Illustrator file types

[mfroberts]

Hi All,

I work for a small government contractor on an even smaller publications staff, and I've been asked to examine some parts of our page-layout workflow. I'm hoping you can forgive my total ignorance and lend some guidance on file types.

Right now, we use a graphing program to get rough-looking EPS files. Then, we make them pretty in Illustrator, save to EPS, and lay them out on pages in InDesign (or very rarely FrameMaker). Beyond that, we occasionally make simple logo or icon-type graphics in Illustrator, which we also save as EPS. We're currently using CS4.

We typically provide press-quality PDFs and InDesign packages to our clients, who turn them over to the printer of their choice (sometimes GPO, sometimes not). I suspect we use EPS because we always have and that's what someone said was best 10 years ago.

My question is this: Beyond use in non-Adobe layout software, what are the benefits/pitfalls to saving as Illustrator EPS? Should we really be using ai? PDF?

Via Google, I find mixed and developing opinions. So, I wonder what the print experts think is best right now. What can we safely hand off without necessarily knowing what print shop our work will end up in?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[Greg_Firestone]

As long as you're using a recent page-layout app (e.g. InDesign CS4), you shouldn't have any problems place PDF instead of EPS.

It's not so much what are the benefits of EPS but what are the advantages of PDF. PDF is a newer format which benefits from recent development and improvement. It has better support for color management, better font options, more compression options, and a whole lot more (e.g. transparency, layers, etc.). It also can be viewed quite easily compared to EPS.

As you mentioned, you provide both a press-quality PDF and the InDesign package to your clients. If that's the case, I wouldn't worry about anything. If a printer does need to go back to your native files, they should have software to correct/modify any of the placed artwork.

Greg

[Al Ferrari]

What Greg said.

Al

[mfroberts]

Thanks guys! That was the answer I was sort of hoping for, since I think PDF would simplify some of the back and forth among clients. I think it's going to take some selling to the "always EPS" folks, but that's my problem. :-)

Also glad to hear we're on the right track with our "give them everything they could possibly need" approach with file packages. We really do want to make things easy on everyone down the line!

[Lukas Engqvist]

PDF is to be preferred, or ai would work fine for InDesign, but you say you still have FrameMaker? I think that if you may need to use FrameMaker that may drag you to EPS for compatibility.

sent them to GWG.org if they protest

[DCurry]

EPS forces you to flatten transparency prematurely. My preference is .ai format.

My only issue with saving as PDF is that there is that you are forced to choose job options, and it is very possible for someone to choose the wrong job options settings and you could end up with unwanted color conversions or flattening of transparencies if everyone is not diligent about picking the right presets. You also have to make sure you click "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities."

The fact that anyone can open a PDF is a good argument, though.

[Lukas Engqvist]

From: Adobe FrameMaker 10 * Import graphics

Import Adobe Illustrator files
When you import an Adobe Illustrator file into FrameMaker, the file is treated as a graphic, and only one page can be imported at a time. You can import it either by copy or by reference. Both process and spot colors can be displayed and printed.

Note: Graphics that use transparency do not always print as expected to a PostScript Level 1 or non-PostScript printer. If you run FrameMaker using the -noapioption (./maker.exe -noapi), you won’t be able to import PDF files.

[arkay_desai]

Press qyuality PDF is the best way.

[mfroberts]

Poor FrameMaker, the unloved stepchild of the Adobe family. :-)

We don't do anything remotely elaborate design-wise in FM. The last contract we used it for was a 600-page reference book of mostly tables and ended in 2011. I would think we would revisit workflow for any new FM projects, but my guess would be prematurely flattened EPS or AI files would be fine.

In the meantime, it sounds like PDF is the way to go for our InDesign work. Thanks for the warning about the job options, Dan... I will be sure to educate my colleagues before the switch!