Hey there, I am trying to export to PDF, PNG, and print a file with white text and shapes on black background. All of these attempts don't work. The result is a blank white page because the background does not get exported in proper colour the way it seems. Please help fast as there is no answer on any forum to this question. Please don't be confused, I have set the background to black in the document properties.
That's your problem! The background color option for the document is only for your personal preference. It does not translate to the file. I know, it's confusing. I'm sure if I dig around long enough, I might find some documentation that explains that. But for the most part, it's info that's not easy for most users to find.
So what you need to do is draw a rectangle the same size as your page border and fill it with black. Move it behind everything else. Or maybe even put it on a bottom layer. Then I think everything should work properly.
Hey there thanks, that does work. Never thought of doing it that way. But still to my frustration, why call it the document background colour when it technically isn't? Or more like add a setting in the document properties and call it page colour... would be very handy.
Hej, When you make the background colour black in the document properties... you should also move the alpha channel to the right side. Otherwise the background will still be transparent and will not be seen as black. I have no problem at all exporting with a black document background on Win 8.1, Inkscape 0.94.2.
Hi Kirstie, I appreciate your response. But to keep future people from becoming terribly confused, like I was when searching the forums to this question. I have to clarify my question once again and point out where you miss understood. The background colour as you pointed out is not the actual image background colour. It is just a background reference colour. Now to clarify what my question had been. I have a printer and it prints on (White) paper. I created some artwork that is also (White) so printing white art on white paper makes it... invisible! Setting the background colour to black makes it visible while editing in Inkscape, but printing the file there is still no difference as the background colour is NOT! the actual document background colour... very confusing. (Inkscape if you see this thread then please consider clarifying this in the settings!) So to fix this, thanks to Brynn, you must add a rectangle the full size of the page, fill it black and sent it to the bottom... then, draw your White art over the REAL Black background!
I am glad that drawing a rectangle under your white drawing worked.
I have done several tests, and found out that the background colour does not transfer to pdf, but it will transfer to png. That is strange, it should be one or the other I think. I have found several discussions about in on the bug webpage. So the makers are thinking about how to change things. https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/issues/286
If you want to be in control, just use Brynn's technique.
Beginners' Questions Export / Print black background files.
Inkscape.org
Hey there, I am trying to export to PDF, PNG, and print a file with white text and shapes on black background. All of these attempts don't work. The result is a blank white page because the background does not get exported in proper colour the way it seems. Please help fast as there is no answer on any forum to this question. Please don't be confused, I have set the background to black in the document properties.
Welcome to the forum!
That's your problem! The background color option for the document is only for your personal preference. It does not translate to the file. I know, it's confusing. I'm sure if I dig around long enough, I might find some documentation that explains that. But for the most part, it's info that's not easy for most users to find.
So what you need to do is draw a rectangle the same size as your page border and fill it with black. Move it behind everything else. Or maybe even put it on a bottom layer. Then I think everything should work properly.
Let us know how it goes 🙂
Hey there thanks, that does work. Never thought of doing it that way. But still to my frustration, why call it the document background colour when it technically isn't? Or more like add a setting in the document properties and call it page colour... would be very handy.
Thanks ever so much!
Hej,
When you make the background colour black in the document properties... you should also move the alpha channel to the right side.
Otherwise the background will still be transparent and will not be seen as black.
I have no problem at all exporting with a black document background on Win 8.1, Inkscape 0.94.2.
Hi Kirstie, I appreciate your response. But to keep future people from becoming terribly confused, like I was when searching the forums to this question. I have to clarify my question once again and point out where you miss understood. The background colour as you pointed out is not the actual image background colour. It is just a background reference colour. Now to clarify what my question had been. I have a printer and it prints on (White) paper. I created some artwork that is also (White) so printing white art on white paper makes it... invisible! Setting the background colour to black makes it visible while editing in Inkscape, but printing the file there is still no difference as the background colour is NOT! the actual document background colour... very confusing. (Inkscape if you see this thread then please consider clarifying this in the settings!) So to fix this, thanks to Brynn, you must add a rectangle the full size of the page, fill it black and sent it to the bottom... then, draw your White art over the REAL Black background!
Hi Edgar,
I am glad that drawing a rectangle under your white drawing worked.
I have done several tests, and found out that the background colour does not transfer to pdf, but it will transfer to png.
That is strange, it should be one or the other I think. I have found several discussions about in on the bug webpage.
So the makers are thinking about how to change things.
https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/issues/286
If you want to be in control, just use Brynn's technique.