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Need help converting Adobe AI/PDF to PNG with transparency

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:16 am
by croyer
Hello,
I need help with converting user-uploaded Adobe Illustrator (and photoshop) files to PNG image files with transparent background. This is for an interactive art placement application for a printing company. Users will be uploading art as illustrator or photoshop files, which need to be converted to a PNG for placement over another image. We can assume that all fonts will be converted to outlines and all effects will be flattened in the AI file, and that PDF compatibility is checked. Transparency needs to be maintained in the background, so if the artwork is a circle, for example, the square corners of the background won't show.

I'm almost convinced this can be done, but I'm new to the GD library and I'm not sure if that's what I should use. Can anyone give me some pointers or a place to start? I've been looking for some time now. At this point, I'd also be willing to pay someone to write this for me.

Thanks!

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 2:31 am
by Kieran Huggins
I don't know if GD supports those formats, but I'm fairly certain ImageMagic does.

My personal experience in publishing workflows leads me to believe you'll have fewer problems if the user exports to PDF/X and uploads that. You'll still get vector everything and the file format is prone to far fewer compatibility issues.