I have a Word Document that has an image included in it. The image has a transparent background because it is the same one used on a web site that has a coloured background so the transparency is good. When the Word document is viewed or printed, everything is okay. However, when the Word document is converted to a Pdf format for distribution and viewing on the web, there is a weirdness that happens. The transparent background is shown on the document as a ghosty, shadowy outline. Has anyone else had this happen to them? What is the fix for it? Any ideas here? If you want to see the gif or the pdf version , post here.

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What are you using to make the PDF with?, and what image are you using, I'd like to try it.

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I just made some graphic with transparent background, inserted to Word document and converted to PDF and did not find any discoloration as you mentioned.

These were the tools used:
Adobe Photoshop CS
Adobe Acrobat Pro
MS Word

But I might have a theory. I've noticed that whenever I wanted to convert, let say a picture or a document, it does the compressing conversation before actually writing to PDF format. And I also noticed that it converts to JPG format. So essentially the PDF you created is nothing more than series of JPG pictures scrolling like a document. Well, when transparent GIF is converted to JPG we all know that the transparency cannot be preserved. JPG does not support transparent background.

So, I wonder if that's what is going on with your situation. And maybe there is such a faint trace of color pallet that it shows up as shadow outline?

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Yes it could very well be a conversion problem, or it could be a problem created by the program you're using to create the pdf.

I'd also be interesting in having a look at the gif and the pdf to see if there's a work around.

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Okay, here is a link to a web page that is a pdf file output :
[removed url]Live Web View of single page

Here is the original gif:

[removed Gif with transparent background

And here is a link to a screenshot of the problem as I view it:



[removed]Screen Shot Here

The original document was created using Microsoft Word.
I use Open Office.Org to export / convert it into pdf format.

If anyone can come up with a solution, I'd be most appreciative.

*editted to repair urls*

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Assuming the first link is the one that you have problems with, I'd say it's your PDF viewer configuration, I see the turtles just as you want them to be seen, and I'm using something like version 5.

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I also see the turtles just as you want them to be seen. There's no black around them at all. The background is transparent.

I'm using Acrobat 6.5 as my viewer. I'd have to agree that the problem could very well be your viewer or maybe even that your computer's graphics card is feeling overloaded.

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Try using this logo picture instead of your logo. I saved mine in jpg format.

I noticed it when I opened your original logo.gif, highlighted the picture and I saw that it revealed some odd format. So I downloaded and opened with Photoshop CS and your logo.gif showed pink background. I know that sometimes the pink background is used in gif to act as masking or blocking of a background. But when saved in gif format with "preserve transparency" the color information is there but it does not show up in just viewing of the picture.

Anyway, I removed the pink color and saved it as jpg (not to confuse with your original gif) and use it to convert it again. I'm pretty sure it won't show up this time. As far as seeing your document, I too concur that your current PDF does not show black shadows (which matched pink background). Maybe the reader you have is extra sensitive to additional gif images or, the fact that your local machine was used to convert, somehow, it still retains the original information regarding the image you have included.

 

 

 

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What BuffaloHelp said made me take your turtles into photoshop and have a look. As he said, your gif was not transparent. Photoshop saw pink and white, just like this


I cleaned out the pink and also the white around the turtles and the background is now totally transparent.


I noticed on that web site you gave that you also use the turtles at the top left and right corners and when you click on them you get the black you're talking about. So I would replace those gifs too.

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