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Adobe Illustrator EPS Files

• What are Illustrator eps files?
• How do I use eps files?
• When do I use eps files?
• Why does the eps logo look jagged on my screen. Is there something wrong?
• When I print the logo on my laser or ink jet printer, the logo is blurry.

What are Illustrator eps files?

EPS stands for "Encapsulated PostScript". Adobe Illustrator eps files are vector images. A vector image is a geometric representation of an image using mathematical descriptions. For the benefits of vector images see When do I use eps files?

How do I use eps files?

Once you have downloaded the eps file and saved it to your hard drive (or server space) you can use it in a variety of programs. It is important to note that Illustrator eps files can only be "opened" in Adobe Illustrator or another vector image program (like Macromedia Freehand), and that eps files will not work in Microsoft Word. Here are instructions on how to use eps files in other programs:

QuarkXPress
Create a picture box. Select File-->Get Picture... and select the logo from wherever you placed it on your hard drive. The logo should appear inside the picture box. You can now adjust its size and placement on the page.

InDesign
Create a frame using the frame tool. Select File-->Place... and select the logo from wherever you placed it on your hard drive. The logo should appear inside the frame. You can now adjust its size and placement on the page.

Photoshop
Select File-->Open... and select the logo from wherever you placed it on your hard drive. You will now see this box:

Make sure that "Anti-aliased" and "Constrain Proportions" are both checked. Set the width or height to whatever size you require for your project (with "Constrain Proportions" checked both values will change when you change one of them). It is important to set the correct size at this point, because changing the size of the logo later can affect the image quality. Make sure the resolution is set correctly for your project (72 pixels/inch for a web graphic, 300 pixels/inch for print, etc.). Make sure the color mode is set correctly for your project (RGB color for a web graphic, CMYK for a 4-color process print job, etc.). Click "OK". The logo should appear in a new window on a transparent layer.

When do I use eps files?

You should use eps files whenever possible, but they should definitely be used in projects being sent to a commercial printer. The benefits of eps files are that they are infinitely scaleable in size (unlike jpeg or tiff files which lose image quality when enlarged to over 150%) and that they have a transparent background so that they can be placed over colors and even pictures. They also have a crisper, cleaner look to them when printed than jpeg files.

Why does the eps logo look jagged on my screen. Is there something wrong?

The short answer is no, there's nothing wrong. Eps files look fairly terrible on screen when placed in a Quark or InDesign document. It is possible improve the look of the eps file on screen in the most recent versions of these programs. In both programs you can instruct the logo to be viewed at High Resolution, however it is not recommended to work with High Res turned on as it slows down the document processing time considerably. Just trust that the logo will print well.

When I print the logo on my laser or inkjet printer, the logo is blurry.

This is probably because your printer does not have a postscript driver (the ability to print eps files clearly). Printers with postscript drivers are more expensive than printers without. If you need to print nice looking eps files from your printer, you might want to obtain either postscript drivers for your current printer or a new printer. If you just need to send the file to your commercial printer don't worry about the quality of your printout, the logo should look fine when output by the commercial printer.