Importing Symbols with Transparent Backgrounds

Question

I have created several symbols with transparent backgrounds and saved them as a .png.  I would like to display them on my .mxd with the transparent background.  I do not mind if the symbols have to be imported as pictures or if they can be used as the actual symbols.

RichardFairhurst · Answer

I have created several symbols with transparent backgrounds and saved them as a .png.  I would like to display them on my .mxd with the transparent background.  I do not mind if the symbols have to be imported as pictures or if they can be used as the actual symbols.

If the symbols can be designed using vectors, I highly recommend using EMF format to store and display the symbols.  EMFs do tranparent backgrounds very nicely.  They have little impact on memory use, scale incredibly well to different sizes and print or export to PDF reliably.  Bitmap or pixel based picture symbols can easily create memory problems if there are a lot of different symbols in your map.  In my maps they begin to turn completely black and cause other distortion problems for export to PDF and printing.  I have upwards of 600 possilble symbols on my maps to show all of my street sign faces and since I moved to EMF pictures I have had no problems.