Transparent Backgrounds on Digital Downloads - Something to Keep in Mind

ColsCreations
Honored Contributor II

The center of this frame is transparent.
Prompted by this thread, I added some text and took some screenshots of how it appears in various apps.

zzz.png

On printed products the color of the actual product shows where there's transparency in an image since there's no ink there. Cards & invite designs with a white background look the same whether you leave the Background transparent or fill it with white. (Since white doesn't print anyway this is true even if they choose a not-white card stock color.) There are plenty examples in the MP of both - filled with white or left transparent - and one would never know the difference unless they go into the Design Tool. And it doesn't matter so it's not an issue. Except ...

Now there's the Instant Download option. With digital images there is of course no product color to show through transparent areas so you get whatever background color the app you're viewing the image in uses for transparency. The Zazzle phone previews show it with a white background (because they had to choose something) but what color the customer sees is entirely dependent on whatever app they are viewing it in. So it's possible that black/dark text may disappear leading the customer to think there is something wrong with the download. Or worse, it looks as expected (white background) in whatever they are viewing it in, they share it, and oops, recipient(s) happen to be viewing it in something that uses a black background and everyone ends up confused.

If a customer downloads the pdf or jpg version, transparent areas default to white.
If they download the png version they get a choice:

TransPng.jpg

So Zazzle has provided an option to ensure your white background (which is really transparent) stays white no matter how a person is viewing it but the customer has to realize the white they are seeing isn't really white it's transparent and know to check this option. The knowledge and skill level of customers as well as the apps they are using to view/share their Digital Downloads are variables neither Zazzle not Creators can control, so I'm posting this as an FYI for other Creators so you can better guide your customers, and troubleshoot when they message with "my invite is all black with no text!"

 

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6 REPLIES 6

KeegansCreation
Honored Contributor

This post is a reason we need  an area for pinned threads. This will keep coming up and this post will keep being the most comprehensive explanation for what's going on.

KeeganCreations

PAZP
Valued Contributor II

Hey @ColsCreations  THANK YOU for all you do in getting to the bottom of so many questions. I would have probably never figured that out on my own. YOU ROCK!

And I agree with @KeegansCreation "This post is a reason we need  an area for pinned threads." That would be so helpful for so many of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) here on the forum. 

CrazyMermaid
Valued Contributor II

Thank you again for your abilities and sharing them so freely. If there was a Zazzle Nobel Prize, I would nominate you!

Cat
Honored Contributor III

OMG, this is SUPER helpful! Thank you so much for posting this! I just bookmarked it so I'll be able to find it when a customer has this issue... and I'm sure they will at some point.

____________________
Cat @ ZB Designs

WHS_Designs
Honored Contributor II

many thanks for your insightful explanations. bookmarked!

Karen_H
New Contributor III

Thanks a lot for this, have bookmarked it for further reference.