Hi. Newbie here. I'm trying to create an image to print on a t-shirt. I want to output it as EPS, since that's the preferred format for the online custom-shirt vendor I'm using. I've attached a jpg of the SVG image as it looks in Inkscape. When I save that out as EPS and then upload it to the t-shirt vendor's site, it comes in as a square image, and the corners around the main circular image are all filled with white. I would be thankful for any advice on how to make everything but the circular area really transparent--in an exported EPS file, not a PNG.

Please share the SVG file, we can see if it works in other versions.

Here you go, Tyler. I switched off the checkerboard background, though, as I noticed that putting the checkerboard on removed some of the white highlights from the tiger's face. In any case, what I want to end up with is an EPS file that has just the green circular border and everything inside it. 

The style/color information in the status bar shows there is some transparency in the fill of the circle. The fill can be turned off.

With no transparency, saving a copy as EPS should have no white in the corners.

Bingo! Problem solved. Thanks so much, Tyler. I would never have found that---or, more to the point, even if I had, I wouldn't have recognized it as the problem. I need to work through some good fundamental tutorials.

Again, thanks.

I am having the same issue.  I have an Inkscape file that only has black and white fill (no transparency) for the objects.  When I save it as an .eps, it adds a white background and the white objects effectively disappear.  @porcupine it sounded like you figured out how to get the image you were working with to not have any white outside the image.  Any further tips?

For further info, I tried taking your file and turning off the fill as @TylerDurden suggested.  When I did, I still got a white background in the .eps.  @porcupine It sounded like that solved you issue.  Did you do something else?

If not, then it appears that my issue is not with my .svg image file.  Since I am having the same issue with your file, it seems my issue is either with my process for saving the .eps, or with my version of Inkscape, or with the way that I am opening the .eps file.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Please upload an example file. Just as a reminder: Any little transparency will force Inkscape to render a raster image and put it in an EPS container when saving to EPS..

Or check this simple Inkscape SVG out which maintains Alpha channel when saved as EPS:

@Polygon Thank you for the response!

I opened your atTransparency .svg file.  It does not have a background in my Inkscape.  However, when I save as .eps and open it, then it does have a white background.

I also took my file and took everything out of it except two paths to try to eliminate as many complicating factors as possible.  Then I saved that as .eps.  Same result.  The .eps comes through with a white background.  The object in my file that is white then does not show up in the .eps file.  Both of those files are attached.  Does the attached .eps file have a white background on your side?

It still appears that my issue is not with my .svg image file.  Since I am having the same issue with your file, it seems my issue is either with my process for saving the .eps, or with my version of Inkscape, or with the way that I am opening the .eps file.

Once again, thanks for any help you can provide!

Everything is okay with your file from my point of view unless I´m missing something:

Thanks!  What are using to open the .eps file.  Maybe that is where my issue is showing up.

Affinity Designer for instance.

Yep.  The issue was my .eps viewer.  I downloaded IrFanView along with it's plugins and Ghostscript and my original .eps files come through fine. 

For anyone else that this may be helpful for, it looks like the eps viewer from epsviewer.org is an even simpler option than IrFanView.  I was interested in the additional capabilities of IrFanView so I went that route.

@Polygon Thanks so much for helping me figure this out!!

SolvDESIGNS, sorry I wasn't able to help. I saw your note and I was trying to recreate my steps--but it's been more than a year since I've used Inkscape, and I was flailing around trying to remember what I did. :)  I'm glad you got it sorted out. 

Hi guys, I found myself with the same problem: I am trying to save an eps file but I get a white background instead of a transparent one. Could you please help me out? I am sending the file attached to this message. Thanks in advance!

One object has a blur.

Any blur or partial transparency will add the unwanted background.

You can select any path in the workspace and watch the fill/stroke dialog to see if there are blurs or transparencies while you use the tab key to select the next object and the next. 

It's true, I was looking at the partial transparency but didn't think of looking for blurred shapes. Thank you very much!