Beyond Pixels


Pixels and vectors can live together in graphic harmony, enabling you to combine smooth, sharp text with images for interesting results. But it's important to save such constructions correctly so that other programs produce expected output.

Vector Elements

While Photoshop is primarily devoted to pixels, it is possible to add text and other vector elements to a Photoshop image. It's not appropriate to create body text in Photoshop, and most text should be created in an illustration or page-layout application. But if you want to bevel and emboss text (Figure 9.21), or give a special treatment to a vector logo, you may be compelled to handle it in Photoshop.

Figure 9.21. Vector or text elements are an interesting (although not necessarily tasteful) addition to an image.


Vector elements in Photoshop do not have any inherent resolution, although any shading applied through effects such as embossing must be accomplished with pixels. Those pixels are just part of the effect, and they don't become literal pixels until the file is printed. Consequently, you can scale vector elements within the Photoshop image and the effects will be recalculated, growing new pixels of the appropriate resolution. Since the edges of vector elements are vector, not pixels, they remain crisp.

It's important to save such hybrid files in a way that ensures that the vector edges print sharply, and this is where we encounter an alphabet soup of acronyms.

The ideal file format for cohabiting pixels and vectors is one that retains the crisp edges of vectors when the file is placed in an illustration or page-layout file, and allows round-tripping back to Photoshop for any needed editing. There are several file-format options for this type of image, of which only one is truly satisfactory (Figure 9.22).

Figure 9.22. A Photoshop file containing vector elements can be saved in several formats. The sharp vector edges in a native PSD file become rasterized when placed in a page-layout program (left). An EPS retains the desired crisp edges when placed in a page layout (middle), but will lose the vector content if reopened in Photoshop for editing. Only a Photoshop PDF (right) retains vector information for placement in a page layout and allows round-tripping back into Photoshop.


A native Photoshop file (PSD) keeps the text and vector elements live in Photoshop and allows round-tripping. You can reopen the file at any time to correct misspelled text or edit anchor points on vector shapes. But PSDs are not treated so kindly when they're placed in an illustration or page-layout file. The vector edges are rendered as pixels during output, taking on the resolution of the underlying image. Consequently, PSDs containing vector elements may serve as working files, but they will not print ideally when placed into other applications.

Saving such an image as an EPS preserves sharp vector edges, even when placed in an illustration or page-layout file. However, while the EPS format ensures good output, it prevents the file from being safely reopened in Photoshop. Photoshop can open it, but the vector content will be rasterized in the process, thus ruining the integrity of the image.

For this special type of image, only a Photoshop PDF provides full functionality. A Photoshop PDF can be reopened by Photoshop without rasterizing, and the vector content is correctly displayed and imaged when a Photoshop PDF is placed into documents created by Illustrator, InDesign, and QuarkXPress. Think of it as two files in one: Photoshop sees the original PSD, with its editable text and vector content; and other applications see the public face of the PDF file, with its nice, crisp edges.

Saving as a Photoshop PDF

To save a PDF that can be reopened by Photoshop, choose File > Save As, and then in the Format list, select Photoshop PDF. When the Save Adobe PDF dialog is displayed, make sure that the Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities check box is selected (Figure 9.23). This is the default setting for Photoshop PDF files.

Figure 9.23. To ensure that you can reopen a Photoshop PDF, select the Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities check box. For maximum portability, choose Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3). To maintain transparency, choose Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4).


If you want to maintain transparency in the image when it is placed into Illustrator or InDesign, you must save with Acrobat 5.0 or above compatibility. If you plan to place the Photoshop PDF into QuarkXPress, choose the PDF/X-1a preset from the list at the top of the dialog. You'll lose the transparency, but the file will print more predictably. For more information on Acrobat and PDF files, see Chapter 14, "Acrobat Production Tips."

Photoshop versions prior to CS2 require you to be mindful of vector settings in the PDF Options dialog that is displayed when you choose File > Save As and choose the Photoshop PDF format (Figure 9.24). If you don't select Include Vector Data, the edges of vector and text content will appear rasterized in other applications and will be output as raster content. For maximum portability, also select Use Outlines for Text in the PDF Options dialog so that there are no embedded fonts that might be mishandled by subsequent processes that affect the PDF file. The Use Outlines for Text option has no effect on content when the PDF is reopened in Photoshop. The PDF part of the file is perceived by other applications, which will see only the outlined text.

Figure 9.24. When saving as a Photoshop PDF in Photoshop prior to CS2, choose JPEG Maximum, and check Include Vector Data, as well as Use Outlines for Text.


In the PSD part of the saved Photoshop PDF, everything is still "live," so when you reopen the file in Photoshop, the text is still true text, and the necessary fonts must be active on your system to edit the text. By default, Photoshop CS2 includes vector data and outlines the text for use in other applications. It does the right thing without presenting you with confusing options.




Real World(c) Print Production
Real World Print Production
ISBN: 0321410181
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 132
Authors: Claudia McCue

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