tips for reducing eps file sizes anyone?

[Alan Drury]

Does the your RIP need any header preview at all? could be it will generate its own so that would be one saving. Transparencies should be flattened and any effects will also bloat the eps. EPS files are always quite big in comparison to PDF so can your RIP use PDF in which case look at CUTEPDF and print to that as file sizes can be significantly smaller than ‘publishing’ to pdf from within Draw.
Regarding PDF, there is a size limit on just over 5 metres and although Draw will publish the pdf at over that size you will get a blank page if viewed in Reader, this is an Adobe Reader limitation if you were to view the file in another reader ie Nitro it would view ok – not sure if RIPS would have the same limitation, possibly if an Adobe RIP. Worth knowing I think.
Alan D

[Mo Gillis-Coates]

Thanks Alan. I will try that now that I’m not using versaworks any longer. VW and PDF files didn’t always agree.

I will give it a shot and feedback

Ta!

[David Rowland]

Technically EPS and PDF files are made up based on Postscript language, PDF is more fined tuned.

[Mo Gillis-Coates]

swings and roundabouts here…. pdfs export fast but rip slow…. and the print was slightly ofset eps files export slow but rip fast?

[Alan Drury]

PDF is more refined, eps will break transparencies and effects often into hundreds/thousands of little bitmaps which is just one of the reasons for large file sizes. Printing to something like Cute for a pdf will do the same. Publishing to PDF from Draw or similar will retain the effects but not all RIPS are happy ripping transparencies and thats why many trade printers prefer a flattened transparency as it does tend to reduce any unpleasant surprises at output.
Alan d

[Kevin Flowers]

One point to look out for, if using Adobe Acrobat for PDFs it has its own settings which need to be set e.g CMYK or RGB and a few more. Just a word of warning

Kev