparency Glitches in Publisher

[Cealcrest]

Hello,

Using Publisher V2.1.1, I have encountered multiple transparency glitches that are only apparent after exporting to PDF. The two attached instances involve an FX drop shadow.

 

My first three or so exports were fine. Then "first page glitch" happened. I added the workaround you can see in "second page glitch" and the export was fine a few times. (Client revisions: RIP). Then "second page glitch" appeared, so I added the same type of workaround for it. The longer I edited and exported the file within Publisher, the more glitches developed on export. (There was another somewhat different glitch later, but my workaround proved better than my initial technique, so I didn't bother saving that glitched version.)

 

I've attached the working files and their corresponding PDFs. "Second page glitch" is the original file that was created in AD and then opened in AP early on. I wondered if the app switch was part of the issue (even though the glitches appeared after several successful exports in AP), so I saved a version of the file in AP. Then I undid my workaround (box of the same size with Gaussian blur applied) and reapplied the desired drop shadow FX with the same glitched result.

 

(The client picked the colors.... </3)

 

OS: macOS Ventura 13.5 and 13.5.1 (Updated after glitches occurred, hoping that would solve it. It did not.)

hardware acceleration: on

 

Thanks!

first page glitch.afpub first page glitch.pdf second page glitch.afdesign second page glitch.pdf

[Callum]

Hi Cealcrest,

I apologise for the delayed response, I'm not sure if I understand your problem what is the actual glitch you are seeing in the export of your first page? 

Thanks
C

[Cealcrest]

@Callum

Does your question mean that when you open the pdfs, you aren't seeing these issues?

One other thing that I figured out, and is going to save my butt with a client today, is that exporting to PNG or JPEG does not result in these glitches.

The first page glitch is the drop shadow suddenly losing transparency and getting jagged on the right end of the document:

 

The second page glitch is the drop shadow is the same issue but around a photo:

 

And a file (attached) that this issue developed on today (also after moving from Designer to Publisher), the drop shadow loses the blur over the photo on the left side:

 

This is a very stressful thing to encounter after working on a project for hours, so I'm really hoping it gets fixed soon. Thanks!

2308-09 Smith.afdesign

[Hangman]

Hi @Cealcrest,

With regards to your 'first page glitch', you have the same outer shadow FX applied to both your picture frame and the picture itself, pastedImage-7.png. If you remove the Outer Shadow FX from the picture your file should then export correctly.

I'm not actually seeing an issue with your 'second page glitch' file when exporting page 2 either with or without the Outer Shadow FX applied to both the picture frame and the picture but I suspect it's caused by a similar issue...

For your David Brock Smith flyer, the issue is that exporting to PDF (for print) or PDF (press-ready) doesn't support the unflattened transparency of the Outer Shadow FX for either the red band across the top of the page or for the US flag.

This can be seen by exporting using either PDF/X-1a, PDF/X3 or PDF (flatten) presets or by changing the Rasterise Unsupported Graphics in the Advanced Export section for the other PDF presets to Everything, (though the latter will rasterise all the text as well), all of which will flatten the transparency and overcome the issue.

So your options are to either export using either PDF/X-1a or PDF/X3 (Note: you'll see the same issue exporting using PDF/X4) or to rasterise the red band and flag layers unchecking Preserve Layer FX when asked.

Doing this for both the red band and the flag then allows you to export the file using either PDF (for print) or PDF (press-ready).

[Cealcrest]

That is so helpful. Thank you, @Hangman!

[Hangman]

Hi @Cealcrest,

That’s no problem at all, happy to help 😊