Images with Transparent Background

[Anonymous]

We have a Kip printer that comes with software that will convert .pdfs to .tif & vice versa.  When we use the kip machine to scan drawings and reference them in to autocad lt, the background of the image is transparent (see attached).

Image 1 (right to left) is scanned and has a transparent background

Image 2 is scanned on the copier and has solid white

Image 3 is Image 2 saved out as .gif and it is sort of transparent

looking for ways to make the background transparent.

[pendean · Accepted solution]

Explore this HELP topic, notice the emphasis on the type of image being used:
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-lt/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/A...

[Anonymous]

I've been reading this type of lingo all morning...  

Seems to me "bitonal raster" is just a fancy way to say "image with transparent background."

I'm failing to see how any of this gets me any closer to my goal.

[Anonymous]

Ok so I tried the copier again and switched it from pdf to scan as tif and that did work this time and if I save out of the image program it is also working as long as I keep it a .tif.

Based on results, I assume that .jpg uses compression that make the image not "raster".  Wish someone could just say that.  Things get so complicated sometimes.

Thanks for the responce just the same.

[pendean]

Unless you tell us otherwise, we assume you know enough about the topic.

Not all image file types can have a transparent background.
AutoCADLT is not a raster image editor: it has limitations.

To get a bitonal image, you need to have that done outside of ACADLT (as you have done), or in full AutoCAD with an add-on called Raster Design as described here http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?44686-converting-raster-to-bitonal-image

JPGs (and PDFs) cannot have a transparent background: PNG files can, GIF files I believe, certain TIFF file formats, and if you have Adobe Photoshop you can force it into a BMP file.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

If I knew "enough" I wouldn't have to ask questions about it 😉

[Anonymous]

I've been trying to do this for years and finally got it to work.  Very happy about this.  Now we can put real trees on our drawings.  The image has to have transparency and have layers that can be saved with the layered info in tact.  The program I have will do this as .png.  It will also work to turn any image with a white background to make it be tranparent and be used directly or more easily traced.

Thanks Pendean for the response.  Many times, some type of response is better than no response.  Keep up the great work!