PDFing and transparency

[Robie]

Hi

I have created a template with transparency set for our logo for letters and background (different images). They look great in PowerPoint and Word but when I PDF the document it just looks all rubbish. Same images without transparencies look just great.

Does anyone know of an issue with PDFing images with transparency set and not set? If so, how can I fix it?

Thanks.

Robie.

[HansV]

Apparently this is a known problem, see for example PDF Image Quality.

I found two suggestions:
- Replace the pictures with non-transparent ones, or
- Use the built-in conversion to PDF in Word 2007 / 2010. It should handle transparent images better than Adobe Writer.

[Robie]

Apparently this is a known problem, see for example PDF Image Quality.

I found two suggestions:
- Replace the pictures with non-transparent ones, or
- Use the built-in conversion to PDF in Word 2007 / 2010. It should handle transparent images better than Adobe Writer.

Thanks Hans.

[Robie]

Hans

In my case I have 6 or 12 images that need to be rotated depending on the user selection. Obviously, previously I was just changing the foreground colour as necessary. But, now since the PDF thing not working properly, as you suggested I am thinking of using six different images and then replace them in the document as per user selection.

The only straighforward way I see is that I store all six images as Auto Text and then delete the current one and replace with the selected one (using a macro of course). Now, is that the best way of achiveing this? Is there a better way?
I obviously do not want to carry 6/12 different image files around or keep them on the network with the templates.

[HansV]

AutoText entries are stored in the template the document is based on, not in the document itself, so if the template is not available, users won't be able to change the images.

In the end, it might be less hassle to create 6 different templates, one for each colour.

[macropod]

Hi Robie,

Try the attached.

[Robie]

Hi Robie,

Try the attached.

Thanks macropod. Let me digest what you are doing and see how I can apply to my situation.

In one case, the logo foreground is white with six different background colours.
In another case, the logo foreground can have sic different colours and back ground is always white.
etc.

[Robie]

Hi Robie,

Try the attached.

Hi Macropod your macrobutton version is excellent - something I could use (possibly not for this project).

Any way can this be done as a normal macro? So that I can call a macro/macrobutton from a toolbar button somehow?

[HansV]

The PicSize macro could be called from a toolbar button as well as from a macrobutton.
Here is a modified version in which the macrobutton field has been replaced with a custom toolbar button. The macro has been modified for it. You can easily change the pictures if you display field codes (Alt+F9).

PicChange.doc

[Robie]

The PicSize macro could be called from a toolbar button as well as from a macrobutton.
Here is a modified version in which the macrobutton field has been replaced with a custom toolbar button. The macro has been modified for it. You can easily change the pictures if you display field codes (Alt+F9).

PicChange.doc

Wow. Fantastic. thank you, thank you, thank you. This works brilliantly.

Thanks Macropod for your initial idea which I like very much and saving it up for another project.

[Robie]

Sorry to bring this up again.

I took the PicChange.doc and modified it so that the picture is within the *header* (this is how I need it in my template. I have six logos, each coloured differently.). This works until you move to another page. Then it keeps flashing the logo over and over again. It there any way to stop this flashing?

I have the document setup so that it just needs one paragraph to go over to another page. If you go to the bottom of page 1 and then insert a new para, you will see the effect.

Thanks.

Robie

[HansV]

Sorry, I can't reproduce the problem (I'm using Word 2010). When I insert a paragraph, the picture doesn't flash.

By the way, to update the picture in the header, you should change the relevant line in the macro to

ActiveDocument.Sections(1).Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary).Range.Fields(1).Update

[macropod]

Hi Robie,

I see the flickering in Word 2000. but not in Word 2007. Might I suggest that, once the user initiates the image changing and 'finalise' their selection, you have the macro unlink the field and delete the toolbar button? That way there'll only be the final image to deal with - the rest will be deleted. That should also take care of the flickering.

PS: If you're going to run the macro against a field in the header, you'll need to modify the macro accordingly.

[Robie]

Thank you Hans and Macropod.

Yes, I am using Word 2003 so I see the flashes. Only way I see out is to unlink the field as Macropod suggests.