-
can anyone tell me why wont AI or EPS files open in 5.1?
I am trading out with a friend who owns a sign making company for my new sign for my business for computer work because he isn’t very computer savvy so I am helping him get updated in the technology that he needs to update his business workflow, etc.
Right now he is using Sign Lab 5.1 and Windows 98.
He commented to me that he has never been able to import files from a cd into Sign Lab but he has been able to retrieve them from a floppy. Strange I thought and my gosh, do they still MAKE those things?? LOL
Now when something doesn’t work it drives me crazy so I burned my files to a floppy disk but we were still unable to get them imported. It would not show a preview and when you clicked on it, there was nothing there. We did the zoom thing and trying to change color just to make sure but there wasn’t anything there.
So I was completely baffled and the computer won that day. I came home and did some internet researching and read that you have to save AI and EPS files as Illustrator 8 version to be able to open them in Sign Lab. I was using Illustrator CS2. So I happily converted them all to Illustrator 8 files and took my cd back over there but still nothing. Same thing as before, no preview and it imported nothing.
We have tried everything under the sun to get these files opened so he can make my sign with my logo, my fonts, etc instead of having to draw everything by hand and use "similar" fonts.
What in the world is going on here??? Why won’t Sign Lab see the files even after I converted them to Illustrator 8??
Someone please help, I REALLY need to get my sign up for my new business.
P.S. I did get him ordered a new Dell Precision workstation that will have XP on it and he is going to be upgrading to Sign Lab 7.1 IF he can get this problem of not being able to open AI and EPS files from a cd resolved.
-
15 Replies
-
Hi Shay,
welcome to the forum.
did you try saving them as version 3 and trying again?
-
Have you tried ‘Import’ rather than ‘open’?
-
Thanks for welcome 🙂 Sorry to jump right off the posting cliff, I’m just about to pull my hair out over frustration about this. LOL
I haven’t tried to save them as a version 3. Are you referring to an Illustrator version 3??
I went back and edited my post to say "import" and not open because that is what we have been trying to do is import them but still no luck.
-
quote Lorraine Clinch:Have you tried ‘Import’ rather than ‘open’?
I assumed he was ‘importing’. 😕 You CANNOT open any file except .cdl files in signlab, you have to ‘import’
OK – yes I meant Illustrator version 3 as I know CS2 gives you that option too.
-
I haven’t tried that. I will do that and see if that helps.
I don’t know much about Sign Lab but it just seems to me that it shouldn’t be this hard and you shouldn’t have to go and save things to ten different versions to get it to work-LOL
Does saving it under a different version change the file at all, meaning will my logo still be able to look the same? It won’t change the final output that can be achieved will it?
-
Signlab IS user friendly. It just depends on how old the version of Signlab is that your running, what age of AI file it will import. Obviously it will not be able to import a CS2 version as the signlab software is years older.
Same goes for Corel Draw etc.
-
That is very true and exactly the reason why I am updating him on everything.
Thank you for your help. I will try the things you recommended and let you know 🙂
-
If your colleague is going to upgrade to 7.1 I suspect his troubles may well dissappear. 7.1 will import later versions of ai also with eps files you will be propted to import as eps or pdf, if you choose pdf the eps will be automatically converted then imported. This normally gives very good results. V5 is now fairly old and later versions are some way ahead. If budget allows a copy of Corel X3 is good to have on your system as it has some features that Signlab lacks and the 2 together will sort just about everything.
Alan D -
I run 4 machines with Signab 5. The import for EPS works fine as long as the file does not have EPS features introduced after the equivalent of Illustrator 3, hence the advice to resave the EPS file using software such as CorelDraw.
You could try posting the file on one of the forums and I’ll take a look.
By the way there is a minor compatibility problem with Signlab 5 running on XP where the dimensions of certain objects may change slightly on files made under Win98. I keep Win98 available on a dual boot machine to overcome this.
Peter
-
Shay, there was a problem with the signlab.ini file on some installs where the line referring to the .ai import filter was incorrect.
To check this open signlab5.ini (found in the signlab folder) in Notepad.
Scroll down to the heading [IMPORT FILTERS]
The entries in the list should start as shown below:[IMPORT FILTERS]
AI=IMPAI5.DLL
CMX=IMPCMX5.DLL
CF_CMX=IMPCMX5.DLL
EPS=IMPAI5.DLL
PRN=IMPAI5.DLL
THZ=IMPTHZ5.DLL
HP=IMPHP5.DLLThe problem arose because the AI and CMX filters were on the same line ie. AI=IMPAI5.DLLCMX=IMPCMX5.DLL
This is incorrect and will stop the .ai import filter from working.
To correct it, place your cursor in front of the C of CMX, and press enter.
This will drop the CMX filteron to its own line.Save the file, then open signlab and try the import.
A quick way to open the .ini file is to select Signlab help/About signlab where you get a dialogue on screen with info.
Then hold ALT and press the letter "i" on the keyboard.
You must close then re-open Signlab for changes to take effect.Also, make sure that file versions are Illy 8 as you mentioned and bear in mind that files off a CD are read only so you might want to load the file on to your PC then change its attributes.
It is a good idea to back up the .ini file so that if you have to re-install signlab, you can just copy the .ini file in to the signlab folder and all your settings will be back in place.
-
am havin problems with importing ai and eps files aswell.
when i import them. they turn out just a block of like static (when ur tv aint tuned in)
altho if i select as bitmap it imports then when i go to cut it says no objects found :S
any ideas guys?
-
The reason that it says no objects found is that bitmaps arnt cuttable, only vector files are.
Peter
-
Hello Cams
Your file contains a rendered (rasterised or bitmap) image and not a vector drawn image.
You will need to vectorise it before you will be able to cut it
-
aw bugger am rubbish at sorting out vectors lol so many years in photoshop and when it comes to this those skills are useless heh.
anyone know where i could get a hold of large selection of car decals in vector format?
things like, spoon,mugen,hks etc along those lines.
having a good search before i have to send everything i need vectorized to vectorwise and costing a small fortune.
-
Thanks everyone. I will check that out in SignLab 5 on the old computer. He needed to upgrade everything anyway due to his computer being really old and bare minimum so we ordered a new Dell Precision 690 and upgraded to Sign Lab 7.1 print and cut. Also purchased a new SP-540 from Roland and a new laminator so we are set to go now. We just hooked up the printer today and am having a hard time getting the colors that we see in Sign Lab which are fine to come out in Versaworks correctly. They aren’t matching up very well at all but that is another thread, another topic-LOL
Log in to reply.
