Images Placed into Illustrator Remaining Vector?

grantserafy,

To head it back, EPS is generally considered long outdated, and its being included in catchall deliveries of (more than/about) 20 formats is more a matter of allowing its compatibility with old equipment than of celebrating its limitations.

You may wish to reread the exquisite first paragraph in the second post by Scott.

Save (a Copy, if you wish to avoid any danger of downgrading your artwork) As PDF is the main way, and the way that AI is built to use (in a distant past it was EPS), and the best when applicable.

So EPS > PDF for non raster use (unless EPS is specifically required or as a catchall, but always include PDF).

grantserafy,

The SVG is used for web and similar uses, so very limited as compared to the full AI format,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Vector_Graphics

so it should only be used for such purposes in cases where it is preferable to the raster formats PNGs and (animated) GIFs.

grantserafy,

Two suggestions:

To drop the EPS format and just use AI with full quality and editability.

Here is one way to illustrate the (re)creation are pure vector artwork, to replace the MOTR image:

1) Using the Rectangle Tool, create a fill/nostroke square with W and H = the W and H of the circle that is to mask it, then (using the Align palette, first select both and then click the key object (circle)) Align it both ways with the circle;

2) Give the square a vertical Gradient (90 degrees linear), use the end stops in the Gradient palette and insert the colours at the very top and bottom (you can reverse the angle if you get it wrong);

Now you have the background corresponding to the pale stripes;

3) Create a fill/nostroke rectangle with the same W value as in 1) and an H value equalling the height of the (darker) stripes and (using the Align palette, first select both and then click the key object (square)) Align it both ways with the bottom of the square from 1), then Alt/Option+Shift+ClickDrag it by the top left Anchor Point to snap to the top left Anchor Point of the square;

Now you have the bottom and top stripes;

4) Object>Blend>Blend Options set Spacing to Specified Steps and set the number to the total number of greenish blue stripes less 2 (you already have the top and bottom ones, then Object>Blend>Make, then Object>Blend>Expand;

Now you have all the stripes as a Group of separate paths;

5) Ctrl/Cmd+8 to turn the Group of stripes into a Compound Path which acts as a single path;

6) Give the Compound Path from 5) a Gradient in the same way as described in 2), only between the greenish blue colours at top and bottom.

7) Select both the square from 2) and the Compound Path from 6) and Ctrl/Cmd+G to Group them;

This will give you a set of soft vertical gradients over the horizontal stripes, still in the shape of a square;

8 ) Select the masking circle mentioned in 1) (you can select it in the Layers palette) and Ctrl/Cmd+X+F to bring it to the very top of the stacking order (at the top in the expanded Layer), then ShiftClick the Group from 7) to also select that and Ctrl/Cmd+7 to create a Clipping Mask;

Now you have masked the stripes, but you still have the invisible parts outside the circle;

9) Object>Flatten Transparency to get rid of the outlying parts and have the Clipping Mask as a Group, then with the Direct Selection Tool Click the circle to select it (or select in within the expanded Group in the Layers palette) and reapply the desired Stroke (Weight and Color).

With this, you have the striped circle within the stroked circle, with no unneeded parts outside, as pure native AI vector artwork, created right there on the spot as part of the logo.

grantserafy,

"I Expanded that Search & Placement text but on Command Y it shows up with outline instead of solid black....confusing."

That is just normal behaviour: when you Type>Create Outlines or Expand, you create Compound Paths, and you see the paths bounding the letters which appear hollow.

"To add image to logo properly:
1. Image trace image with the following settings...

a.

b.

c.

2. Expand it

3. Save it as png

4. Place in logo"

a. - c. depend on the raster artwork, no catchall.

3. Save it as png brings it back to being a raster image, thereby completely desrtroying/undoing the Image Trace. Use (the desired part(s) of) the object(s) directly, just as any other vector artwork in the document.

To add shape to logo properly:

1. Add shape

2. Expand it

2. Expand it is only desirably in some cases; in many cases it is better to leave it as it is.

grantserafy,

Concerning PS and AI, unless you are after irregular/photolike/hand drawn appearances, in many cases  you may be happier if you redraw/reinterpret/start over in the native AI vector ways (Pen Tool and friends). And in many cases, tracing a raster image only replaces pixelation with another irregularity where a cleaner appearance will be far better. So the lack of pixelation is only a sign of vectorization, not necessarily of quality.

Concerning logo files, just do as Scott says; it is far better to ask him.

grantserafy,

"seems like you are indicating SVG best format and that it would then retain vector quality."

Far from it, maybe I ought to have written more clearly that both formats are limited (reduced usability and quality) although both will give vector artwork in this case (EPS, like AI, can contain both vector and raster artwork, but an image trace is vector).

When you have performed the Image Trace, you have full quality and full usability vector artwork which you can work with just like you can work with anything else you create in the AI document (when you have expanded it (Object>Image Trace>Expand)), so you can just move it to where you need it, copy it (in the same Layer or into another Layer, change colours, edit paths, apply transparency and effects, and whatnot. It simply becomes just another part of the artwork you are creating.

Hence my question.

You are welcome, grantserafy.

Is there any reason at all to even consider anything but using the traced image as it is and retaining its full quality and usability?

Both EPS and SVG are for quite different purposes, the former generally considered long outdated.