I have several layers and I'm saving the visible layer as a pdf but when I open the pdf the hidden layers show as it loads in adobe

Hi Tiffany,

I think this problem can best be solved when we can take a look at the file itself, and the resulting pdf.

Is it possible that you upload the svg and the corresponding pdf file somewhere, and tell us which object should / should not be visible so we can compare ourselves? (you can replace the photo if it's private or copyrighted)

Unfortunately, this answers section does not support file attachments. You will need to use a free file hosting service for this.
One of those is https://framadrop.org/ (it's managed by a French open source community), but you can use any one you like.

Kind regards,
 Maren

Thanks for your response.

I sent you an email with the files from free file host: *Hightail*

Tiffany Woodward

On Fri, Jan 15, 2016 at 6:46 PM, Hachmann <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #281044 on Inkscape changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Hachmann requested more information:
> Hi Tiffany,
>
> I think this problem can best be solved when we can take a look at the
> file itself, and the resulting pdf.
>
> Is it possible that you upload the svg and the corresponding pdf file
> somewhere, and tell us which object should / should not be visible so we
> can compare ourselves? (you can replace the photo if it's private or
> copyrighted)
>
> Unfortunately, this answers section does not support file attachments.
> You will need to use a free file hosting service for this.
> One of those is https://framadrop.org/ (it's managed by a French open
> source community), but you can use any one you like.
>
> Kind regards,
> Maren
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Hi Tiffany,

this didn't work, unfortunately. Could you add a link into a new comment on the answers page here:

https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044

Thanks,
 Maren

I have tried the framadrop site:

Here is the link to the PDF

https://framadrop.org/r/Eb5zH1jSya#LaBlsHqqNfPgM/eKNO+Le+L5JZprOuE45dUvKMWw16M=

here is the link to the svg

https://framadrop.org/r/te7Evb_LVi#YAa7SehjYj9kjb2qJPRgx75JfS/MIJZQzGHKfaZfuMg=

Hi Tiffany,

so now I think I understand your problem.

Explanation:
When a vector file is being loaded, and the computer that will display it is rather slow or the file is huge, the display will be built up from bottom to top, as elements will be computed and drawn on top of each other in the order they appear in the document.

This cannot be prevented, if you draw things on top of other things, and the computer is slow.

I don't see that building-up for your file, as it is not so large, and my computer is fast enough, but it happens for me with images like this one at openclipart, for example: https://openclipart.org/download/237828/Colorful-World-Map-Mosaic.svg .

Possible solutions:
I noticed that you appear to not use any real vector elements in your drawing, but pieced it together from several pieces of raster graphics.

You should consider if it wouldn't make more sense to either:
- create a flyer that is made up of vector objects instead, and contains one single high-resolution photo (this option will give you high-quality prints and also look nicer on screen).

- If that is not what you want to do, consider if a raster graphics editor wouldn't be the better choice to edit your raster graphics.
Those are programs like Photoshop or the Gimp (http://gimp.org), which are made for editing raster images and allow for selecting and moving selections of raster images, and cropping, which is what you seem to want to do.

- Or, if you still want to go with the current option, you can do the following to mitigate the gradual image buildup on load:

   - remove the base image with the text and the old company logo at the bottom completely. There is nothing in it that you are currently using.

   - also remove all the unused rectangles in the middle. Only keep the one you want to actually use.

   - try to avoid clipping if you do not need it. You've got three clip paths in your image, of which it isn't evident what they are for.

   - for the one banner image (the green balconies) you want to use, try to find a high-resolution image instead. The images you have in your svg file are very low-resolution, and this will not look good in print (it's 530x712px, you should aim for at least 300 pixels per printed inch)

   - remove all other things from your image that you are currently not using.

These hints cannot change the loading behaviour, but if you remove things you don't want to be displayed, then they cannot be displayed on load ;)

Hope this helps,
 Kind regards,
 Maren

Thanks for your message.

I don't have a design background at all so what you are saying is all new
to me.

I had my logo professionally designed and I simply imported the images as a
png image onto the svg page...

Are you familiar with any sites where I could get free high quality images?

I don't plan on printing this flyer...it will just be attached to emails.
I'm not too sure what a raster image means.

Your feedback is extremely helpful and I am very grateful for your help! :)

Tiffany Woodward

On Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Hachmann <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #281044 on Inkscape changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Hachmann proposed the following answer:
> Hi Tiffany,
>
> so now I think I understand your problem.
>
> Explanation:
> When a vector file is being loaded, and the computer that will display it
> is rather slow or the file is huge, the display will be built up from
> bottom to top, as elements will be computed and drawn on top of each other
> in the order they appear in the document.
>
> This cannot be prevented, if you draw things on top of other things, and
> the computer is slow.
>
> I don't see that building-up for your file, as it is not so large, and
> my computer is fast enough, but it happens for me with images like this
> one at openclipart, for example: https://openclipart.org/download/237828
> /Colorful-World-Map-Mosaic.svg .
>
> Possible solutions:
> I noticed that you appear to not use any real vector elements in your
> drawing, but pieced it together from several pieces of raster graphics.
>
> You should consider if it wouldn't make more sense to either:
> - create a flyer that is made up of vector objects instead, and contains
> one single high-resolution photo (this option will give you high-quality
> prints and also look nicer on screen).
>
> - If that is not what you want to do, consider if a raster graphics editor
> wouldn't be the better choice to edit your raster graphics.
> Those are programs like Photoshop or the Gimp (http://gimp.org), which
> are made for editing raster images and allow for selecting and moving
> selections of raster images, and cropping, which is what you seem to want
> to do.
>
> - Or, if you still want to go with the current option, you can do the
> following to mitigate the gradual image buildup on load:
>
> - remove the base image with the text and the old company logo at the
> bottom completely. There is nothing in it that you are currently using.
>
> - also remove all the unused rectangles in the middle. Only keep the
> one you want to actually use.
>
> - try to avoid clipping if you do not need it. You've got three clip
> paths in your image, of which it isn't evident what they are for.
>
> - for the one banner image (the green balconies) you want to use, try
> to find a high-resolution image instead. The images you have in your svg
> file are very low-resolution, and this will not look good in print (it's
> 530x712px, you should aim for at least 300 pixels per printed inch)
>
> - remove all other things from your image that you are currently not
> using.
>
> These hints cannot change the loading behaviour, but if you remove
> things you don't want to be displayed, then they cannot be displayed on
> load ;)
>
> Hope this helps,
> Kind regards,
> Maren
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044/+confirm?answer_id=4
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Hi Tiffany,

you could try flickr, for example (make sure you search only for copyright free images: https://www.flickr.com/commons/usage/) or https://pixabay.com/ - but these are just two out of probably hundreds of free photo sources on the internet.

There are also many sources that explain the difference between raster and vector images, but unfortunately, the Inkscape website still lacks such an explanation currently :(

One short explanation with many images: http://vector-conversions.com/vectorizing/raster_vs_vector.html

If you aim for display on screens, you should have at least 90px per inch (better more).

Hope this helps,
all best,
 Maren

Almost solved!

You have been so gracious with your answers/knowledge and I appreciate you!
😀

I have few more related questions.

A. Can you please advise what image pixel size (width, height) and
resolution (x, y) I should use for any quality photo to be displayed
amazingly on the web?

I'm using Gimp (love it by the way - I've spent the last 2 days going
through tutorials and teaching myself)...

For example, I am posting pictures that I create to Instagram. I want them
to be of high quality. When I scale the image in GIMP, what pixel sizes
(width,height) and resolution (x,y) do you suggest for this?

B. Let me know if I am correct:

Vector files are EDITABLE: AI and EPS
Raster files are NOT editable: png, jpeg, gif

C. You mentioned that the image I had in my flyer (green balcony) was of
low quality due to the pixel size of 530x712px. If I uploaded the file and
changed the pixel size to 1080x1080 for example with 300 resolution, would
that improve the quality? I'm trying to understand how the pixel size and
resolution work together (or if they are completely separate)

D. I have the EPS, PSD as well as the JPEG, TIFF and PNG image of my
logo. For the purpose of creating online images for Instagram, etc. should
I:

1. Open the PSD image in Gimp
2. Make any design changes I want
3. Scale the image to high quality image in pixels x,y (which you will
provide your suggestion as to what is best for online display)
4. Export the image to a raster file for upload on the web

For the purpose of creating online flyer should I:

1. Open the PSD or raster images in Gimp
2. Scale the images to high quality image in pixels x,y (which you will
provide your suggestion as to what is best for online display)
4. Export the images to a raster file
5. Open the raster file in Inkspace
6 Create the flyer using the raster files
7. Save as pdf

Please advise on the steps....this will help me TREMENDOUSLY (you have no
idea)

I super appreciate your help!

Tiffany Woodward

On Tue, Jan 19, 2016 at 3:08 PM, Hachmann <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #281044 on Inkscape changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Hachmann proposed the following answer:
> Hi Tiffany,
>
> you could try flickr, for example (make sure you search only for
> copyright free images: https://www.flickr.com/commons/usage/) or
> https://pixabay.com/ - but these are just two out of probably hundreds
> of free photo sources on the internet.
>
> There are also many sources that explain the difference between raster
> and vector images, but unfortunately, the Inkscape website still lacks
> such an explanation currently :(
>
> One short explanation with many images: http://vector-
> conversions.com/vectorizing/raster_vs_vector.html
>
> If you aim for display on screens, you should have at least 90px per
> inch (better more).
>
> Hope this helps,
> all best,
> Maren
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044/+confirm?answer_id=6
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281044
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Hi Tiffany,

questions A+C boil down to the question how scaling a bitmap image can affect its quality.

You need to differentiate between downscaling and upscaling for this.

Upscaling a bitmap image will not make it better. It will have more pixels, but the amount of information that is 'spread' over the pixels is still the same - the image can become blurry, or look pixelated at 100% size. Upscaling is a really bad idea for raster images in most cases.

Downscaling a bitmap image for use on the web will actually loose information (pixels are merged). But it will make the image smaller for loading via an internet connection. If you downscale a raster image, you usually do it because you don't need the big size one.
If your computer screen is only 1024 pixels wide, the maximum image width you'd need to fill the screen width is 1024 pixels (keep in mind there are hidpi screens that have much larger widths - do your own research for this, please).
-----------
B.

"Vector files are EDITABLE: AI and EPS
Raster files are NOT editable: png, jpeg, gif"

The file formats you collected here are almost correct. Don't forget SVG for vector graphics :)

To complicate the matter, all the file formats you call vector files here can contain both vector data *and* embedded images.

Both kinds (raster / vector) are editable. Only you need the right tool for each one. A pixel-manipulating software to edit raster images, and a software that computes curves for editing vector data.
----------
D

You can't 'scale up a raster image to high quality', unfortunately. The image, if its source is in raster format, must already hold all the info (detail) you need.

If you have an EPS version of your logo, and the logo is in vector format in it (contains paths, not embedded bitmap images), then open with Inkscape and edit in Inkscape, and export any png size you like, which you can then use in your raster images in Gimp. Vector data scales losslessly.

You do not need Inkscape to export to pdf, Gimp can do that, too. And you do not need Inkscape if you only want to edit raster images.

What I would suggest for your flyer, though, is to use as many vector elements (text, shapes, paths) as possible for highest quality. Then add the raster image of your choice into Inkscape where you arranged all the vector elements, then export to pdf from Inkscape. Pdf is also a file format that can hold raster and vector data at the same time. The vector elements in it will look good at all zooms, while the raster elements will start looking pixelated at some point.

Regards,
 Maren