View Issue Details

IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0016153ScribusPDFpublic2021-01-22 10:47
Reportersreerajp Assigned To 
PriorityurgentSeveritymajorReproducibilityalways
Status newResolutionopen 
PlatformWindowsOS10OS Version1909
Product Version1.5.6.svn 
Summary0016153: Scribus Page PDF transparency
DescriptionWhile exporting a scribus page as PDF the PDF page contains lots of transparency. This is causing issue with PostRIP software which is changing many of the characters to square boxes. This is happening only when we group text frames in the page. But if we ungroup all text frames and check this issue is not happening.
Steps To ReproduceCreate a scribus page.
Do the necessary grouping of the page.
Export in PDF
TagsNo tags attached.
PatchNo

Activities

jghali

2020-07-06 18:59

administrator   ~0047794

I tried to make a test using Ghostscript and one of my company's RIP, however I could not reproduce the issue you describe. So it seems primarily a PostRIP issue.
Could you please do the following :
1) Can you upload a minimal sla document and PDF which allows your to reproduce the issue ?
2) Can you test the two PDF file I uploaded on PostRIP?

jghali

2020-07-06 19:02

administrator   ~0047795

Small note: if PostRIP has issues with text inside groups, you can use the "Outline All Fonts" font embedding mode when exporting to PDF.

sreerajp

2020-07-07 05:15

reporter   ~0047796

Hi,

I have uploaded the PDF and sla file. Please find the link

https://send.firefox.com/download/14447a9fa4133f88/#l-qDm6yI0ZW2XYOxAodENQ

sreerajp

2020-07-07 05:17

reporter   ~0047797

Hi,

Please find the PostRIP report for the file you send to us.

jghali

2020-07-07 07:25

administrator   ~0047798

These reports are not really what I need. What I need is to know whether PostRIP can render those files successfully or not.
About the reports: given the files I've uploaded are PDF 1.4 files, the reported errors related to transparency are not PDF syntax errors. Transparency is a PDF 1.4 feature. If you don't want transparency in PDF output, you have to export to PDF 1.3, PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3.

jghali

2020-07-11 12:19

administrator   ~0047813

>> What I need is to know whether PostRIP can render those files successfully or not.

Any news? Without an answer, I won't know if we can workaround this PostRIP problem and will have to close this issue as "Unable to reproduce".

sreerajp

2020-07-11 12:33

reporter   ~0047814

When I checked the scribus code I found that transparency being added to Grouped Items irrespective of Group's transparency property. I think we can remove that and set the transparency as per the group's property. Also transparency is added to Symbol items.

There is a transparency added in PDF_End_Page function.

All these are in pdflib_core.cpp

I commented the PDF_End_Page transparency portion and changed that of Group and Symbol Item. Now the PDF will show transperancy only if I set it in Scribus page Items or layer. Otherwise there is no transparency.

Is this correct?

jghali

2020-07-11 14:08

administrator   ~0047815

>> When I checked the scribus code I found that transparency being added to Grouped Items irrespective of Group's transparency property.

In PDF 1.4, transparency groups have to be used when the group content may contain transparency. So removing PDF transparency group if the group item itself does not have transparency is not correct.

>> I commented the PDF_End_Page transparency portion

Not correct for PDF >= 1.4

jghali

2020-07-11 14:08

administrator   ~0047816

As already mentioned, if you don't want transparency in PDF output, you should export to PDF 1.3, PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3, not PDF 1.4.

sreerajp

2020-07-12 09:23

reporter   ~0047824

>> I commented the PDF_End_Page transparency portion

Not correct for PDF >= 1.4

Why Transparency is added in this function?

sreerajp

2020-07-13 03:31

reporter   ~0047829

>> When I checked the scribus code I found that transparency being added to Grouped Items irrespective of Group's transparency property.

In PDF 1.4, transparency groups have to be used when the group content may contain transparency. So removing PDF transparency group if the group item itself does not have transparency is not correct.

My Comment>> When I changed the opacity of a group item (image frame) to 50% and another group item (text frame) of another group to 50% I am getting transparency while exporting.
image.png (383,536 bytes)   
image-2.png (541,115 bytes)   

Bernardthooft

2021-01-22 09:35

reporter   ~0048738

Dear Scribus team. My name is Bernard 't Hooft, and I want to thank you for Scribus! I just come from the 'Libre Arts' YouTube channel who made a great video ''Scribus 1.5.6 and beyond''. I responded and was asked about my workflow in Scribus (I use Scribus and Gimp exclusively and made books, brochures and flyers with perfect color results). A commenter said falling back on Affinity when using pdf 1.3 when making use of transparency, but preferring a Linux / Scribus workflow. In Scribus 1.5.6.1 pdf 1.3 seems to fail to flatten. I placed a magenta shape with 50% transparency partially over an image and in the pdf 1.3 output the shape becomes 100% transparent (the pdf 1.4 output works fine). I attached the SLA and PDF. Thanks again for making Scribus possible!
Scribus_pdf1.3.pdf (479,581 bytes)
Scribus_pdf1.3.sla (551,424 bytes)   

PeterBenedek

2021-01-22 10:36

developer   ~0048739

Last edited: 2021-01-22 10:39

I can't reproduce in LinuxMint 20.1; Scribus 1.5.7 svn

PDF and sla file appear is correct.
Do not forget: PDF 1.3 standard is not support the transparency.

If you use linux, you can try scribus 1.5.7 appimage from gitLab: https://gitlab.com/scribus/scribus/-/jobs
1.5.7 version is includes a new feature: File -- Output Preview -- PDF. Try it.

Bernardthooft

2021-01-22 10:47

reporter   ~0048741

Sorry Peter I should have mentioned I'm on Windows 10. Thank you for your quick reply!

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2020-07-06 13:04 sreerajp New Issue
2020-07-06 16:37 jghali Summary Scribus Page PDF transperancy => Scribus Page PDF transparency
2020-07-06 18:59 jghali File Added: 16153_pdf_transparency_text_group_1.pdf
2020-07-06 18:59 jghali File Added: 16153_pdf_transparency_text_group_2.pdf
2020-07-06 18:59 jghali Note Added: 0047794
2020-07-06 19:02 jghali Note Added: 0047795
2020-07-07 05:15 sreerajp Note Added: 0047796
2020-07-07 05:17 sreerajp File Added: 16153_pdf_transparency_text_group_1 Report.pdf
2020-07-07 05:17 sreerajp File Added: 16153_pdf_transparency_text_group_2 Report.pdf
2020-07-07 05:17 sreerajp Note Added: 0047797
2020-07-07 07:25 jghali Note Added: 0047798
2020-07-11 12:19 jghali Note Added: 0047813
2020-07-11 12:33 sreerajp Note Added: 0047814
2020-07-11 14:08 jghali Note Added: 0047815
2020-07-11 14:08 jghali Note Added: 0047816
2020-07-12 09:23 sreerajp Note Added: 0047824
2020-07-13 03:31 sreerajp File Added: image.png
2020-07-13 03:31 sreerajp File Added: image-2.png
2020-07-13 03:31 sreerajp Note Added: 0047829
2021-01-22 09:35 Bernardthooft File Added: Scribus_pdf1.3.pdf
2021-01-22 09:35 Bernardthooft File Added: Scribus_pdf1.3.sla
2021-01-22 09:35 Bernardthooft Note Added: 0048738
2021-01-22 10:36 PeterBenedek Note Added: 0048739
2021-01-22 10:39 PeterBenedek Note Edited: 0048739
2021-01-22 10:47 Bernardthooft Note Added: 0048741