Converting a very small EPS file to a high res PDF?

[BlueStar434]

Hi 🙂

I’ve downloaded an EPS image from iStock but I am having problems!

This image has 6 different images within it and I need to crop each one separately and somehow turn each one into a high res 300 dpi A4 sized image but I just can’t work out how to do it in Illustrator.

I’m used to working with PDF/PSD files and thought it would be easy but I’m really stuck. It’s not like Photoshop where you can do this easily.

The EPS file is really small and only 72 dpi but it says on the website that EPS Vector is scalable to any size. Every time I try to export it out and then try and enlarge it, it just looks really blurred and grainy.

Can anyone please help me give me instructions on how I can crop and convert the images to high res PDFs, PNGs, JPGs or whatever is the best option to do this?

Many thanks for your help and I look forward to hearing from you, thank you! 🙂

[Monika Gause]

It depends. If this is an EPS made in Illustrator and then saved as Illustrator EPS 10, then maybe you can enlarge it. Provided you have not messed with it of course. You need to open it in Illustrator. Set document raster effect to a higher resultion and enlarge the objects.

[BlueStar434]

The EPS came from iStock, so I have no idea if it was made in Illustrator or not.

I saw something in Illustrator about rastering and I think I did try but it didn't work out. I will try again!

Thanks for your reply 🙂

[Monika Gause]

You don't want to rasterize it.

You need to check Effects > Document raster effects - there is the resolution setting.

[BlueStar434]

Ok thanks, I will have another look at it tomorrow. 

[Ko.Maruyama]

Check the layer information in your eps. Sometimes someone will put a raster image into an .ai file or .eps file.

Make sure you are truly working with a vector image. (ctrl-Y or cmd-Y should reveal all of your outlines, not just placed artwork boxes).

If it's truly vector, then you CAN WORK IN Ps!

Just put your purchased artwork into Ps as a smart object (linked or placed embedded should work)

Then you should be able to scale, crop, export in familiar territory.

[Monika Gause]

"Just put your purchased artwork into Ps as a smart object (linked or placed embedded should work)

Then you should be able to scale, crop, export in familiar territory."

The fact that the artwork is small and raster effects resolution set to 72 ppi tells me that there are a lot of transparency effects in place. Most probably of the raster based kind. Stock artists need to keep file size below certain sizes and providing ridiculously small images is their only way to do so.

They have to upload EPS and this contains 2 files: the EPS and the AI. In the AI part there is vector artwork, in the EPS part everything is flattened and pixels and causes the large file.

Whoever buys the image can and must scale it up in Illustrator. Placing it as a Smart object in Photoshop won't change  the raster effects resolution.

[BlueStar434]

Thanks Monika, I did notice the file size for this small image is 15MB! I will look at the raster effects in Illustrator tomorrow and keep fingers crossed 🙂

[BlueStar434]

Thanks! 🙂