Gradient Fill Issues ArcGIS Pro

[RachaelChasse]

Good Morning,

I have created a polygon layer by creating a buffer around a set of points.  If I set the symbology as a solid fill, the layer exports to PDF with perfect vector clarity, even zoomed in. 

A gradient fill does not have the same result.  The same shape exports with a jagged periphery.  I initially tried doing a two color gradient, where one of the swatches was the "no fill" swatch.  This looked great in ArcGIS Pro, but not on export.  I then tried switching the "no fill" swatch to a color thinking it was somehow a transparency issue, but I had the same result.

Is anybody else experiencing issues with gradient fills?

Thank you for your time!

[XanderBakker]

You didn't apply transparency I hope, since that will convert the vectors and all layer below the transparent layer to raster. For gradient fills I suppose that the fill (and the outline of the polygon) needs to be converted to raster too. You could increase the resolution of the export, but that will increment the size of the PDF.

[RachaelChasse]

Thank you for your response.  I experimented both with and without layer transparency to see if that was the issue.  Interestingly, if the fill is solid, ArcGIS Pro 1.3 keeps it as vector even if there is layer transparency on the appearance tab.  With a gradient fill, it seems to rasterize regardless of transparency.

Have a nice day!

[XanderBakker]

Good to know that ArcGIS Pro maintains vector format when a layer has transparency (in ArcMap this is converted to raster). Did you check the layers beneath the transparent vector layer (just to be sure)? I'm pretty sure that PDF files handle vector gradientes, but maybe ArcGIS does not convert to that type of element. Will do some tests, but you could create an enhancement request (create an idea in GeoNet).

[RachaelChasse]

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Pro handled the transparency better than ArcMap did.  PDF's generated from Adobe products definitely support vector gradients with transparency as we regularly use InDesign to export to PDF.  I am not so sure when it comes to other PDF generators.

Our state polygon layer sits beneath the solid semi-transparent layer, and does not appear to be rasterized either.  Even when using the gradient fill, the only layer subject to rasterization is the gradient layer itself.  Layers above and beneath remain vector.

At least some progress from ArcMap...I'll put the idea on GeoNet.  Thanks!

[XanderBakker]

Please post back the URL to the Idea, so we can up-vote the idea.

[RachaelChasse]

URL for GeoNet idea on this topic:

https://community.esri.com/ideas/12349

[XanderBakker]

Remember that you too can (and should) up-vote your own idea.