InDesign: how do I make a table border transparent?

[M A V I C]

I want to create a table that is transparent. I'm using CS2. The table is over a photograph, and I want it to show through as the border of the table.

Thanks.

[Paul F.]

In InDesign 3.0.2;

Create the table.
With your cursor in a cell (text tool).
Table->Select->Table

With the table selected
Go to Table->Cell Options-> Strokes and Fills.

Set the stroke to none
Set the fill to none.

That leaves your table transparent to the objects behind it.


Caveat: If anyone who uses InDesign for more than a rinky-dink monthly newsletter speaks up with other information... listen to 'em.
My way works, but as usual, there's probably an easier one for folks who use it at a power user level.

In fact, by the time I finish typing this, someone else will probably have the answer for you...

Hope this helps.

[Paul F.]

OK... maybe for once I was first

[M A V I C]

Well, I want the cells opaque, but the borders transparent. So I set the stroke to none, but then the stroke goes away (there's no gap between the fills.)

If I do what you say, everything is transparent (other than the type in the table.)

[bazookaman]

in ID3, you can set your stroke to "Thin Thin" or some other double line variation and then choose a gap color of "none". However, your "Thin Thin" lines might not be thin enough. i don't think you can make them transparent.

[Paul F.]

Hmm... I'm not quite sure I understand what you're looking for...

You want the cells opaque, but have the stroke lines where the line WOULD be to be transparent?

How about defining new rows and columns between the cells you want, and defining the new cells as being transparant?

Hope this helps!

[bazookaman]

it might be easier to just lay out a fake table. Just draw opaque text boxes on top of an image and space them out evenly...

like this...

[M A V I C]

You want the cells opaque, but have the stroke lines where the line WOULD be to be transparent?


I should probably mention I have a lot of Web experience. In CSS, a border's existence is completely independent of it's color. So having a stroke of 1pt but no color is totally normal.

But, yes, that's what I'm trying to do.

The table in question is extremely complex. Someone built it out in Excel, and I cleaned it up. 30+ rows, ~6 columns, merged cells... and another one of 30 rows, 15 columns.

I tried the "thin thin" trick, but that just makes it so there's no perceivable gap between the lines.

[bazookaman]

Sorry...don't know what to tell you. Like you, I was thinking how easy it would be in html.

[johnc]

Assuming you have Photoshop ...

You could export two separate versions of the ID page (in PDF, EPS ... whatever). One version with the image, the other with the table. Open (or rasterize) both in Photoshop. Create a two-layer file, with the image on the bottom (layer), and the table on the top.





With the table layer active, select the area outside the table and then shift-select the stroke lines as well.

Clear.



Save out and import back into ID.