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MartinMcD

Background Segment Transparency on Report PDF Export

Status: Completed

As mentioned below, from Microsoft Windows 10 on the OS supports PDF with transparency. Since DIAdem 2017 you can optional select "Create PDF with Microsoft Printer" or use the PDF creater installed with DIAdem.

Greetings

Walter

When I export a plot in a DIAdem report I lose the transparency that I have associated with any coloured background segments in my plots.  It would be helpful if the transparency was maintained as it helps to show overlapping areas.

 

As a side note, I find that when I zoom out on the axis of a plot the background segments disappear when they get narrow, but still wide enough to show on screen.  This can be confusing as there is no indication it is happening.  Perhaps background segments could always be drawn at least 1 pixel wide.

 

Thank you,

 

Martin

6 Comments
Brad_Turpin
Trusted Enthusiast

Hi Martin,

 

Try making two settings changes in the REPORT menu "Settings >> Options >> REPORT..."

 

[check] Output to printer with transparency

[check] Output print data as graphic

 

Brad Turpin

DIAdem Product Support Engineer

National Instruments

MartinMcD
Member

Hi Brad,

Thank you for the help, I will use this method for now. I would still like to keep this as a feature request because there are a few drawbacks of exporting as a graphic:

- Can't select text or search within the pdf

- File size larger (in my example pdf goes from 300KB to 1.5MB).

- Text & graphics don't render as cleanly

 

 

ArchieH
Member

Hi Brad,

 

Is there any hope of the transparency issue being addressed in PDF exports without having to resort to exporting pages as graphics? As Martin mentions, the ouput is not so cleanly rendered and the file sizes are larger. Additionally, the scaling does not appear to be correctly maintained such that the right and bottom sides of pages exported using the 'output as graphic' option are cut off.

 

Archie

skh69nova
Member

I was having same issue, and found in 2017 (Not sure if in older version) there is an option to "Create PDF with Microsoft Printer" and this preserved transparency without converting to graphic.

Walter_Rick
NI Employee (retired)
Status changed to: Completed

As mentioned below, from Microsoft Windows 10 on the OS supports PDF with transparency. Since DIAdem 2017 you can optional select "Create PDF with Microsoft Printer" or use the PDF creater installed with DIAdem.

Greetings

Walter

MartinMcD
Member

Great, thank you Walter.