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  • Program needed to view EPS & AI files

    Posted by Andrew Blackett on June 22, 2002 at 5:25 pm

    Hi all,

    Does anyone know of a program that lets you preview eps and ai files without the need to import them into signlab/corel draw.

    I suppose i’m after a kind of clip art viewer that supports eps and ai.

    Any comments would be most appreciated

    ANDY

    Dale Horn replied 19 years, 4 months ago 11 Members · 18 Replies
  • 18 Replies
  • Robert Lambie Robert Lambie

    Member
    June 22, 2002 at 5:28 pm

    photoshop opens all my files even when others cant… not sure if thats what you want but its one hell of a software package…. well worth having! 😀

  • Andrew Blackett

    Member
    June 22, 2002 at 5:37 pm

    thanks for that rob,

    got the old brain sparking again! 😉

    Jasc paint shop pro, has a browser, that lets you preview ai and eps files (and others). It can also print off a catalogue showing the preview and also the file name underneath.

    Easy, that wasn’t it

    ANDY

  • Deleted User

    Deleted User
    June 22, 2002 at 6:08 pm

    Andy, I use Infraview its great and its free doesnt expire,get it at http://www.zdnet.com under downloads,if its not there goto http://www.cnet.com hope this helps ya. 😀
    Steve

  • Andrew Blackett

    Member
    June 22, 2002 at 6:30 pm

    thanks steve,

    the only program i could find was called:

    IrfanView

    it was free but it didn’t like my eps files and had no support for ai
    thanks anyway

    ANDY

  • Phill Fenton

    Member
    June 22, 2002 at 7:32 pm

    Try Adobe Illustrator Andy – I believe this program may be able to open this type of file 😉

  • Andrew Blackett

    Member
    June 22, 2002 at 7:51 pm

    thanks smart alec 😉

    i realise that adobe illustrator can open an adobe illustrator file, but I’m after something that can preview them first.

    For example paint shop pro loads a window that contains 24 image thumbnails in it showing 24 seperate files.

    Any more suggestions?

    ANDY

  • Bob Gilliland

    Member
    June 23, 2002 at 1:19 am

    Andy,

    I don’t think this is what you’re after, and Robert said it above, but I’ll offer it up anyway: Photoshop 7!

    There is a new feature called File Browser that is a welcomed addition. This will allow viewing of the two formats you mentioned in addition to many, many more, all without actually opening the file. It allows some manipulate to the thumbnail images without affecting the main data file itself. Thumbnails can be saved for faster rendering upon the next visit to that directory. Many more features of this neat item not pointed here, and that’s just specific to File Browser. Plenty more other gems to be found inside the entire Photoshop package. Check out Adobes web site for more details.

    I don’t think that is what you were really asking for, but thought it worth a mention. 🙂

  • Robert Lambie Robert Lambie

    Member
    June 23, 2002 at 6:34 am

    hi gray
    im certainly no expert with corel or photoshop. but i have had experiences with both and preferred photoshop. i spoke to mike the other night and asked him the same question. mike prefers corel, and to be honest if he is comfortable with it and he can do anything he needs with it then why change? i probably wouldnt… however, i have spoken to so many signmakers that run there cutters via corel & cutboy, or whatever and say the same thing. some of these same people have purchased signlab and think its too hard to use & prefer corel…..
    i think you may see where im going with this. in the end from my point of veiw i think if you have problems acheiving somthing and are given a solution software then you probably will learn it pretty quick! but when you dont have a problem and you try to learn new software you hit the slightest problem and start to think why did i bother why change at all…
    if nobody dangles the carrot in front of our nose we probably would not budge and stay ignorant to progress…
    just my opinion anyway… thats if you can understand what im trying to say.. i have been known to rabble on… 😳 😳 😆

  • Andrew Blackett

    Member
    June 23, 2002 at 10:43 am

    gray,

    i have been fortunate enough to work with all of the programs mentioned here:

    Adobe Photoshop 7
    Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7
    Corel Photo Paint 10

    For previewing files, I’m sorry bob but photoshop just doesn’t cut it (It’ll manage with any raster/bitmap file but seems to struggle with vector) it can pick up that there is an eps file there but won’t preview it. For previewing you can’t beat Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7. Manages with all files, and saves a data file so previewing will be quicker on the next visit.

    Right, onto features. Adobe really know what they’re doing with photo editing software and it shows in photoshop 7, but……………….. I find it quite difficult to get to grasps with, so therefore I recommend Corel photopaint 10 (or previous versions) its easy to use and is feature rich.

    I’ve never really tried paint shop pro for editing so I can’t really comment, but if it is as good as its browsing capability I don’t think you would be dissappointed.

    ANDY

  • Martin Pearson

    Member
    June 23, 2002 at 10:53 pm

    I think Robert got it about right, he prefers photoshop and Mike prefers corel. I have been using photoshop for a number of years and find it really easy to use. I have tried photopaint and while I agree it is probably a very good program I found myself struggling to do things and rather than take the time to learn I went to photoshop where I knew what I was doing. The problem that I have at the moment is that I would like to learn how to use the different graphics packages around but never seem to have the time.

  • Bob Gilliland

    Member
    June 24, 2002 at 3:51 am

    Andy,

    I’m away from my office for a few days, but wanted to re-address my Photoshop information while I have a minute. I don’t have the speck info here with me, but I believe that vector based file preview is dependent upon the actual saved version and options set with .ai and .eps files. 😮 I am “almost” positive that vector files can be previewed, but will have to wait till the end of the week for actual details.

    I know very little about Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7; can it handle other vector based formats like .cmx, .dxf, .wmf, etc? Can you do the same manipulation with the thumbnails like PS 7?

    Gray,

    As others have already stated, they are both very similar. I’m not as familiar with PP, but believe that basic functionality is there just like PS. Start doing workgroup projects or working in a medium to large enterprise setting, or hours on end, and PS will start to show a distinct advantage in my opinion. Also, PS is more widely recognized and supported throughout many industries. That in and of itself doesn’t make it “better” or “worse”, but does usually mean more books, classes, tapes, etc.

    Both packages are feature rich and take time to master. Instead of digesting it all at once, pick “one” item to concentrate on, learn it and learn it well. Then move onto the next. Learn it and learn it well. No repeat the first item before learning the “third”. Review item one and two before moving onto five. Break it down and piece meal it instead of having all “seven” courses of the meal at once.

  • Martin Pearson

    Member
    June 24, 2002 at 9:09 pm

    Andy I’m curious as to why you want a program to preview ai. and .eps files prior to importing them. If the images are on a clipart disk does the disk not have its own viewer?

  • Andrew Blackett

    Member
    June 24, 2002 at 10:37 pm

    spot on as usual lorraine!

    I’ve got stuff, as lorraine says, that I’ve collected along the way, and stuff that I have created for customers that has been exported as ai. A lot of the clip art browsers rely on a file setup telling what files are on the disk and what they look like, so the viewers won’t look at anything custom 🙁

    ANDY

  • Paul Davenport

    Member
    June 25, 2002 at 9:15 pm

    well i used corel draw/photopaint then went to college to learn photoshop which i feel is far superior to photopaint but i dont like illustrator and prefer corel draw…..but there is a lot more plugins etc for adobe software

  • juddr

    Member
    August 18, 2004 at 11:19 pm

    photoshop cs in the file menu theres an automation option from there you goto contact sheet2 this will go thru a speficied directory and create a sheet of thumbnails and titles. you can set how many per page and all the bits.

  • Frank Droog

    Member
    August 19, 2004 at 1:26 pm

    Did you try Clip Art Viewer under the Layout menu item in Signlab.
    It should preview AI and EPS if they have thumbnails.
    It should open a window and preview all the AI/Eps CMX , gerber PLT and other files in that directory.
    frank at cadlink

  • FreddieFunk

    Member
    October 7, 2004 at 3:26 pm

    Try Xnview it opens 40 odd different file types including ai & eps. and its FREE. Great little program with no banners or spyware that come along with some of the free viewers.

  • Dale Horn

    Member
    November 11, 2004 at 5:05 pm

    Another couple to look into : Extensis Portfolio and Thumbs Plus.

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