[reportlab-users] Loading transparent GIFs with shapes.Image

[Andy Robinson]

2009/11/18 Marcel Tromp <mtromp.docbook at gmail.com>:

> What is the benefit to use canvas instead beyond the image rendering?


We wrote the canvas first, which aims to expose all the main PDF features.

A year or two later, our clients needed a charts library which could
output charts as bitmaps, PDF and Postscript.  reportlab/graphics can
take the Drawings and write them onto our Canvas, or similar renderers
for Postscript and bitmap formats.   Transparency only recently came
into the Canvas, but nobodyhas  needed or asked for it in the charts
library (and our customers really only use it for charts; nobody would
want a transparent axis or data line as far as I can see...)

There are probably many PDF features not implemented in
reportlab/graphics and logically we ought to add it when it works in
all backends, but we have not done so yet.

I hope this makes it clearer....

Best Regards,

-- 
Andy Robinson
CEO/Chief Architect
ReportLab Europe Ltd.
Media House, 3 Palmerston Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 1PG, UK
Tel +44-20-8545-1570