What's the best way?

[Cuss16]

I was wondering if anyone can help me out with this question I have. I was wondering what is the best way to save an AI file with transparent background and preserve the best quality possible. Right now the best way I can think of is to save it as a .gif with none at matte. but it still comes out looking a little jagged on the edges, not clean enough like an AI image is suppose to look.

Thanks for any help.

ps. what does the .gif option of row order mean? There is an option for normal and interlaced row order.

[pcgd]

try png...but I've had problems with pngs on a PC. On a mac or in flash they work awesome. But on a PC they have a halo kinda thing going on. try it out though...maybe i was mistaken.

[slapshot]

It might depend on what version of Illustrator you have. If you have 10 or CS, you can just do a "Save for Web" and the picture comes out fine.

I did this entry for Zoneranger's contest in CS and saved for web, where it was saved as a .gif, with a transparent bkgd:

But this image here was done in 8, which doesn't export as gif files as well...I had to export it as a jpg and check it out in photoshop before uploading it:

So I guess the bottom line is that anything below 10 will give you the slightly fuzzy edges. I don't know how else to do it, except maybe to save it first as a jpeg, open it in photoshop, then export again as a gif and adjust the transparency yourself.

[STL FANATIC]

One thing, also is that if you don't use a matte, it's automatically gonna be jagged...but if you do...you have to pick what color it's gonna go on anyway...

[Cuss16]

thanks fo the help.

[-kj]

PNG is the way and the light. Unfortunately, since IE can't get their act together regarding displaying the alpha transparencies in IE, they don't work so well.