EPS Export mixes up the Layers

[r4di_21]

Hi,
First of all, I'm designing aluminium cases. Some of them get a print, for example interfaces, WEEE-Logo, CE etc.
Earlier in our company, my former colleague who created these files, used Corel X3 to create printing files (PDF).
Now that he left the company and with CorelDraw X3 not being supported on Win10 anymore, I thought I should give it a try with Designer 2.

The files for the supplier basically contain two layers: One mechanical (noprint, blue color) and one containing the printing data (print, mainly black). See picture 1.

Exporting to PDF works fine (there are still two layers), but I'm facing problems with exporting the drawing to the EPS format (which the supplier asked for):

The supplier (who works with CorelDraw X4) stated that after receiving the files and opening it, there are not two, but there is only one layer, and everything is "mixed up".

To check this, I reimported the EPS files back to Designer 2. The supplier is right: I find only one layer. This layer contains 2 Groups in which the previously created "noprint" and "print" layers are mixed up, i.e. curves from the "print" and "noprint" layer are together in one group. See picture 2 and 3.

As the files are confidential, I am not allowed to post more than a sreenshot from the "Layer" window.

I'm using the latest release (2.0.4).

My Machine Config:
intel i7-10700 8 Core
nVidia Quadro P1000
80GB RAM
Win10Pro OS

Edited May 3, 2023 by r4di_21
Better readability

[NathanC]

Hi @r4di_21 welcome to the forums,

As far as I'm aware due to it's age the .EPS file format does not support multiple layers/groups when exporting to .EPS or when importing .EPS files created in other apps, and as such the objects within the file get merged into a single layer when opened in Designer.

The reason this works for .EPS files created in apps such as Illustrator is because the .EPS file contains an .AI data stream embedded into the file, which when opened preserves layers due to it being contained within the .AI data stream, but since affinity can't read this proprietary .AI data, only the .EPS data stream is imported which contains no information on the layers/groups in the file.

If possible and if the supplier can accept it, it may be better to export to a format which does support layers, such as SVG or PDF.

I hope this makes sense 🙂

[r4di_21]

Hi @NathanC,

Thank you for your response. I just created a VM with Win7 and CorelDraw X4 (and not X3 as written in the first post) on my machine.
If I export the CDR-File to EPS and import it back to Corel, it looses the layer assignments.
Thanks for the clarification. 😀

But there's also another related issue with AI import with my project:

In the VM, I exported the project to the .AI format and could reimport it with no problems at all. Again, we are talking about CorelDraw and not Adobe Illustrator.
But importing this very .AI-File into Affinity Designer or Publisher shows an empty screen.

How can it be, that a software from 2008 as CorelDraw is able to deal with .AI Files and Affinity isn't? 🤔
Is there a plan for the future to implement reading this AI data stream into the Affinity Apps?

Thanks in Advance.

[NathanC]

Hi @r4di_21,

While it is possible to import .AI files into the apps, Affinity reads the .PDF data stream if it was embedded into the .AI file originally as it can't read the propriety .AI data stream. In Illustrator .AI files can be saved as a  'PDF compatible file' so this data stream saves with the file, I'm not sure if CorelDRAW offers this as a part of their .AI exporter, it may be worth checking their documentation on that front. If the PDF data stream isn't available, this will result in an empty file.

Improved/full Support for the .AI format is something that we have had requests for previously, so it may be looked into/implemented later down the line but there's no timeframe I can provide, apologies.