Illustrator won't save eps with transparent background

[RANN-CN]

I can't get save an illustrator file as an eps file with a transparent background. I have tried every suggestion I've seen online including using the transparency grid and making sure transparent is selected when trying to save. No matter what I do it saves with a white background. This is super urgent as I need to send a logo off tomorrow! Any help would be appreciated.

[Kurt Gold]

Traditionally, the (pure) .eps file format just does not support transparency.

Does it really have to be .eps? Or would be .ai or .pdf sufficient?

[RANN-CN]

Ah, I was told a transparent eps would be the best, I hadn't realised it wasn't really possible! I'm hoping .ai will be ok, but it's for a printer and I know they often prefer eps. Hopefully they'll have their own software which can adjust things if it's an issue. Thanks!

[Kurt Gold]

It's true that some print providers still prefer .eps. Sometimes there are comprehensible reasons, and sometimes not.

I'd recommend to just talk to the printer and balance the situation.

[RANN-CN]

Yeah, unfortunately I won't be speaking directly with the printer because it's going through the client (who has yet to pick a printer to have this discussion with, of course), but fingers crossed one of the file types I send will be ok and there won't be too much back and forth. Thanks.

[Ares Hovhannesyan]

Which app you use to check transparency?

[RANN-CN · Accepted solution]

I've been checking on the general preview app on mac where it has a white background, but I just tried opening it in illustrator and it's there without a background so hopefully it will be ok as it is, thanks!

[Kurt Gold]

Careful. If you save an .eps file from Illustrator, it actually contains two portions: .eps as well as native .ai.

If you open such .eps in Illustrator, the native .ai portion is interpreted (including transparencies that pure .eps cannot handle).