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The Proper way to make a ADOBE looking shadow in Flexi

Graphics2u

New Member
:goodpost:Could someone please explain the process of removing the background from the following:
Say I create some text in Flexi and then open it in Photoshop and then I want to bevel it and save it then open it in Flexi. This is where things get rough. I can open it, I can ungroup it, I can even unmask it but that damn backgroung is still there. Thanks

Save your original Text layout in flexi, and when you import the beveled file from photoshop arrange the vector text on top of the bitmap and select them both then mask.
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Maybe this works correctly in later versions of Flexi (I'm at v7.6).
When this was first posted I gave it a go but could not figure our how to get clean smooth transparency in the shadow so it could be placed on something other than a solid white background.

wayne k
guam usa
 

Graphics2u

New Member
Maybe this works correctly in later versions of Flexi (I'm at v7.6).
When this was first posted I gave it a go but could not figure our how to get clean smooth transparency in the shadow so it could be placed on something other than a solid white background.

wayne k
guam usa
You're right, it won't work to make it transparent, so it's not just like adobe. What you can do though if you're putting it over a solid color you can use the same color background instead of white. Then after you blur it, create a vector to outline the original text and just the shadow area and mask the whole thing. Then you have a transparent image to place over other color.
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
You're right, it won't work to make it transparent, so it's not just like adobe. What you can do though if you're putting it over a solid color you can use the same color background instead of white. Then after you blur it, create a vector to outline the original text and just the shadow area and mask the whole thing. Then you have a transparent image to place over other color.


I would expect this level of functionality if I was using something like MS Paint that has been included free with windows since version 3.11 - not so much in 2009 from software sold at a substantial price - marketed as a complete sign making solution.

wayne k
guam usa
 

Graphics2u

New Member
I would expect this level of functionality if I was using something like MS Paint that has been included free with windows since version 3.11 - not so much in 2009 from software sold at a substantial price - marketed as a complete sign making solution.

wayne k
guam usa
Good Point! Flexi is only 10 times the cost of Illy! It should be able to do this and have supper waiting for you when you get home! :thumb:
 

iSign

New Member
not so good a point in my opinion... Flexi & Illustrator serve different markets, & Flexi does things Illustrator doesn't & never will... while illustrator does things Flexi doesn't. The price difference is obvious... Illustrator is marketed and sold to a customer base 1000's of times larger than the sign community, & of course they can invest far far more in software development, & then recover that investment in an extremely smaller percentage of the 100's of thousands of extra licenses sold.

So, seeing as how that is all painfully obvious...where was I? was there something I was going to say? ...oh yeah... if you have Flexi, you must have needed it for something illustrator can't do...

...if you need something Flexi can't do... well guess what, you can buy it AND IT'S CHEAPER!!! how cool is that!

(or you can expect Flexi to try to keep up with everything Illustrator does, but you can expect the moon to be made of cheese too)
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
From SAi's main webpage:
"Whether you are a traditional hand-painter, looking for faster production with cut vinyl stencils, a shop dedicated to vehicle graphics, or a full-service sign shop with dimensional letters and digital printing, SA International offers you a complete line of tools and products for all your design, editing and production needs."

"Complete" unless you need to do more with a bitmap than just load and print it.

wayne k
guam usa
 

iSign

New Member
From SAi's main webpage:
"Whether you are a traditional hand-painter, looking for faster production with cut vinyl stencils, a shop dedicated to vehicle graphics, or a full-service sign shop with dimensional letters and digital printing, SA International offers you a complete line of tools and products for all your design, editing and production needs."

"Complete" unless you need to do more with a bitmap than just load and print it.

wayne k
guam usa

don't forget the "crop" tool too :biggrin:
and they even have a magic wand selection tool... although there ain't much you can do with that selection besides delete :omg:

just think though... almost all the tools needed to help typeset & print exaggerated product claims for all the marketing materials of your business clients...

...not like SAi is the only one with impressive sounding taglines that don't always hold up to literal scrutiny :thumb:
 

Graphics2u

New Member
not so good a point in my opinion... Flexi & Illustrator serve different markets, & Flexi does things Illustrator doesn't & never will... while illustrator does things Flexi doesn't. The price difference is obvious... Illustrator is marketed and sold to a customer base 1000's of times larger than the sign community, & of course they can invest far far more in software development, & then recover that investment in an extremely smaller percentage of the 100's of thousands of extra licenses sold.

So, seeing as how that is all painfully obvious...where was I? was there something I was going to say? ...oh yeah... if you have Flexi, you must have needed it for something illustrator can't do...

...if you need something Flexi can't do... well guess what, you can buy it AND IT'S CHEAPER!!! how cool is that!

(or you can expect Flexi to try to keep up with everything Illustrator does, but you can expect the moon to be made of cheese too)
Not sure if this is aimed at my post but it appears to be.

I understand why why Flexi is more expensive, and I am a everyday Flexi User not Illustrator. In fact the only reason I have illy is to open files that I can't in Flexi and for the ability to use Transparent Gradients. I was agreeing with the fact that it is much more expensive and it was my poor attempt at a little humor with the making supper comment. And I do feel that Flexi should have the capability of transparencies in Gradients and shadows. To me that is a pretty basic function that should be incorporated in any commercial design program.

I thought this was a very good tip and I had never thought of making a soft shadow like that in Flexi and I will definately use it. And I hope some benefit from the brief PDF I liked to in an earlier post in this thread about how to put a contour cut around that shadow after it's made.

And what's this about the moon? It'snot made of cheese? :Big Laugh
 
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