EPS group problem

[mykee]

Dear developers,

I have a problem with EPS import. I downloaded this vector pack what include an EPS and a JPEG:

https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/set-people-character_4486128.htm

When I opened in AD, then I get a few group, but thats no correct, curves mixed. If I open this EPS in Illustrator, then I get correct groups: every person a group. If I export this EPS to SVG by Illustrator, and open exported SVG in AD, then groups will ok.

Please check, what's problem with groups in EPS import, because I don't want use Illustrator.

Thanks!

[Sean P]

Hi mykee,

Thanks for the file. The issue here is that the original EPS is an Illustrator formatted EPS file which means it contains two streams of data: Regular EPS data and an Embedded AI file. What this means is that when Illustrator opens the EPS it will read the Illustrator stream showing the file exactly as it was saved when created in Illustrator. 

However there will be Illustrator elements in the file that aren't compatible with EPS (for example Mesh Fills) and will get rasterised into pixel data in the EPS stream, when saved. But when opened in AI they appear correctly as vector objects because it is using the AI stream.

When the EPS file is opened in Affinity we are unable to read the AI stream and instead have to open the EPS stream with the rasterised data.

You can see these if you use Acrobat to convert the EPS to PDF - unfortunately you just get a series of rasterised tiles that represent the image. Unfortunately there isn't anything we can do about this!

[mykee]

Thank you @Sean P, I'm sad, but understanding this technology problem.

[Tonio DG]

On 3/20/2020 at 10:12 AM, Sean P said:

Hi mykee,

Thanks for the file. The issue here is that the original EPS is an Illustrator formatted EPS file which means it contains two streams of data: Regular EPS data and an Embedded AI file. What this means is that when Illustrator opens the EPS it will read the Illustrator stream showing the file exactly as it was saved when created in Illustrator. 

However there will be Illustrator elements in the file that aren't compatible with EPS (for example Mesh Fills) and will get rasterised into pixel data in the EPS stream, when saved. But when opened in AI they appear correctly as vector objects because it is using the AI stream.

When the EPS file is opened in Affinity we are unable to read the AI stream and instead have to open the EPS stream with the rasterised data.

You can see these if you use Acrobat to convert the EPS to PDF - unfortunately you just get a series of rasterised tiles that represent the image. Unfortunately there isn't anything we can do about this!

Hello, I have the same problem with : https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/brick-wall-design_3728996.htm

All the groups were lost when I open the .eps in Affinity.

I suppose no solution was found yet ?

Thanks

[Wosven]

There's no solution unless the apps read the AI stream of data, and for now they don't and there's no talk of adding it.

[GerritJordaan]

This is a HUGE problem. It needs to be fixed and working as expected. I come from Adobe software to get rid of its subscription base business model, but it looks like I have to go back to just get EPS files to read right. So what's the point in having Affinity Designer / Photo? Other companies like Corel Draw got the AI and EPS files created in Adobe Illustrator to read and write. I expect Affinity Designer to do the same as that is why I purchased this software. The software is great for creating new content, but it lacks the opening of EPS files feature that was created in other software.

What about the new designers? They see that Affinity software is affordable and now they purchased graphics on a site and expect to have that eps file in the zip file they downloaded to work. The majority of vector files on Freepik.com doesn't work in Affinity Designer / Photo.

[Joachim_L]

1 minute ago, GerritJordaan said:

Corel Draw got the AI and EPS files created in Adobe Illustrator to read and write

Perhaps Corel paid for the ability to read and write a locked format? Out of curiousity: Are there any other low-priced applications out there that read AI flawlessly?

[GerritJordaan]

3 minutes ago, Joachim_L said:

Perhaps Corel paid for the ability to read and write a locked format? Out of curiousity: Are there any other low-priced applications out there that read AI flawlessly?

Not that I have seen nope, but not be able to read EPS files correctly can't be the only reason why Affinity is low priced. I experimented with alternatives like cloud converters and even Inkscape. They all open it the same way Affinity Designer does and they are all free.

[GregB2]

On 3/19/2020 at 4:41 PM, mykee said:

Dear developers,

I have a problem with EPS import. I downloaded this vector pack what include an EPS and a JPEG:

https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/set-people-character_4486128.htm

When I opened in AD, then I get a few group, but thats no correct, curves mixed. If I open this EPS in Illustrator, then I get correct groups: every person a group. If I export this EPS to SVG by Illustrator, and open exported SVG in AD, then groups will ok.

Please check, what's problem with groups in EPS import, because I don't want use Illustrator.

Thanks!

I am facing the same grouping issue with EPS files downloaded from freepik.  Has anyone come up with a solution -- using a third party converter or other method?

As an attempted workaround I opened the file in AI 2020 and re-saved it as an EPS format.  I tried different variations of selecting options to Embed Fonts, Include Document Thumbnails, Include CMYK Postscipt in RGB files and include Compatible Gradient and Gradient Mesh Printing.   The files was saved with TIFF (8-bit Color) Transparent with Medium Resolution. Adobe Postscript was set to LanguageLevel 2 (and to LanguageLevel 3 for some tests). See the attached picture with the EPS Save settings (several variations were tried).

No luck with results.  The grouping problem still exists with the EPS files.

 

As noted by others -- I can convert to SVG within AI and import into Affinity Designer -- but am looking for some other possible solution which involves not using AI.

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by GregB2
needed updating again

[JustSue]

Then maybe Serif should either find a solution or stop advertising that it supports PSD or AI files! As that is false advertising.

Edited January 16, 2022 by JustSue

[Komatös]

12 hours ago, JustSue said:

Then maybe Serif should either find a solution or stop advertising that it supports PSD or AI files! As that is false advertising.

None of the third-party manufacturers advertise that they support full compatibility with the file formats. And just now I played with the Corel trial; CorelDraw can't even begin to read out all the attributes of Illustrator (AI) files, let alone write them. And Photopaint is not able to output all attributes either.
 

[carbon5ive]

On 1/17/2022 at 6:34 AM, Komatös said:

None of the third-party manufacturers advertise that they support full compatibility with the file formats. And just now I played with the Corel trial; CorelDraw can't even begin to read out all the attributes of Illustrator (AI) files, let alone write them. And Photopaint is not able to output all attributes either.
 

This is frustrating as I like using freepik as 100/year subscription. maybe we need to come up with our own web site to host vectors.

this explains many downloads in eps are frustrating.

[KimD]

I found I can open the eps file in Photopea (free) and convert to an svg which kept the grouping