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SVG & EPS File Format?

Posted by Beej Curtis on 23 October 2020 at 10:23

SVG & EPS File Format?

Hi All, I hope everyone is well in these bizarre times . . .

I am making some new images which I plan to make available for Digital Download. These will be .PNG files (hi-res images A3 – 11.7″x16.5″ 200dpi) to use in Airbrush Art and other Creative Projects. One is the rendered image, 1 will be a lighter version for printing onto Photo paper and practicing your airbrushing and 3 and 4 are EPS files to support the images so folks can cut them on a plotter should they choose.

Now . . Im having some issues with the filetypes on the websites’ digital uploader as they don’t support EPS files – bugger! I have already done the artwork but I have had an idea and I need some Plotter-users advice as I havent used a plotter in many years..

When you purchase the files you will will be able to download them immediately but I am going to include a document in the zipped files giving the purchaser a Password which allow them to log-in to a special hidden page on my new website. They will already have downloaded the first two, hi-res image files along with a PDF document from me saying thank you and giving them the password for this page. If they go to my website to this special page, they will then be able to log-in and download the two EPS files.

So . . until the website I am talking about (Teespring) includes .eps files in their allowed upload-able file formats, I am stuck doing it this way – But (lol) it seems that my website servers only support SVG file format!

So – in a long, roundabout way 😉 here is my question:

Does and SVG file cut on a plotter the same way as an EPS file?

I noticed that the outline images were around 2.5MB but when I exported them from illustrator as SVG files, they were tiny! Only 36K which is great! I opened the SVG file in illustrator 2020 and it looked to me exactly like any other .ai or .eps file – very impressed, but never really had the need to use SVG until now.

Just hoping someone can help me with the advice for SVG over EPS.

Thanks (I will add the images to this post so you can see what I am blabbing-on about 🙂

Beej

Hugh Potter replied 4 years, 11 months ago 3 Members · 12 Replies
12 Replies

Jamie Wood

Member
23 October 2020 at 12:03

SVG files are more suited to web vector graphics, and EPS files for printing, so I’d make 100% sure that an SVG will give you the results that you need. If it’s not ultra critical they they are colour accurate when printed, then you should be OK. I have used SVG files for plotting, so that part should work OK.
- Beej Curtis
  
  Member
  23 October 2020 at 12:08
  
  Hi Jamie, thanks for your reply 🙂
  
  The image files to PRINT are PNG’s, that is fine as the uploader supports those. I just needed to know if the SVG files would cut fine on a plotter, it seems you are saying that, so hopefully, that answers my question 👍 (can you just confirm that for me please?) It’s ONLY the .SVG files I am concerned about.
  
  Cheers
  - Jamie Wood
    
    Member
    23 October 2020 at 12:11
    
    Hi Beej,
    
    The SVG files should be fine for a plotter, as long as they are vector outlines.
    - Beej Curtis
      
      Member
      23 October 2020 at 12:15
      
      The original files are ai and were exported as vectors. I just opened these original Vectors and exported as SVG – I re-opened these and they looked fine as paths – it’s just that I want to be 100% positive before I offer them out to anyone 🙂
      
      Cheers
Hugh Potter

Member
23 October 2020 at 13:12

Can you not load up as a vector based PDF?
- Beej Curtis
  
  Member
  23 October 2020 at 13:17
  
  Hi Hugh,
  
  You know, Im not sure? I will enquire and see if that is possible.
  
  Thanks bud 🙂 👍
- Beej Curtis
  
  Member
  23 October 2020 at 13:31
  
  Hi Hugh,
  
  Ive just saved-out my illustrator vector files as PDF. I then re-opened these in illustrator and they seem to fully editable, vector outlines 👍🙂 After all the years of using illustrator, I had no idea you could save the outlined Vector files within a PDF document?
  
  Right, so all I need to try now is see if the uploader will accept the PDF file so I will let you know.
  
  Thanks Hugh, this is truly helpful mate 👍
  - Hugh Potter
    
    Member
    26 October 2020 at 14:58
    
    Glad it worked for you!
    
    I generally request files from customers in PDF, I have an older CS£ AI installed on a laptop but day to day I use Corel, pdf works across all design software generally. Yes, you can import it to plot or send the pdf to print via a rip.
    
    best
    
    Hugh
- Beej Curtis
  
  Member
  23 October 2020 at 13:32
  
  BTW, have you used PDF files with vectors within them (like I am saving these) to successfully use on the plotter? As this seems the Exact thing that I need to do now, so this will be great!
  - Jamie Wood
    
    Member
    23 October 2020 at 14:17
    
    Yup, vectors inside PDF files can be used for plotting.
    - Beej Curtis
      
      Member
      23 October 2020 at 14:27
      
      Cheers bud 🙂 Just gonna try now to zip them all together and see if I can upload. Will report back. 👍
Beej Curtis

Member
23 October 2020 at 16:50

It must be something at their new Digital Uploader side? :/ Very frustrating as I have even taken the PDF files out and just tried to upload 2 x PNG files (altho PDF AND PNG shld be fine?) and its still not working..

I have written to their support team but they are incredibly slow at getting back. Very frustrating as desperate to get these uploaded. Oh well.. will report back once I know what is going on.

Thanks to everyone for the advice, I am sure the PDF from illustrator is the way to go, once I find out why I can’t upload them?

Beej