Best way to convert 50 pages of EPS to AI?

[vixler]

Hi,

I designed a Wire-O spiralbound book in InDesign. Because it's spiral bound, it's 50 pages (that's total, front and back). The client had initially told me to send it in InDesign but now they want me to convert it to AI. The artwork in the book is raster, CMYK. 

What is the best way for me to do this? I have converted it as PDF to EPS so far. I need to not mess up the raster art. I would prefer it all to come out in one file, like a multipage AI file, but it's OK if it's 50 separate files, just annoying.

I could download Illustrator but I also see a lot of free online converters, do any of those work OK, does anyone know?

Is there a protocol to send files to create a book (again, it is spiral bound, so the pages are all separate)--such as do I include the bleed marks, slug, etc.? The client knows nothing so I cannot ask. 

Thanks!

[Bobby Henderson]

Uh, I really like using Adobe Illustrator, but multi-page layout is not its strong suit. InDesign is a far more appropriate choice for laying out a 50 page document. Aside from an INDD file (and package of assets) the second best option would be a multi-page PDF. I'm puzzled by the client requesting the document in Illustrator AI format (especially if the client "knows nothing"). It doesn't make a lot of sense. Is the client going to do the print work themselves? Are they trying to import the artwork into another page layout or graphics application? If not, then a PDF should be good enough for the client to proof.

Multi-page PDF files can be imported into Illustrator on multiple art boards. But various things in a PDF can "break" when placed into Illustrator. Some of this depends on the nature of the art. One downside with using EPS is it does not support transparency. If you already created the layout in InDesign I would fight pretty hard to keep the work in that application environment.

[vixler]

Yes they are either printing it themselves or using a printing company, I'm not sure, but they are producing it. I only have one contact, and when I ask printing questions she always says she can't answer--this hss been an experience--they didn't know the margins, specs, anything--I finally bought the book they want to emulate anf measured it with a ruler. I don't know how they do things, it's in China and maybe AI is how it's done there. I have been sending low-res PDFs for them to go over, I've offered the INDD file and high-res PDF, but they want me to convert it all to AI. I don't know much about production. Guess I'll try the multiple artboards, thanks for the info!

[Imaginerie]

I had one of those client. (several in fact)
Most of the time they are asking for a specific file format, because someone who seemed to have expertise told them so, but they probably forgot the context (a bit like those toothpaste adverts set in a science lab with a very autoritative guy in a white coat 🙂 )

Everytime, I decided to ask them if I could "speak to the printer" eg: bypass them. Yes it's a bit of a hassle, talking on the phone. But if you manage to do it, you can then provide the right files, which will certainly not be .ai (I'll place a bet on that one)
You can sugar-coat it saying, you need to speak to the printer for a question of colour or something relating to the resolution for example.  (One trick I used is to ask for the printer phone number to ask for specs for the barcode, something I could tell the client didn't want anything to do with, so they were happy to offload it to me)
Long story short, you need to speak to someone who will handle the job and who knows, not someone who think they know, and don't want to appear stupid in front of a designer's face. Pride and all that.

[vixler]

Thanks, even if they agreed, printing language is technical and the language barrier would likely to be unsurpassable with Google Translate or anything else. I'm not a designer and I told them that--they hired me to illustrate, then said I had to do the layout too--so I learned InDesign enough to do it--a difficult task! So for me to talk to them would be rather useless as I don't know enough myself. Normally a client gives basic info. I did get to her to answer a few general questions so she must have asked somebody. Such as do they want the printer's marks (the answer was yes). I'm just going to save everything as AI and let them worry about it, if they come back and want a PDF or INDD that's fine.

[Imaginerie]

Brad seems to have a good option below, so I would check that.
However this should be billable IMHO. They tell you something and then they change their mind, and you're expected to accomodate, so you are expected to be compensated as well. I don't know how your contract is set, but the way you're telling it, and reading between the lines (so, sorry if I read badly) they seem to be taking advantage here.

[vixler]

It has been exploitative, and just flat fee. The worst is that InDesign took me a good 100 hours, as it was difficult for me, then they turn around and say AI files, so I end up working from a PDF anyway, and could have used programs that I'm more familiar with to create the PDF. I really wanted an illustration job, and I enjoyed that part of it more or less, and I have learned some InDesign, which is good, but it has been crazy time-consuming. If I knew InDesign already it would not have been so bad--I did not realize how much there is to learn--it's so much easier to use Canva or even Inkscape.

[Imaginerie]

So they were taking advantage, you should have added some $$$ for the indesign job. As much as you're desperate for it (and don't worry all of us are to a certain extend). It probably doesn't worth compromising your sanity. You could say lesson learned, and leave it behind. But next time you need a bullet-proof contract and any addition means adding to the final bill. (and asking for being paid a part upfront, or setting up an escrow system).

I know all my answers so far haven't been helpful regarding the Indesign to Illustrator issue, but I somehow feel like it's my duty to prevent freelancers being ripped, and at the end disheartened.
Call it my life mission if you want 😁
Keep the faith, and cover your bases. They hired you, they needed you, you're worth respect.💗

[vixler]

Thanks, I needed to hear that. I saw red flags but to me it was to get back in the game after a long time, and it kind of sounded (emphasis on "sounded")  fun. I will be more strict next time,  and try for better clients. It was an experience ...

[Imaginerie]

Don't worry, we probably all been there. Sometimes you also have to "train" your clients. It sometimes as simple as sounding authoritative, ie: you're the boss of your corner.
It doesn't need to be a fight, just being sure you get rewarded for your expertise and hard work.

[Bobby Henderson]

Did the client specify which file version of Adobe Illustrator to use for saving the AI files? The situation sounds fishy to me. It makes me wonder if the company doing the printing work is using a cracked, illegal version of Illustrator. Of if they're on the up and up then maybe they're only on a single app subscription plan. Either way it sounds like publishing being done on the cheap. Most people using a current version of Illustrator are doing so via a regular CC subscription plan, which gives them access to using InDesign.

If you are going to re-build your InDesign artwork in Adobe Illustrator, possibly by using PDF as a go-between, I'd recommend Astute Graphics' Vector First Aid plugin (if you're not already using it) for speeding up what could be a really tedious process. It can elminate a lot of junk in placed PDF artwork, such as unnecessary clip groups and invisible paths with no fill or stroke. The plugin won't fix everything. But it will make the artwork surgery process a bit less daunting.

[vixler]

Hi, No they did not specify. They may well be doing it on the cheap, but there are free programs that work with PDF and EPS, but not with AI, so I'm not sure why they want AI files.  I was just planning to save the file as a PDF-x1 (flattened) then convert to AI. The artwork is raster except for some boxes and rectangles. The stroke around the ID text might be an issue. I will check out that plugin, thanks!

[Monika Gause]

Basically at this stage of the job, it's just not a good idea. I don't know why those Chinese printers always want to have AI files, but just "converting" from EPS or PDF to Illustrator files might not get you the right kind of thing. 

The client needs to know that this is the equivalent of doing most of the job again. You could place all the pages of the PDF into an AI file and send them that (together with the PDF you placed). But the printer might not like that, becasue they want things native in Illustrator (for whatever reason).

[Imaginerie]

I didn't know about chinese printers. I never had those. Everytime I finally spoke to the printer in one of those jobs, they were all wanting a PDF. Good to know!

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse · Accepted solution]

You can do it all in one shot if you open the PDF with All pages checked and the Linked option unchecked. This will give you an Illustrator file with all the pages as artboards inside one document.

The stupid thing here, besides the actual request to do this, is THEY could do that just as easily.

 

[vixler]

Thanks yes, I will try that. I did do the linked and was able to save a multipage document "with linked files" but I will try it without checking "linked."

One issue was that a warning box said my document raster effects were going to be 72dpi. The document and art are all 300 dpi. The Documents Raster Effects Settings in AI are at 300. So I'm trying to figure out the issue there.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Of course, you will still have to deal with fonts, linked/embedded graphics, etc.

[vixler]

They want me to send the fonts. I'm working from a flattened PDF, and will uncheck Links, so I hope that takes care of that--I guess in the end, I can't trust that what I see is what I will get, but I hope those measures work.

[Bobby Henderson]

I wouldn't want to send font files to a client, not unless they were fonts the client purchased for the project or were fonts that are common and possibly freely available. I'm not exactly keen on sharing fonts that cost me a good bit of money to purchase. Thankfully the kind of work I do doesn't usually involve long documents, so I can convert any live text objects to outlines when I'm finished with a design.

Another advantage of multi-page PDF (versus using Illustrator AI) is you can often embed font data for live text objects. No need for sending separate font files.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Agreed. You can only (legally) send fonts that you have an appropriate license for, and you can't package Adobe Cloud fonts anways, so this is a red flag.

[vixler]

What's considered an appropriate license? Is commercial use OK?

[vixler]

I have a license for them, it wasn't expensive. I don't think they will need to use them, according to what I've read. I made a PDF-compatible AI file. The book has just a little bit of text--can I convert the font to outlines to avoid sending the fonts, to be extra careful? I don't want them to look like outlines.

[Imaginerie]

It's usually written in the "read me" file of the font download, or on the website that sells them. Let me know what font is it (and where did you find it if it was a font distributed widely) and I will try to find out. Every foundry can have different T&Cs or general policy for that kind of thing.

[vixler]

Thanks, PM-ing you--I did check and it looks like I can buy extra licenses for like a dollar or two.

[Bobby Henderson]

If you have small amounts of text there is no harm in converting the text to outlines. Doing such will not change the appearance of the text objects. They'll still have the same fills you gave to the live text objects. But the letters will be raw vector shapes rather than editable text that can be changed by additional typing.