EPS for printing help, please

2769 Views 5 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Rodney, Oct 2, 2006

Swing Easy

Discussion Starter · Sep 29, 2006

I am making some stuff for a restaurant in Austin. This includes T-shirts, business cards, signage, etc. I’m using Photoshop Elements right now. I’m getting a new computer and software soon, but I may need to finish this job before then. The printer in Texas says that EPS files would be OK, but I have no experience with these.

Let’s say I’m using 3-4 colors, without any blending (that is, solid colors with smooth edges). How the heck do I present this in EPS? I know for PSD one would do about 300 dpi in the size of the object being printed. OK, but one of the objects is a fairly large sign, and each part of the sign will be printed separately and assembled. How does one do that for an EPA file? Does each color need to be on a different layer? Would I be sending this guy layers, or just a flattened image? Would it be the same for shirts and signs, or different? The printer seems pretty flexible, but I’d like to handle as much on my end as possible to prevent him from doing any separation or whatnot that I could do myself.

Ideas?

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Rodney

· #2 · Sep 30, 2006

’m using Photoshop Elements right now

I don't think photoshop elements can create vector EPS files, which is what would be needed to scale your image to up to a sign size and down to a business card without any image quality loss.

If you don't feel like messing with it, you can get your photoshop elements file converted to a vector EPS file and color separated for like $15 bucks at:
http://www.artworksource.com

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Swing Easy

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 30, 2006

Rodney said:
I don't think photoshop elements can create vector EPS files, which is what would be needed to scale your image to up to a sign size and down to a business card without any image quality loss.

Hmmm, well I wouldn't mind working with the image a bit for the different printed formats, I just know that the printer stated that a photoshop EPS file would be OK. I know that I can save the file as an EPS out of PS Elements...would that in a any way be different than an EPS created out of regular photoshop, or another program?

As far as having it converted, I'm sure that the printer down there in the Lone Star state can handle it, but I'd like to do as much of the preparation myself as possible, if for no other reason than to learn.

I've worked a lot with printing cards, invitations, menus etc. from real art straight to a printer, and I've done a good amount of Photoshop and a fair amount of Illustrator work for the web. My situation is that I have NOT done much computer-to-print work.

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withwords

· #4 · Sep 30, 2006

i'd want more info from the printer. it bothers me that they sound like the want a vector EPS, though Photoshop cannot provide that. but Photoshop can do color seps, and just putting the colors in layers would be easy. i guess all i'm saying is if the printer has trouble telling you how they need the files done, specifically, i'd worry about them just trying to tack on an extra "artwork" or "image prep" fee.

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Swing Easy

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 30, 2006

withwords said:
i guess all i'm saying is if the printer has trouble telling you how they need the files done, specifically, i'd worry about them just trying to tack on an extra "artwork" or "image prep" fee.

Thanks for the imput, guys. This definitely crossed my mind. I think I may just go ahead and vectorize it myself. If I don't have my new computer in a few days I can just download Adobe's free whatever-day Illy sample.

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Rodney

· #6 · Oct 2, 2006

I know that I can save the file as an EPS out of PS Elements...would that in a any way be different than an EPS created out of regular photoshop, or another program?

An eps from photoshop or ps elements will be a "raster" eps file. An EPS file from adobe illustrator, coreldraw, or from that site I linked to will be a "vector" eps file

A raster eps file can't be resized to super big without losing image quality.

A vector eps file CAN be resized as small as you want (business card) or as big as you want (billboard sized up to infinity) WITHOUT losing any image quality.

You need to start with a vector graphics program to get a vector output (or have someone convert the raster file to vector for you).

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