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Can't GhostScript be integrated into Designer (GIMP does it)


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I am Windows.
I see many threads about Designer not having full EPS support.  Recommendations of other products... but, I paid for this one.

Well it seems others have found a way to integrate the GhostScript app so that it takes over when an EPS image is dragged in.

Free GIMP supports this.. I had to create a new environment variable.  Sure enough I drag in an EPS vector that I paid for from an online stock service, a popup appeared for some DPI settings.. and boom.. I have a full editable vector in Gimp

If Gimp can do it...

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Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums.

What problem do you have with EPS files in Designer? Often, from what I've read, files from stock sites are created by Adobe Illustrator and using them depends on interpreting proprietary AI data that is also embedded in the file. And that may require using AI.

If they are true EPS files (not files that depend on AI data that is embedded in them) they should usually work with Designer properly. If they do have AI data, they probably won't work in GIMP either.

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9 hours ago, Skyzlmt said:

Free GIMP supports this.. I had to create a new environment variable.  Sure enough I drag in an EPS vector that I paid for from an online stock service, a popup appeared for some DPI settings.. and boom.. I have a full editable vector in Gimp

Please, show me a full editable vector in Gimp, sice usually it'll open EPS files as raster images of low resolution. Paths are only used in Gimp to create new selections.

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41 minutes ago, Wosven said:

Please, show me a full editable vector in Gimp, sice usually it'll open EPS files as raster images of low resolution. Paths are only used in Gimp to create new selections.

Pathes can also be traced with strokes in GIMP. But the results will always be pixel images, not vector graphics. A better choice might be Inkscape, which is a free vector graphics software. But as far as I know, it also has sometimes problems with EPS.

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Just now, PixelPest said:

So what? That´s what GIMP does: "Export actual Path/s"

I don´t get what the OP wants in first place as I don´t have any issues with my EPS files loading into AD.

I think it might be what Walt said: some EPS-files created with Illustrator may contain elements that are only supported by Illustrator. So they can't be opened properly in Designer and other programs. Don't know if and why GIMP opens them. Don't even know if it would mean something for our special case, because GIMP is not a vector graphics software. I have followed the german GIMP Forum for many years, and I remember that even there have been many problems with EPS files. The same in the Inkscape Forum. So I don't know if Ghostscript really would be a solution for Designer. But to be honest, I haven't worked with EPS for a verry long time. As far as I know, this file format is a little outdated.

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16 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

german GIMP Forum

R.I.P.

I'm always amazed at how often we encounter this file format here. On Mac, it doesn't really matter anymore - it will be converted to PDFs on the fly with Preview.app for years.

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1 hour ago, PixelPest said:

You can adjust resolution before import.

Yes, but it won't transform Gimp to an app able to open EPS as vector objects.

47 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

Don't know if and why GIMP opens them. [...] So I don't know if Ghostscript really would be a solution for Designer.

Ghostscript is what I used as virtual printer before Windows added its own. It's able to convert some files to PDF and can get its own "printing settings". It's able to read PS, EPS and PDF.

That's why its used in Gimp to "read" EPS and PDF as raster images.  https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-using-external-programs.html

 

Now, nothing prevent @Skyzlmt from instaling Ghostcript on Windows and using it (but the latest releases are without UI, only with command lines, unless you install PS_View, or GSview (the one I've got installed, and despite the page information, it's working with  newer releases) that give a more rudimentary UI than in the past, sadly.

2021-08-07_164923.png.90c72dac69662866e9cd15033f2479b5.png

It's able to convert to raster images (bmp, png, tiff), and I suppose it's was it's doing for Gimp.

 

Using Ghostscript/GSview to convert EPS:

Depending of the export settings in Illustrator, and probably the features used, you can have a nice EPS file:

2021-08-07_170251.thumb.png.3f4dc4f1de6435382303870730405b16.png

Or a bad one, that'll give error and only use the low resolution preview:

2021-08-07_165545.png.656479c473114b28cb5e6eea9d5087ce.png

2021-08-07_170228.thumb.png.04ef23df805a8e8296b42721f89f6c34.png

 

The files opened in Gimp: only the 2 first images, real PS files, were correctly read. The other one is only a preview scaled according to settings (300 PPI).

2021-08-07_171600.png.d90066e9bc62957b79d1de094f26592a.png2021-08-07_171743.png.8edd4924c0109979b77a51a156fa81bc.png

2021-08-07_171654.png.e9e783b9532d908aa294da91e75beb7f.png2021-08-07_171707.png.5ad29e0e018b58b96e2084ce6635df8d.png

 

The files opened in AD:

2021-08-07_170726.png.a3b97b1a29362003d8fe11f818d42563.png2021-08-07_170737.png.9f84b83b93df199e120d7d1c429536f6.png

2021-08-07_171137.png.e73551a633f0175c0b25153dcaae6b18.png2021-08-07_171143.png.d3bb136d31eec3759ba4d9f8f7499be6.png

 

Ghostcript won't do any miracle, it'll depend of the file.

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Sorry Guys. OP here.

I posted this then got invited to the beach.. just looking now.

Simply the eps file is imported into Affinity as a Raster image.   Pixelated. 

When I load the same eps image into Gimp (integrated with GhostScript) it 100% loads as a full vector image.   I can access each individual vector shape.   Delete segments. Change colors.   

i did not try yet to export out of Gimp as something else and bring back into Affinity

I am in the office now and when I get home (where Affinity) is I will try @Wosven 's suggestion...     (I really appreciate the extensive writeup)

but the key thing is Gimp makes it transparent.   I drag and drop the eps into the canvas, i get the small UI dpi chooser (and a few other features) and it is imported as vector.

I may do a short video and share the variations

Edited by Skyzlmt
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51 minutes ago, Skyzlmt said:

Sorry Guys. OP here.

I posted this then got invited to the beach.. just looking now.

Simply the eps file is imported into Affinity as a Raster image.   Pixelated. 

When I load the same eps image into Gimp (integrated with GhostScript) it 100% loads as a full vector image.   I can access each individual vector shape.   Delete segments. Change colors.   

i did not try yet to export out of Gimp as something else and bring back into Affinity

I am in the office now and when I get home (where Affinity) is I will try @Wosven 's suggestion...     (I really appreciate the extensive writeup)

but the key thing is Gimp makes it transparent.   I drag and drop the eps into the canvas, i get the small UI dpi chooser (and a few other features) and it is imported as vector.

 

It is true that you can open EPS-files in GIMP. And you can also export EPS-files from GIMP. But no matter if it contained vector data before you opened the file in GIMP, you will not be able to export true vector graphics from GIMP. GIMP only produces pixel images. In fact it rasterizes vectors when it opens them. That is also the reason why the SVG-file-format is not listed in the Export-dialogue, but in the context menu of the Path-dialogue. You can export a SVG from there, but it only contains the path, the pure vector data, without any visual informations. So nothing really printable. What you export as EPS is pixel data, raster images, not vector. If you don't believe, read f.e. this. Pathes (vectors) are only used as a sort of tools in GIMP.

EPS is not inevitably a vector graphic format, but a sort of container that can contain vectors, pixels and text. Somehow similar to PDF. "EPS" means "encapsulated postscript". Postscript is a page description language.

But you can try Inkscape, because it is a vector graphic software. One thing that might possibly disqualify both, GIMP and Inkscape, for your needs is that they don' support CMYK.

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39 minutes ago, Skyzlmt said:

 

Simply the eps file is imported into Affinity as a Raster image.   Pixelated. 

Are you dropping the file in from finder/explorer or are you opening the file? That makes a big difference on how Designer handles a file. If you open the file, (PDF, EPS, etc.) it will, most likely, be editable as if it were made in Designer. If you are dropping it on the canvas, it will place it as an image/link.

The only time I don't see this work to edit is if AI made the file and didn't embed the PDF.

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So I learned something...  from all the comments here and trying things out

Summary:  Seems only Adobe Illustrator can import EPS as a vector, keep it as a vector in the application, and make it fully editable as a vector.
Well based on me trying several programs, reading here,  and then googling a ton of things.

First to set the stage, the EPS file is from iStockPhoto, which is a Getty Images company and one of the largest stock image companies out there.  This wasnt a designer in his spare bedroom giving me some weird variation of an eps.  When purchasing from iStock they offer one choice of download... EPS

Attached image is screen caps within the editors from

  • Corel Draw
  • Gimp with Ghostscript
  • Corel Paint Shop Pro
  • Affinity Designer
  • illustrator.

inkscape also has a Ghostscript integration that I didnt implement, after reading comments above how it converts to raster and seeing the output from GIMP I expected the same
I also spent a ton of time researching products and from product descriptions I could see they were doing raster also.

Is Adobe Ilustrator really the only product that can import all/most EPS as vector, keep as vector, and edit as vector?

The image speaks for itself.. all the others convert to raster.   

Again not 100% scientific

Still love the Affinity products and will keep using.  But starting a merchandise business and relying heavily on clipart... well regardless of the use you can clearly see that how much better illustrator is over the others.

Most surprising was that Corel couldn't handle considering they price themselves in the Adobe league.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions!

Please offer any other suggestions or comments,

EDITS: Grammar cleanup

 

EPSFiles.png

Edited by Skyzlmt
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Quote

Is Adobe Ilustrator really the only product that can import all/most EPS as vector, keep as vector, and edit as vector?

I think you can't say that in general. Illustrator, as far as I know, has some features that other programs haven't (and vice versa). I wouldn't be surprised if you would have similar problems with an EPS created in CorelDraw if you open it in Illustrator, because even CorelDraw may have its own features. As also Designer has. But the most Graphic Designers still work with Illustrator. And some of the features that cause problems on other programs may be protected by copyrights. As far as I know, many commercial files that are offered in online stores are dedicated especially to Illustrator or Designer or CorelDraw or others. But this is without warranty. As I already said, it didn't work with EPS for a long time.

For example if you create a TIFF with layers in Photoshop and open it in GIMP (or vice versa) it will probably be opened flattened. This was at least my experience. Because both programs have different ways to handle layers in TIFFs. As far as I know, there are even fonts on the market that must be used in Adobe Programs to take benefit of their whole functionality - because the fonts are from Adobe.

To return to your opening post: I think you shouldn't need to integrate Ghostscript to Designer because Designer is able to open, import and export EPS as well as PDF even without it. Both are based on Postscript, so it must be integrated.

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2 hours ago, Skyzlmt said:

...

Is Adobe Ilustrator really the only product that can import all/most EPS as vector, keep as vector, and edit as vector?

...

As has been pointed out here several times, Adobe uses proprietary code in its execution of EPS files that third-party vendors such as Serif, Corel or others cannot or are not allowed to replicate. And unfortunately it is still the case that in most vector stock markets it is precisely these EPS versions that are predominantly offered. 

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As already said, each format hqs its own specifications. But Adobe tend, like Microsoft did long ago with HTML, to not respect those spec'.

It's not a problem of you use the same program to open the files, but with others apps. I'm sure there's options when exporting from Illustrator to get spec' compliant files —it's certainly important with some specific apps —, but those options supposedly give a warning about a different result since more "advanced"  features can't be reproduced with this type of file, etc.

If those sites asked for at least a version with specified specifications thay other apps could read, it would be better.

Now, you can use an online app like Photopea to convert some of those EPS files to SVG (it won't be perfect, but can help).

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On 8/7/2021 at 9:05 AM, PixelPest said:

So what? That´s what GIMP does: "Export actual Path/s"

I don´t get what the OP wants in first place as I don´t have any issues with my EPS files loading into AD.

Pixel I see you commented several times that it will work, even taking the time to show an editable eps file in designer.  I hope you took the time to read the rest of the thread, see my example images and commentary from others. it seems things started in illustrator have a tendency to only be editable in illustrator.

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My final comment, as I found one more option
At least in the case of iStockPhoto illustrator eps files, Xara also could load and edit as vectors (someone suggested previuosly)

there are 2 versions of Xara, and I went with the non-subscription model at magix.  One time price.
updated my image below. 

Thank you for all the great comments and suggesting.

I think the thread is good full summary of the issue and solutions..  I see now there are a lot of questions on the webs about the illustrator eps files.  While there are some similar "Adobe puts some proprietary stuff in there, and Adobe seems to be a standard for stock file sites"... I dont think anyone went through and tried a bunch of applications with an adobe eps file.

So this thread covers the bases.  thanks

EPSFiles.png

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