Hi! 

I am completely new to InkScape but I needed a software to prepare some figures for publication. I have to submit .pdf or .eps files. 

So basically, I saved the plot on the left as .svg file. I opened it with InkScape and I copy pasted the skulls on the right next to it. I added some text, and I resized the page to the selection.

So far, so good, pretty happy with the result, see below. BUT, when I save it as a .pdf I see grey squares around the skulls, and when I save it as .eps, and open it again with Photoshop, that's a true mess, see below. Black spaces between the skulls, resolution is disgusting,... I don't get what's happening...  

Can someone explain me what's the problem and how to fix it?

Thanks a lot guys! 

Original

Saved as .pdf

Saved as .eps

 

This might be caused by some transparency. I´d put a large white color filled rectangle behind these images and check if this helps already.

Thanks Polygon, I already tried to do that, but it didn't work... 


 

Next I´d check the image files itself for any borders and either crop new, save without alpha channel when these are PNGs or save/export to JPG to make sure alpha channel is avoided/cancelled.

Not quite sure to understand what you mean. 

But, if I export from InkScape as .png, it's almost working, I only have some tiny borders: PNG

But they don't want .PNG files... And if I save as .eps, I don't have any option such as "alpha channel". 

I was talking about the placed images in your Inkscape document. Can you upload one original skull(?) example?

Tried to upload the file: .SVG file

Skulls are copy paste from a PowerPoint Word file.

Edit: Word images

So basically, the lines I see on the .PDF are the boxes from the Word file. That's what I would like to remove. And on the .eps file, it's filling the space with black... 

Ok - I opened and save as .EPS right away and that´s how it comes out:

When I open your file, I see the same as what I posted earlier "Saved as .eps"

Seems your viewer has some issues.

Don´t be irritated while the screenshot stated PDF. EPS is practically non existent on macOS for years already:

Here´s the same file as PDF. Why the text looks so ugly in your screenshot escapes me because it´s converted text. Looks as strokes were added.

In PDF the image borders become visible again but as it is one image per 6 skulls there´s nothing I can do about it.

Mmmh, that's strange, because I just downloaded another viewer, i.e. "EPS viewer", and it's actually even worse, I can't see the skulls! 

So basically, if you open the "Figure_4_test.eps" I attach here, it looks exactly like your screenshot? If so, I guess I am just gonna send the files like this and hope for the best... 

And what if I don't add any white background: "Figure_4.eps"? You still see the same? 

On your PDF, I see exactly what I first posted under Saved as .pdf. I see all the squares around the images... Might be a computer related problem then? 

Vielen dank! :) 

 

Can you check out this Inkscape file? I extracted the PNG images - killed the alpha channels - put it back and saved as SVG.

No more skulls: 

Dammit - superstrange. I´m on it.

Image were no longer embedded due the extracting process. Wasn´t aware of this. Now?

Looks good in 3 SVG apps incl. Safari browser but not in this forum.

Same as just before, "Linked image not found".

Can you open with a browser? It works here.

Yes, but no skull, only the graph. 

Yes, but no skull, only the graph. 

Edit: I switched computer and still can't see the pictures in the browser.

Ok - same file saved from another SVG editor:

Mmmh - probably uploaded from the wrong spot

1. Inkscape

2. AffinityDesigner

Ok, the "Figure 4 Testnoalpha" looks good as .svg in InkScape. So did my version as well. Can't see the "Testnoalphaad"

However, now, when I save as .eps, no more black spaces! But if I save as .pdf, I don't have the grey squares for the 6 skulls on top, but I still have them for the 6 skulls on bottom. 

The question is then; is it my computer, or my .eps file that is wrong? Because, I can send the .eps files to the editor of the journal where I'll publish my data, and he could actually open them and they would be like the last picture you sent. Or, the file is somehow wrong and editor will see a messed up thing... 

I guess problem in first place is the pasted image files. I´d have all cleaned up in GIMP for instance, exported with no alpha and placed either via drag&drop or "Import image".

This is a PDF saved from Inkscape with the last file iteration:

Alright, thank you very much for your help. I'll download GIMP and try this out! 

Thanks a lot! 

I uploaded one last PDF from Inkscape above.