EPS export for microstock submission

[befehr]

Is there anyone here who creates illustrations for stock sites like Getty or Shutterstock and has figured out a way to reliably export a usable EPS version 10 file? I have tried EPS, PDF, and SVG with no luck. It is so unreliable, even using just flat colors (because gradients can really be a problem), that it's often easier just using Illustrator instead.

 

I know there is this strange thing about Adobe playing nice with others in regard to the allowing of exporting an ai file (if that makes sense) but they seem fine with the export of psd files.

 

Thanks

Bill

[Callum]

Hi Bill,

 

Unfortunately as far as I am aware its not possible to export to EPS 10 in Affinity however we have had a few requests for this in the past so it may be considered for a future update :)

 

C

[befehr]

Thank you for your response. I will keep my fingers crossed. :-)

[DmitryG]

 

Hi Bill, I create illustrations for stock sites (Shutterstock, iStock, Fotolia and many others) entirely in Affinity Designer (since March 2017). I don't use Adobe Illustrator or any other vector editors no more. I can not say about gradients and transparency because I use only flat colors - and all works fine. Now a little about my workflow:

1) You can see my export options on screenshot attached.

2) Sometimes Shutterstock by mistake doesn't accept my illustration saying "EPS Format -- EPS file must be compatible with Illustrator version 8 or 10", so I upload it without changing anything once or at most twice again (without choosing "Previously submitted content" from "Notes for Reviewer" dropdown) - and they accept it.

3) Importantly, I use vector canvas 400 px on the largest side and 400 px or fewer on the smallest side, otherwise they say at Shutterstock that the canvas is too big or too small (see about this requirement in this article).

4) EPS created in Affinity Designer is small compared to the one created in Adobe Illustrator, so some microstock sites check it's size and give the error message. So, to get illustration accepted on all sites, I add some abstract text into the EPS file to grow it's filesize. I attached here the file with my "text for size". I open EPS with text editor (I use Notepad++).

5) I use Irfan View instead of Adobe Bridge to add metadata for JPG files.

So, Affinity Designer is the best choice for me. It's so cheap compared to Adobe Illustrator. Moreover, it's faster, more handy and more customizable. Additionally, Affinity Designer is great for isometric illustrations. You can look at my portfolio at Shutterstock.

textForSize.eps

[MEB]

Thank you for your post DmitryG. Very useful info there.
Welcome to Affinity Forums

[DmitryG]

Well, thanks to Affinity for great software!

[befehr]

Thanks DmitryG for explaining your workflow.

 

I think where you and I differ are the gradients that I use. I have learned to work around other limitations such as transparencies, blurs, and other effects. This has been a problem with other software as well (Xara, CorelDRAW, etc.)

 

As an example of what I see, and using your export settings, most all elements on the attached image have been rasterized upon export. (see attachment). This is a pretty straight forward image but because there are gradients everywhere rasterization is what I get. 

 

I also like to keep in mind what the end user will be experiencing. We don't know for sure when uploading stock files what software the customer will be using. To be consistent and predictable I use EPS from Illustrator. All others I have tried have occasionally create an issue on the customer's end, and those problems can lead to a poor reputation on my end. 

 

I'll keep at it and maybe I'll find a solution that matches my style.

 

Nice illustrations, BTW.

[m-b]

I had exact the same problem and follow the tips from 'DmitryG' but nothing helps. This is so annoying...
Tried uploading my work since a few days, again and again and got always the same message: EPS Format -- EPS file must be compatible with Illustrator version 8 or 10.
My vectors are just simple lines, nothing special, no effects, no gradients.
Never had problems with Fotolia only Shutterstock frustrates me this way! I lost so much time and I can't find a way and support can't help.
So, I haven't Illustrator and don't like Inkscape. Is there other free software which make a working eps file for Illustrator 8/10?

[Toonix]

I have the same problem. They say the graphic is rastered when AD say it's not and when I check the EPS file in notepad then there is no graphics included. As least as long you let transparency away.

Well next time I  get refused because of not eps 8 or 10, but 8 hours later the file is on a second try accepted....

 

lt's frustrating...it realy is and boresome as well

 

now i'm curious if fotolia accepts rastered images as vectors..else i just upload them as illustration.

[m-b]

4 hours ago, Toonix said:

I have the same problem. They say the graphic is rastered when AD say it's not ...

 

Got the same message sometimes.
I think this upload system on shutterstock is pretty buggy or the .eps File from AD has some weird codes, I really don't know.

But my last 5 packs of uploads with around 40 vector files goes up with no problems, really strange.
I use only simple vector paths, color gradients do not go at all, which makes all quite limited.

[Toonix]

I really wonder how some artists are doing pictures like this with all these issues. Even when using Adobe Illustrator you have the problem with the EPS 10 File Format.

 

https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-vector/vector-illustration-snow-globe-ball-realistic-501885181?src=Mfk6jwndVe5nN0KGYj3gXQ-1-19

[m-b]

48 minutes ago, Toonix said:

I really wonder how some artists are doing pictures like this with all these issues. Even when using Adobe Illustrator you have the problem with the EPS 10 File Format.

 

https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-vector/vector-illustration-snow-globe-ball-realistic-501885181?src=Mfk6jwndVe5nN0KGYj3gXQ-1-19

...hm, I wonder the same, if I see these pictures.

There is an e-mail address on this portfolio. Perhaps you simply ask this person, if there is a 'special' trick?

[befehr]

4 hours ago, Toonix said:

I really wonder how some artists are doing pictures like this with all these issues. Even when using Adobe Illustrator you have the problem with the EPS 10 File Format.

 

https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-vector/vector-illustration-snow-globe-ball-realistic-501885181?src=Mfk6jwndVe5nN0KGYj3gXQ-1-19

For illustrator 10 version, which supports more than version 8, this one is pretty straight forward. Gradients with transparencies and possibly the mesh tool is all you need for this one. As long as you don’t use Styles (like drop shadows) or Photoshop filter, both rasterize at export. I have never had a problem submitting illustrator images to stock sites. 

[Toonix]

4 hours ago, befehr said:

For illustrator 10 version, which supports more than version 8, this one is pretty straight forward. Gradients with transparencies and possibly the mesh tool is all you need for this one. As long as you don’t use Styles (like drop shadows) or Photoshop filter, both rasterize at export. I have never had a problem submitting illustrator images to stock sites. 

 

Am I right, this doesn't work with affinity designer? Shutter would not approve it or?

[befehr]

The issue is that AD converts all of it’s gradient and transparencies to bitmaps. Stock sites won’t accept bitmaps in a vector file. You can submit as a pure bitmap but you might not make as much money, and some sites will reject and ask you to resubmit as vector. Shutterstock will let you upload both independantly, which nice.

[m-b]

10 minutes ago, befehr said:

The issue is that AD converts all of it’s gradient and transparencies to bitmaps.

AD don't make bitmaps of a gradients if I export the file to .EPS but Shutterstock seems to have a problem with these files. With transparencies you are right, I get always a bitmap.

[befehr]

1 hour ago, m-b said:

AD don't make bitmaps of a gradients if I export the file to .EPS but Shutterstock seems to have a problem with these files. With transparencies you are right, I get always a bitmap.

Interesting. I just did a test, exported four different gradients as Postscript levels 2 and 3 and when opening in illustrator and AD all exported as bitmaps.

[m-b]

7 hours ago, befehr said:

Interesting. I just did a test, exported four different gradients as Postscript levels 2 and 3 and when opening in illustrator and AD all exported as bitmaps.

I haven't Illustrator to test this. But if you open the exported .EPS File in AD again there aren't bitmaps or?

[MEB]

Hi befehr, m-b,

Adobe Illustrator embeds an Ai file/data when exporting the EPS allowing it to keep everything editable when the file is reopened again. This is the reason why most stock sites require Illustrator compatible EPS files. Affinity Designer isn't able to do the same as the Ai file/data is proprietary so we are limited to what the EPS format does support.

EPS doesn't support any kind of transparency and complex gradients so elements that make use of them are rasterised on export.

[m-b]

55 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi befehr, m-b,

Adobe Illustrator embeds an Ai file/data when exporting the EPS allowing it to keep everything editable when the file is reopened again. This is the reason why most stock sites require Illustrator compatible EPS files. Affinity Designer isn't able to do the same as the Ai file/data is proprietary so we are limited to what the EPS file does support. EPS don't support any kind of transparency and complex gradients so elements that make use of them are rasterised on export.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe I sold my old and ugly AI to early.
I never realized that this EPS format is so limited and just thought, working with AD is much more fun than with Illustrator. But most stock companies demand only this format and we would have to go back in dependence of Adobe. : / No! Isn't there any better solution?

 

By the way, I found a bug(?) in EPS-export. If I do a elliptical gradient and export the File to EPS and open back again, the gradient setting is different.

[befehr]

On 9/29/2017 at 0:39 AM, m-b said:

I haven't Illustrator to test this. But if you open the exported .EPS File in AD again there aren't bitmaps or?

Sorry, I meant to mention that. They are bitmaps in AF as well.

CORRECTION:

EPS Postscript level 3 exports open as vector gradients in AD, but not in Illustrator.

EPS Postscript level 2 export are bitmaps in AD and Illustrator.

Edited September 30, 2017 by befehr
update to information

[befehr]

m-b, I have experienced this change with gradients as well.

[befehr]

2 hours ago, MEB said:

Hi befehr, m-b,

Adobe Illustrator embeds an Ai file/data when exporting the EPS allowing it to keep everything editable when the file is reopened again. This is the reason why most stock sites require Illustrator compatible EPS files. Affinity Designer isn't able to do the same as the Ai file/data is proprietary so we are limited to what the EPS format does support.

EPS doesn't support any kind of transparency and complex gradients so elements that make use of them are rasterised on export.

Hi MEB, back in the day and if memory serves, I had good luck exporting Xara files to either ai or eps. I also remember export CorelDRAW file to ai with some success. In both cases I believe they were exported as an earlier version of Illustrator, perhaps as early as 7. Would it be possible to have that as a export option in AF, to select an version, like Illy has?

[Ghazali Tajuddin]

I still have this issues. How can i send AD eps to shutterstock?

[befehr]

15 hours ago, Ghazali Tajuddin said:

I still have this issues. How can i send AD eps to shutterstock?

Basically you can’t. BUT, you can send a JPEG.