Transparency (OT) (was: Re: [OS X TeX] TeXShop doesn't open dvi files)

[Luis Sequeira]

>> An additional difference seems to be the handling of transparency in
>> a given .eps file.
>>
>>
>
>
> I know this is a bit off-topic, but I always thought that neither  
> eps nor pdf (nor jpg, fwiw) supported transparency.
> GraphicConverter sure does not save any of these formats with  
> transparency (and it warns to that effect).
>
> I would love to learn otherwise!
> Not having transparency in eps is a real problem for me when using  
> prosper, and now powerdot - so this still has to do with LaTeX :-)
>
> Luis Sequeira
>

Ok, I should have researched a little bit... I now know that eps and  
pdf *do* support transparency - although apparently there are few  
actual implementations that deal with it.

I have come across a command line utility that claims to work with it  
- sam2p

I tried to compile it, doing the usual sequence-->  ./ 
configure;make;sudo make install
I got a lot of warnings and though the program appears to have  
installed, it does not seem to work.

Has anyone successfully used this utility, or any other, to produce  
eps files from raster images *with* transparency?
And, more to the point, does LaTeX even support this?

I am interested in this because I often generate such images with  
software such as the POV raytracer, and would like to create powerdot  
presentations in which I could include such images with true  
transparency, rather than forging a background color more or less  
similar to the background color of the powerdot slides.
This would also be a great way to include nice looking logos, for  
instance.

Luis Sequeira

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