outlined object export to PDF as images, not vectors

[SebaSan]

Hi guys,

I have been using illustrator to create my figures for scientific papers in the last 10 years. Then AD came along, and I am enjoying, it.

However, I still need to export to PDF in order to have the files I create to be readable by scientific journals and colleagues.

Recently, I came across a problem with exporting outlined objects, that are not exported as fonts, paths, etc, but are exported as images.

Is there a way to export AD files to PDFs overcoming this problem?

Thanks a lot in advance,

best,

Sebastiano

 

attached, screenshots of the AD file and the PDF

[Lee D]

Hi SebaSan,

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

When exporting to PDF, which preset did you select and did you change any of the settings under More. If you can provide a copy or link to your .afdesign file I can take a look. Once I've done with the file it will be deleted.

[silverback]

I have encountered this problem.

[SebaSan]

Hi SebaSan,

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

When exporting to PDF, which preset did you select and did you change any of the settings under More. If you can provide a copy or link to your .afdesign file I can take a look. Once I've done with the file it will be deleted.

 

Hi Lee,

at first I exported without changing anything. The results are those of the screenshots.

Then, I have tried playing with the export options. I have told the program NOT to rasterise anything. With this options the paths (and texts) are exported as vectors, but they loose the outline.

I have placed the afdesign file and the two pdfs here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bz0gmpGdFPomYVZVTTI2ZWxrTU0?usp=sharing

Thanks for the help.

Ciao,

S

[MEB]

Hi SebaSan,

In Affinity Designer/Photo all Layer Effects are rasterised on export. If you select not to rasterise anything the effects will not be outputted because they are raster based. If you remove the outline effects you have applied to the letters and replace them with a white 2.5px stroke, with Round Join and Alignment set to Outside you will get the exact same result as the Outline FX while keeping everything as vectors.

Same for the black arrows and dashed lines, but in this case you have to convert them to a shape (menu Layer ▸ Expand Stroke) since they are already a line (stroke) and then apply a white stroke to the converted shape with 7.53 px width (in the black arrows case).

 

Here's a sample file where I have removed the Outline FX from one of the letters and one of the arrows/icon (highlighted with a red circle) and replaced with a stroke.

[MikeW]

That also applies to the strokes with the round dash. It needs to have the stroke expanded and an outline added.

[SebaSan]

Wow. Terrific support! 

 

Thanks MEB, thank you Mike.

As a workaround I was going back to do kind of the same in illustrator, but, as usual, things are more intuitive in Affinity Design

I'll be definitely back to it.

Thanks again!

Ciao,

S