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• • June 11, 2024 at 7:59 am #14404087
    Marc Dunker

    Member

    I have a shape with a fill set to normal blend mode and opacity of 50%. When I add a drop shadow, the shadow shows through the object even though “Object Knocks Out Shadow” is checked.

    Is my understanding of how this feature works incorrect? I’ve never been able to get it to do so that I recall…

    While writing this, I also checked “Knockout Group” in the Effects panel, and it worked! Is this the way?

  • June 11, 2024 at 8:13 am #14404088
    David

    Member

    It is indeed the way. I learned this sort of the hard way when, by accessing the Drop Shadow menu from the menu bar, which is simply my habit, I looked all over the place on that (Drop Shadow) panel for the Knockout Group button, only to realize it’s located on the Transparency pane.

    • June 11, 2024 at 11:56 am #14404093
      Marc Dunker

      Member

      Thanks! It’s interesting to me that I have to check “Knockout Group” to get it to work. When I use that, it’s usually with a grouped object and the top layer is set to 0% opacity.

    • June 11, 2024 at 12:40 pm #14404094
      David

      Member

      Yeah, it’s not exactly an intuitive choice; more like a work around, it seems. I discovered it all quite by accident not long ago, trying to get a drop shadow in a color-filled text frame (as opposed to a graphics frame) to behave and knock out a drop shadow. Checking “Knockout Group” seems to work — maybe InDesign regards this as a group under the hood. There’s probably a more-efficient way to accomplish this result, but I’m not aware of it.

  • June 11, 2024 at 11:28 am #14404092
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Another option is to set the opacity of the Object to 50% instead of the Fill.

    More on “knockout group” and other effects here:

    InDesign Eye Candy, part 3: Punch-Outs, Stickers, and Rips

  • June 12, 2024 at 3:04 am #14404097
    Mike Rankin

    Keymaster

    I agree with David that the simplest way to go is to set opacity at the object level. Then the shadow will behave as expected and there’s no need to use KO group.

    • June 12, 2024 at 7:51 am #14404113
      Marc Dunker

      Member

      Thanks David and Mike. I tried the object level, but the issue with that is it also changes the opacity of the shadow unless I’m missing something.

      The object level also wouldn’t work if I wanted a stroke with 100% opacity but the fill to be transparent with perhaps a different blend mode and shadow.

      I don’t know if it’s a random phenomenon or as designed, but if I create a shadow on an object with the spread at least 6pt, check knockout group on an object, and lastly set the fill to a transparency/blend mode the shadow will not change opacity—which is the desired outcome.

  • June 12, 2024 at 6:34 am #14404111
    David

    Member

    Coming from two InDesign gurus, I feel silly even asking, as I’m sure this is simply something I’m missing — perhaps it’s right in front of me. That said, below is a link to my OneHub file sharing service where I’ve uploaded a screenshot.

    https://ws.onehub.com/files/sdlybjja

    As you’ll see, it’s the start of a book cover design, the background of which has a number of transparency effects. You’ll see, I created three examples of the author’s name, stacked one on top of the other.

    All have the soft light blend mode applied to a white fill, opacity reduced to 70% plus a drop shadow at the object level with “Object Knocks Out Shadow” applied — said drop shadow having been wildly exaggerated just for the purposes of example … I’m not that bad of a designer!

    The top one is created with a TEXT FRAME with “Knock Out Group” applied.
    The one below it is a duplicate of the same text frame without “Knock Out Group” applied.
    The example at the bottom I created with a GRAPHICS FRAME with the author’s name Pasted Into it — it’s not my favorite way to work, and yet the only way I can recreate the desired effect is if “Knock Out Group” is applied.

    What am I missing?

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