Exporting Vector Patterns as Vectors

[Eidolon]

Greetings.

When I fill a vector object with a vector pattern through the Color Editor and then export the document as PDF, the pattern changes to a bitmap, regardless of the export settings.

Is there a way to apply a vector pattern so that the pattern remains a vector graphic?

I want to make simple patterns of stripes and apply them later to various vector objects.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

[Martin Huber]

Vector patterns are exported as vectors if the PDF settings allow this. So if you export a PDF without transparency and the pattern has transparency, it will be reduced to an image.

Can you send us a small sample file that shows this behavior to support@pl32.com?

[Eidolon]

Hi. A sample file is attached here. I created the patterns with Color Editor > Patterns.

If I export the document to Color Space: Original & Transparency: Replace Background, the patterns change to bitmaps. If I export to Transparency: Continuous or to Color Space PDF/X-4, the vector objects disappear.

(Side question: Color Editor seems to offer only limited ways to modify these patterns. For example, I don’t see how to change the color of the transparent stripes. The second box after HTML seems to have no effect. Switching the drop-down menu to Vector Pattern produces a window in which everything is grayed out.)

I’m using PL 23.52 on Mac.

Thank you for your help.

[Martin Huber]

Hi. A sample file is attached here. I created the patterns with Color Editor > Patterns.

These are image-based patterns, not vector-based ones. The used image has transparency.

You can create a vector pattern by creating a new, empty document ("File > New > New Document"). Now you can create the content of the pattern, for example a simple vertical line to create a hatching.

After you are done, you create a pattern from that document by accessing the context menu of any color field and clicking "Vector Pattern from Document". This will create a pattern and put it onto the clipboard. You can paste the pattern color later-on to any color field.

If I export the document to Color Space: Original & Transparency: Replace Background, the patterns change to bitmaps.

Yes, because of the transparency, the layers are converted to images.

If I export to Transparency: Continuous or to Color Space PDF/X-4, the vector objects disappear.

Yes, there is a problem exporting patterns with an assigned color. In certain situations they may not be visible.

(Side question: Color Editor seems to offer only limited ways to modify these patterns. For example, I don’t see how to change the color of the transparent stripes. The second box after HTML seems to have no effect. Switching the drop-down menu to Vector Pattern produces a window in which everything is grayed out.)

That's because it is an image-based pattern. You can't change the pixels of the image using the Color Editor.

With vector-based patterns you can change the used colors in the "Vector Pattern" sub dialog. It is useful to name the colors you use in your pattern, as this makes it easier to change to the correct color later.

[Eidolon]

Thank you. Unfortunately, the entire vector pattern does not go onto the clipboard. Here is what I did:

(1) Create new document. Add desired pattern, using only vector layers. Attached here is my file.
(2) No layers are active. Go to Layout > Document > Vector Pattern from Document.
(3) A subdialog opens: Color Editor > Vector Pattern. The preview window shows only one of layers (the lavender square), not the rest of the pattern. Click OK.
(4) When I paste into a new layer, I only get what showed in the preview window.

[Martin Huber]

Thank you. Unfortunately, the entire vector pattern does not go onto the clipboard. Here is what I did:

(1) Create new document. Add desired pattern, using only vector layers. Attached here is my file.
(2) No layers are active. Go to Layout > Document > Vector Pattern from Document.
(3) A subdialog opens: Color Editor > Vector Pattern. The preview window shows only one of layers (the lavender square), not the rest of the pattern. Click OK.
(4) When I paste into a new layer, I only get what showed in the preview window.

Yes, you get what you see in the Color Editor.

There is a small bug when creating new patterns so that only the first layer of the document is used.
To circumvent this you can:
- Group your layers ("Layer > Management > Group Marked Layers" or the corresponding command in the document's context menu) and use "Layout > Document > Vector Pattern from Document" afterwards.
or
- Select all layers, copy them ("Edit > Copy") und paste them directly to a color field using its context menu
or
- Use the current test version 23.90B12 viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6921

By the way: Is it intentional that the background rectangle has a brighter outline? If not, the pattern can be simplified a lot. A background rectangle with a single white rectangle would be sufficient.

[Eidolon]

Thank you, thank you. Everything works as you said. However, in testing I found a reproducible bug that prevents final success. When I paste the same pattern in different colors, the colors change to one color during PDF export or PLD saving. Here are the steps to re-create the bug:

(1) Create a document (called A), and add three vector objects. The goal will be to fill them with the same pattern in different colors.
(2) Create another document (called B), and add two simple vector objects to form the pattern: a color square and a white shape on top of it. Group the two objects.
(3) Put document B on the clipboard as a vector pattern, as you described.
(4) Fill one of the objects in A by pasting the pattern.
(5) Return to B and change the color of the square.
(6) Repeat steps 3 & 4 to fill a second object in A.
(7) Return to B and change the color of the square.
(8) Repeat steps 3 & 4 to fill the third object in A.
(9) The three objects in A are filled with the same pattern in different colors. Export A to PDF, or save it to PLD and close the document. Open the PDF in any viewer or open the PLD. Result: the pattern is the same color in all three objects. They are all in the last color used.

The attached screenshot shows my PLD file before saving (top), and the PDF export (bottom).

[Martin Huber]

Yes, this special case of repeatedly editing a document and creating different patterns based on that document doesn't work correctly.

The other two options I gave you do work:
- Select all layers, copy them ("Edit > Copy") und paste them directly to a color field using its context menu
or
- Use the current test version 23.90B12 viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6921

The following two options also work:
- After creating the pattern, close the pattern document and reopen it again.
or
- Only create the pattern once.
- Apply it to the three vector objects.
- Double-click the colors you want to change. In the Color Editor you can directly edit the colors used in the pattern. It is useful to give a name to the colors of a pattern, because then it is easier to tell which color has which effect.

Martin