Empty .eps files with Adobe Illustrator CS5?

[Sanne5E4C]

When I save my files in Adobe Illustrator CS5 as .eps, the files show up as empty in a .pdf viewer? They cannot convert the .eps to .pdf. I can still open the files in Adobe Illustrator, though.

Anyone have the same issue or?

[Monika Gause]

Which PDF viewer? Not all of them might be able to import EPS.

[Sanne5E4C]

The LaTeX epstopdf converter cannot see them. Neither can Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Distiller.

[Monika Gause]

Do you save them as EPS 3?

[Sanne5E4C]

I saved them as .eps CS5. So as far as I'm aware, not as EPS 3.

[Monika Gause]

EPS is last century's file format. To make it an editable file format, Illustrator saves private data in it when you save higher than EPS 3.

All the other apps can't read that private data anyway and some can't handle the file at all when there's private data in it. So you have to save as AI file (for editing as your working file) and then an EPS 3 for exchange with the other apps.

[Ton Frederiks]

Why don't you just save them as PDF from Illustrator?

[Sanne5E4C]

We use the .eps files to put them into LaTeX. This keeps the background transparent and it keeps the resolution high.