Saving a file as an EPS

[wavyglanbles]

I just made a logo in Affinity Designer, and have named layers and groups for each element of my logo.

I want to create a file for my client so they can edit it and make it larger (without losing quality) if they need to, and researched that EPS would be the best option for this. I heard that PDF isn't the best option for editing. 

But when I exported the logo to EPS (EPS for export, Postscript Level 3, left raster DPI blank), and opened it in Affinity it just has one image layer, and a background layer. How do I do it so it has all the different layers I originally made for the logo?

[thomaso]

Can you show a screenshot with your layers panel of your .afdesign and of the EPS, each with unfolded layer groups? Or upload the .afdesign?

[lacerto]

(...)

[wavyglanbles]

7 hours ago, thomaso said:

Can you show a screenshot with your layers panel of your .afdesign and of the EPS, each with unfolded layer groups? Or upload the .afdesign?

The first image is the layers panel from the afdesign, the second is the EPS.

It's also the same with PDF.

[thomaso]

Could it be that most of your layers in .afdesign are either by themselfs pixel (not vector) or have a property applied which causes rasterization on export? In your screenshot not all layer/object types get obvious but there is a pixel & an image layer. Note that pixel content will be rasterized & possibly merged on EPS export.

For further investigation it would help to get your .afdesign uploaded to have detailed look on the layer object types and their settings.

In the sample below the shadow effect applied to "abc " causes a rasterized layer on export, ...

... in the exported EPS this area results in an additional Image layer whereas the text itself is maintained above as vector (Curve layers) .

… while the initial "(Ellipse)" layer with a dashed stroke is maintained in the EPS as vector but divided into two separate layers, one curve for the fill, another for the stroke.
And the placed PDF appears in the EPS as a huge bunch of layers with sub-layers since it contains hundreds of curve objects (originally a plan from a CAD software which usually creates vector data).

[wavyglanbles]

I do have 3 layers that are pixel layers (2x ink texture PNGs, and a watercolour PNG from Procreate) which are used as background layers for the logo, the rest is vector.

I even done a version where I deleted the pixels images, and exported it as an EPS but it still has the one image.

[thomaso]

Without seeing the affected .afdesign I can guess only.

Are you generally able to export a simple vector layout as EPS while retaining the layers? If yes, then the problem seems to be caused by your .afdesign content. If not, can you show a screencast/video demonstrating your export procedure + opening in Affinity?

[thomaso]

Again, to judge this specific .afdesign I'd need to have access to it for detailed info about its layers, object types and settings.

What I meant was a video with a simple layout, containing vector only and no property causing rasterization on export (e.g. effects, adjustments, filters, certain layer blend modes). Such a video can test + demonstrate whether your app does export an EPS with layers at all.

[walt.farrell]

16 minutes ago, wavyglanbles said:

Hopefully you'd be able to see what's causing the issues.

You're using functions in your design that either (a) are not supported at all in pure EPS files or (b) that Affinity does not support in EPS files. And they are causing rasterization of your data, resulting in most of it being an image rather than remaining vector.

[wavyglanbles]

7 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

You're using functions in your design that either (a) are not supported at all in pure EPS files or (b) that Affinity does not support in EPS files. And they are causing rasterization of your data, resulting in most of it being an image rather than remaining vector.

I guessed that would be the case. I was hoping to create a file where the client could edit it that's all. Thank you for looking at the file for me Walt. 

[thomaso]

37 minutes ago, wavyglanbles said:

Hopefully you'd be able to see what's causing the issues.

As assumed initially it is your layout content which causes rasterization. In detail it is a certain layer property: the two "ink" pixel layers, set to blend mode "Erase". Switching them off or changing their blend mode to "Normal" results in an EPS which opens with layers:

...

But as @Lagarto pointed out already, though these layers are accessible they may not be satisfying if it's about editing by your client.
With PDF as export format you can achieve at least that text remains editable text.

[wavyglanbles]

6 minutes ago, thomaso said:

As assumed initially it is your layout content which causes rasterization. In detail it is a certain layer property: the two "ink" pixel layers, set to blend mode "Erase". Switching them off or changing their blend to "Normal" results in an EPS which opens with layers:

...

But as @Lagarto pointed out already, though these layers are accessible they may not be satisfying if it's about editing by your client.
With PDF as export format you can achieve at least that text remains editable text.

That's brilliant, but after setting those two layers to Normal and exporting to EPS, I've still only got 5 image layers and no curves. 

[wavyglanbles]

I managed to get a workaround done!

I removed the two ink layers, watercolour background, and I had the outlines to a layer effect, and now I have the curves back. So what I'll do, is create those other layers as separate PNG files the same size as the document, put them in a folder with the EPS, and they can be underlays/overlays if the client needs them.

Thank you for all your help. 

 

I also tried out exporting to SVG and this actually has the named layers, but is an SVG export something you guys would recommend?

[lacerto]

(...)

 

[thomaso]

57 minutes ago, wavyglanbles said:

is an SVG export something you guys would recommend?

It may help as container format for the data transfer to the client – but for printed media it can fail, depending on the clients software and/or the print service's RIP when printing the SVG. But the client could save it in a different format than SVG after editing it. Also, since it's a logo it will be used as a part of other layouts, which probably get exported as PDF and thus don't send SVG to a printer.

Meanwhile another question concerns me, sort of vice versa: Is there really a need for the client to edit your design work – or is it rather a nice to have and to reduce additional designer costs, regardless of virtually only or indeed effectively? Assuming that the logo designer does this job as professional also means the job is done to finance its worker. From that perspective it appears as a weird idea or requisition to create the logo & deliver the data to the client with the goal to make further edits by others as easy as possible. This isn't only a matter of payment but also of taste which influences the designers work in an unforeseeable way.

[wavyglanbles]

Tomaso, I did include an EPS as well mainly so they could make it bigger if they need to without losing quality, and I've heard it's a strong format to have sent for print. That was the main objective of it. 

I also read online that logo packages should generally contain an AI file (but as I'm using Affinity, I was exploring alternatives) as well as the JPG and PNG files. 

[wavyglanbles]

By the way, thank you Lagarto, I completely get that now. That is excellent advice. 

[lacerto]

(...)

[wavyglanbles]

Hey Lagarto, how did you change the raster effects to encapsulated and restricted? 

[v_kyr]

Vectorization is the keywork here for keeping certain initial pixel effects as plain vectors then, as far as possible at all.

• EPS is a bad vector format in terms of exchanging files generated by Affinity, since the Affinity EPS code generation/parsing engine is pretty restricted and also can't deal with most proprietary Illustrator EPS format add-ons. - Thus it's limited in Affinity.
• SVG is Ok for web based vector graphics and as an exchange format for not too complex vector drawings etc., but usually nothing you would use for sending to a print service. - Further Affinity's SVG engine has it's restrictions too and supports here just the bare bone of the by the SVG spec defined functionality.
• PDF is overall your best choice for exchanging vector drawings from Affinity with other third party software and for sending vector based drawings (like logos) to print services.

 

[wavyglanbles]

I found that PDF was the best choice in the end, and made a PDF now. I just had one pixel image which I set to 'Erase' but had to set it to 'Normal' to make it work. If there was a alternative to Erase, that would be great. 

[loukash]

57 minutes ago, wavyglanbles said:

a alternative to Erase

Depending on what and how you need to "erase": a combination of boolean Subtract, compounds and crop layers.
Something like this, for example:

Using a Symbol is necessary if you want to keep the cropping objects interactive to work around the bug that any child layers of a crop layer will be hidden. Alternatively you'd have to temporarily release the crop layer, make your changes and then crop again. Whereas the "remote control" symbol can also be outside the canvas or hidden in a disabled layer at any position of the layers stack.

If you're only using a simple object that needs to be partially erased, then a subtract compound alone would suffice, of course. But then the whole compound will share the same fill and stroke attributes. Hence the above method allows for more complex compositions with multiple objects and multiple attributes.

[wavyglanbles]

5 minutes ago, loukash said:

Depending on what and how you need to "erase": a combination of boolean Subtract, compounds and crop layers.
Something like this, for example:

 

Using a Symbol is necessary if you want to keep the cropping objects interactive to work around the bug that any child layers of a crop layer will be hidden. Alternatively you'd have to temporarily release the crop layer, make your changes and then crop again. Whereas the "remote control" symbol can also be outside the canvas or hidden in a disabled layer at any position of the layers stack.

If you're only using a simple object that needs to be partially erased, then a subtract compound alone would suffice, of course. But then the whole compound will share the same fill and stroke attributes. Hence the above method allows for more complex compositions with multiple objects and multiple attributes.

This is great, but I'm guessing this wouldn't work for a single rasterised image though?

[loukash]

Which one is it?

[wavyglanbles]

It was a paint roller texture asset, a transparent PNG