Why do the holes in my logo disappear after vector export?

Determine whether the opening is genuinely empty

A fictional coffee mark, Hollow Bean, contains a small opening inside a dark bean shape. On a white design board it looks right. On a cream label, the opening stays bright white. Place the same artwork over several plain background colors without changing its own fills. If the opening stays white, inspect whether a white cover object is providing the illusion.

A white cover object is not always a mistake; it may be intentional artwork. The problem is calling it a transparent hole when the intended application needs the background to show through. Record that intention before altering the file, especially if the mark also contains deliberate white lettering.

Inspect compound paths in the vector editor

Adobe describes compound paths as a way to create filled areas and holes, with fill rules controlling the result. Ask the designer to inspect the bean and its inner path together. A grouped outer shape and white inner shape are not automatically a compound path. Confirm which object owns the opening.

Work on a duplicate. If a compound path already exists, compare its fill behavior before and after the intended export. Changing a rule or path direction can affect other openings, so inspect the complete mark rather than fixing one cavity in isolation. Keep a reference showing every intentional hole; an apparently successful local repair can close a second one.

Test the exported asset, not only the editor canvas

1. Save the approved delivery format as a separate file.
2. Reopen that file and inspect the bean opening and any letter counters.
3. Place the delivered logo over the intended light and dark backgrounds.
4. If the asset is for a website, check the actual SVG in the intended browser context.

For Hollow Bean, a proof should show that the cream label color remains visible inside the opening while the bean’s silhouette stays unchanged. If an export differs, send the exact source and export pair to the designer. Do not repair the published version by painting a background-colored patch over it; that workaround fails when the background changes.

Keep three observations distinct in the fictional bean exercise: (A) the editable master over cream and dark test backgrounds; (B) the exact exported file reopened independently over those backgrounds; (C) that same export in the intended webpage. Record each named opening and deliberate white element, not only “looks right.” If A already has the wrong hole, return to source geometry. If A is correct but B differs, compare the export and its fill behavior. If A and B are correct but C differs, inspect which asset/version and page treatment were actually delivered before altering the master.

Adobe’s compound-path documentation explains how constituent paths and fill rules determine fills and holes; it does not make one rule a universal repair for every imported file. Retain all counters and deliberate white lettering while testing. For an apparent opening created by a raster background instead, use SVG content inspection before editing path rules.

Approve geometry separately from design meaning

Store the refined master, exported file and background proof together. Label the selected hole behavior explicitly. A technically transparent opening can still be too small to read in a tiny application; that is a later design-size decision. Conversely, a good negative-space concept can fail because the delivery geometry is wrong.

CartVisual provides logo concept imagery, not a compound-path editor. Have the final vector geometry prepared externally. The negative-space design guide evaluates meaning and readability; this workflow checks that the exported cutouts faithfully deliver the approved design.

Use the production artwork handoff worksheet as a manual review record. Sample rows are fictional. It does not connect to, import into or modify an external store or production machine.

The downloadable worksheet currently has two fictional, pending examples: roll-label application and embroidery. Use its columns as a manual starting point and add the source, version, process and proof records required for this article. It does not contain completed checks for this project or certify a production file.