'Map art' problems

[PaulBill]

I'm trying to add graphics to three faces of a rectangular cube (a pack design) in Illustrator CC. The images are eps files and once placed in Illustrator, I'm embedding them and dropping them into Symbols.

When I try and select one of the images on the Illustrator file, it's noticeable that there is a large (invisible) border around the image that extends a long way to the left and the right.

Consequently, when I select that image in 3D Extrude & Bevel > Map Art, I have to move the file around to try and position the image in place on the face of the pack, though the handles of the image are not on the four corners of the image (nowhere near, in fact). This is where the problems start - often, the file simply won't move and jumps back to where it was originally. I cannot position the images to line up with the relevant face on the pack.

Am I doing something wrong? Sorry if this is difficult to understand, but what should be a simple operation is proving a nightmare.

Many thanks for any help.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Try and rasterize those images before making them symbols. Those can also be cropped easily.

ALso: you might want to give Adobe Dimension a try. It's made for producing mockups.

[Eugenio.NYC]

The EPS files are vector base or pixels?

Could you open the EPS files instead?

Maybe if you share a screenshot we can understand more

Best

E

[barbara_a]

Assuming the art is vector, you could try:

• Select the object and Object > Clipping Mask > Release, Then delete the "invisible" rectangle

And / Or

• Object > Compound Path > Release. Then delete the "invisible" rectangle

You might need to release more than once to get down to the rectangle.

[PaulBill]

Hi all - thank you very much for your help and suggestions.

The images are raster files, but it appears to be the fact that they're eps files that Map Art doesn't like. I've saved them as JPEGs and all is fine.

I gave Dimension CC a quick try, but need to spend more time with it. Any image I called in (as JPEGs this time) appeared as 'mirror' images so any text within the graphic was back to front. I couldn't find any way of flipping them, but as I say, I need to spend more time with it. It all appeared to be a bit clunky to me, but hey, I'm only paying a monthly fee to use this software now, what more should I expect?

Anyway, my initial problem is solved - thank you all again for your replies.