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many eps files are blank when opened- consistently


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Hi,

 

For several months I have been having many eps files that when they are open, are blank. I get these from stock vector sites (paid, premium files). It's not a glitch, it happens time and time again with the same files.

I am using Affinity Designer 1.10.5. I have a Mac and use Monterey 12.5.1 - so all current to date.
I have asked for support help from one of the stock sites and with the example I sent them, the support person can open the file and it is not blank, it is a regular eps file with layers. They used Affinity on a Mac with the same versions as me. 

I have tried downloading the files from Safari and Chrome and get the same results. However, one thing I noticed is that it does seem like when I  come across a blank eps file and then try to download and then open other eps files from the same designer, those files will also be blank. I suspect it could have to do with the software they use to save them or version of the software. I have designers who's files all open correctly, consistently and others that don't.

Now another odd thing is that I have a file from a designer that I downloaded in April and that file opens like normal. I accidentally downloaded that file again a couple of months ago yet, that one is blank. It has the same created date on it, so appears tone the exact same file. But now I can't open any current files from that designer that aren't blank.

I have attached a recent file that I have trouble with, if someone would like to test it. Opening it shows completely blank. But if I try to Place it, I can see the bounds box, and can see it's there, but it is still empty.

Does anyone know what the problem could be? I have tried zeroing out the coordinates, it doesn't do anything. It happens to about 30-40% of the files I try to use. It's to the point where I will need to switch to Illustrator if I can't find a fix.

I can use an online tool to convert to SVG and then open these files, but I don't want to pay for that. 

Thanks for your help in advance!

Ellen

set_of_cartoon_owl_character_listening_to_music_on_headphones_playing_guitar_saying_hello.eps

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I can open your sample file without any problems (Windows PC). Can you show us the Studio layer panel, please?

image.png.f736a669d64fa797f7b37f13ef395c4f.png

With .eps files it is the same as with all Adobe file formats. Adobe file formats contain a proprietary area that third-party programmes cannot read.
Files that are/were saved with older versions of Illustrator in .eps format also have the vector data in this proprietary area.

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58 minutes ago, ellen.mc2 said:

... I have a Mac ...

Can you open it in Apple's Preview application? You could then export as a PDF.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.1 | Affinity Photo 2.4.1 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.1 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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15 minutes ago, ellen.mc2 said:

But still, I should be able to open these files in Affinity without converting. It's so weird.

Seeing as I am on Mac, albeit a different OS than you, yes you should be able to open the file. How often do you shutdown the computer? I find a fair number of problems are fixed with the classic "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" bit of advice from Roy in The IT Crowd.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.1 | Affinity Photo 2.4.1 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.1 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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Yeah, I restarted a million times and have gone through multiple iOS updates. This started happening back in May or June, but seems to happen more often, or I'm just getting more unlucky with the graphics I choose to use. I have even considered reinstalling the Affinity software, except I can't find my license key. 

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Hi @ellen.mc2,

I have no idea how or why the below might occur, BUT you might as well check:

A) Select your (only) layer, click FX and make sure the fill opacity (at the bottom of the window) is not set to 0.
(this setting will not trigger the "FX" to show up on the layer in the panel so there's no way to know until you look)
B) also check that the transparency tool is set to None. (Seems to an even more unlikely possibility, but still worth a check)

Edit: Hmmm, you would still see the expand arrow on the File > Open version regardless. So maybe moot.

Another thought, with no fix in mind. Are you on Apple silicon?

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Hi,

I got my laptop in 2019. I don't *think* it has the silicon chip? 
 

A. FX fill is 100%
B. It's set to None

I use Affinity Designer almost every day for my work. I can't imagine I have some weird setting? I just don't get how usually- not always, once I find one I can't open and see, I also can't open/see the rest of the files from the same designer. 

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54 minutes ago, ellen.mc2 said:

I use Affinity Designer almost every day for my work. I can't imagine I have some weird setting? I just don't get how usually- not always, once I find one I can't open and see, I also can't open/see the rest of the files from the same designer. 

Yes, but the handful of people here (including myself) aren't having a problem opening/placing, so that leads me to think it's something local to your system/settings.

How about saving those two Designer files after the attempt to 1) open, and 2) place the same owls eps and uploading them here?

Oh, and also, the M1 came out in 20 so I agree not Apple chip (you can tell for sure though, fyi, under the Apple icon > About this Mac).

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Opens and looks fine in ADe also under El Capitan ...

owles.jpg.61a275ab760539d2275935dfcc1e1143.jpg

 

You should show some screenshots of your overall ADe settings here. Also check if you use Metal or OpenGL, which is applied here for hardware acceleration. - Further Monterey has been updated to version 12.6 in the meantime!

 

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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2 minutes ago, ellen.mc2 said:

Jimmy,

 

Just so I'm clear. I should open the owl file and the save and upload it here.

then open a new file, try to place it and save and upload here. Correct?

If so, should I save as afdesign or eps?

 

Yes
1) File > open. Open the owl eps. You will have your one blank layer. Save as .afdesign.

2) Same with the place. New file > place ...

 

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Just now, ellen.mc2 said:

Where can I check that?

Menu:  "Affinity Designer > Preferences..." and there then "Performance" the one with the shown cat symbol.

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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Your document setup as default in terms of used color profile look odd (Color format: Grey/8, Greyscale D50), mine do look as default instead like ...

doc_settings.jpg.ca3e67c9093a8242d31d4cae7526e1c5.jpg

... or did you saved as Greyscale?

 

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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In your prefs hardware acceleration is enabled at the bottom ( x Enable Metal compute acceleration), did you tried without that (when it is disabled)?

BTW, do you use a two monitor setup?

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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2 hours ago, ellen.mc2 said:

Got it Jimmy. Here are the two saved owl files.

I only tried the 1st one but for me it is empty & only 7 KB.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
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  • 9 months later...

My system,

Affinity Designer : 1.10.6
MacOSX: Ventura 13.2.1
MBA M2 Apple Silicon 
8G RAM

I'm facing exactly this problem.
I'm trying to open an EPS file from my iCloud Drive, but all files are getting blank after opened.
I noticed that:

- EPS files outsite iCloud Drive > Affinity Designer folder has this problem.

My EPS file is under iCloud Drive > MyFolder ....so is getting blank after opened.

If I download to my local hard drive or move it to affinity designer iCloud folder it works.

So my question is:

- Is not possible to use files outside Affinity Folder in iCloud Drive?
Is this a bug or a requisite to get this working?

 

 

 

image.png

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