Illustrator Problems saving transparent EPS files

[michaelraywhite]

I am trying to use Illustrator to convert colored PNG files with transparent backgrounds to vector formats EPS, PDF, SVG & DXF. Everything seems to be working fine except for the EPS files. The problem is that after tracing and saving, the Illustrator EPS is not being opened by Photoshop as a vector file. It does not give the options of sizing when opening, but immediately opens to the original size and opens with an opaque white background instead of the transparent background with which it was saved.

The same file saved as .AI or PDF formats opens as expected in Photoshop. It recognizes the vector format and gives the options window upon opening both of them, and upon opening, the background is transparent.

I’ve had to devise a work around of opening the Illustrator AI file in Affinity Designer and save that as an EPS and it works as expected, opening with the vector options window and with a transparent background.

I’m attaching a screenshot of my image tracesetting in case I've missed something there.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Monika Gause]

I'm not quite sure what this workflow should be good for.

Saving an EPS in order to open in Photoshop? Why?

[michaelraywhite]

I am creating digital files for crafters. The images are saved as PNG, JPEG, EPS, SVG, DXF & PDF. Upon purchase they will receive a zip file with the image in those formats. Depending upon the crafter's needs and workflow, they will choose one or more to work with to create their products. As Photohsop is the industry standard, it has to work there. Whatever the reason, a file saved in EPS format in Illustrator should open correctly in Photoshop.

[Monika Gause]

The PDF works in Photoshop, then why does the EPS have to work as well?

[michaelraywhite]

Because when you are dealing with crafters who are not graphics professionals, they will have their preferred file type and, if it does not work, they will not necessarily know to how to switch and bingo, bad review. One way or the other, it should work.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

You need to select Generic EPS to do what you want to do. Not sure if this was an intentional change in the latest version.

[michaelraywhite]

That sounds good. Can you tell me how to do that? I've tried Save, Save As, Save a Copy and Export. All of them give me the option of Illustrator EPS. None of them offer an option of Generic EPS. Thank you.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

This is not about how to save your file as a vector EPS, it's about how you open it in Photoshop.

I'mthinking this is just a bug with the latest version, but the current Photoshop seems to now require you select Generic EPS to open a vector file to rasterize it. Before now, if you went to File > Open and you selected your file, it would identify it as "All Readable Documents : Photoshop EPS" and that would give you the rasterize dialog box (even though it really wasn't a Photoshop EPS file). Now, it seems if you do the same, it won't give you the Rasterize dialog, instead it opens just the low-res preview attached to the file. But if you select Generic EPS from the list, it opens the way you expect.

As I said, this may be a bug, because if you simply drag your EPS file onto Photoshop's icon to open it, everything works the way we're used to.

The short story is, your EPS is fine.

 

[michaelraywhite]

Thanks, that procedure did allow me to open the Illustrator file in Photoshop as expected, with the sizing dialog box and a transparent background. However, your thoughts seem to be that there might be a bug in Photoshop and I'm wondering if the bug might be in Illustrator. The same file, saved as Illustrator EPS, opens completely as a raster, without a sizing dialogue window and with a white background in both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Designer. However, when I export that same file as an EPS from Affinity (no changes at all), I am able to open it as always, in Photoshop, with full vectorization and transparency. That makes me think it's not a Photoshop bug in opening the files, but an Illustrator bug in saving them. None the less, I appreciate your help and welcome any other solutions or insights.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse · Accepted solution]

It is not an Illustrator issue. It is definitely the latest version of PS. This has been reported by a number of people in the Bugs forum.

It will do the same with old files just as well as new ones, but if you go back one version of PS, all is fine. 

[michaelraywhite]

Thank you. That worked and it makes my life so much easier not to have to change programs midstream for one file format!