Illustrator saving artboards as separate EPS files

[YamRam]

I'm using AI CC 2018. When I save an EPS file, it saves each artboard as a separate EPS file. I just want one EPS file as usual.

I can't seem to simply hit Save, to just save the artwork. Each time I click Save, it saves all 5 artboards as separate EPSs.

It says "Some of the files already exist in the target location. The files marked below will be replaced." The only option is to click "Replace" or close that window and not save . Upon clicking Replace, I get 5 EPS files, 1 for each artboard.

How can I save the entire file, all artboards, as one single EPS file as usual?

Thanks

[Bill Silbert]

When you save for the first time or when doing a Save As you will get an option to "Save each artboard to a separate file" which if you leave it unchecked (as in screen shot below) it will save all of the artboards as a single file.

[Bill Silbert]

Sorry, I just realized that what I just told you in my first post applies to saving the document as an .ai. If you try and save it as an .eps that option is not present. However, a test I just did with CC 2018 still saved the .eps file with all of the artboards intact. It just does not give you the option to save as separate artboards. The reason that I automatically wrote the first post the way that I did is that in the year 2018 .eps is not a recommended format for saving Illustrator files anymore. It is considered an antiquated format which should only be used if a vendor is absolutely insisting on it.

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

If, as you say, it is saving the artboards separately then it may be a problem with your Illustrator preferences having corrupted. You might want to try trashing them to see if the problem persists.

To do so:

For Macintosh Users: With Illustrator closed launch a Finder Window in column view and click on your home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the following two files and delete them: “Adobe Illustrator <Version #> Settings” (earlier versions of Illustrator might just say “Adobe Illustrator”) and “com.adobe.Illustrator.plist”. When Illustrator is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

For Windows Users: You can try the quick way of resetting on a PC which is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching Illustrator and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset. There have been some recent reports that the window asking if you want to reset is not popping up but that the prefs are being reset anyway. If this works great but if it doesn’t you may have to manually delete them.

To do so:

On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator [version number]\ Settings\<Language>. Make sure that Illustrator is closed when you do this. When you relaunch the program it will create  new preference files and the program will be at its default settings.

The advantage of manually deleting preference files is that after you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, you can create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

[YamRam]

I see. I'll give that a try, thanks.

But, I've heard for a while that EPS isn't ideal, but it's still in use. I import a lot of Illustrator files into InDesign, and an EPS seems to be the best format for that, no?

[Monika Gause]

YamRam  schrieb

I import a lot of Illustrator files into InDesign, and an EPS seems to be the best format for that, no?

No, definitely not.

In InDesign you can place PDF or even better AI with embedded PDF (you achieve that by selecting the PDF compatible option when saving an AI file.

Placing an EPS in InDesign might cause some crazy errors

[YamRam]

Really? For over 10 years, I've been strictly importing EPS, since AI was problematic for a long time, and the printers preferred EPS.

Seems like the newer versions of CC allows for importing AI directly as you said - Thank you!

[Monika Gause]

YamRam  schrieb

Seems like the newer versions of CC allows for importing AI directly as you said - Thank you!

Since version CS2 this is the preferred way actually. I have practiced it that way since then and never had a problem. Printers get a PDF, they don't even know what kind of file type I use.

[Bill Silbert]

Actually, .ai has been the preferred way to bring Illustrator into InDesign since the earliest days of InDesign. That is because an .ai file maintains all of the Illustrator file's native attributes including transparency which InDesign fully recognizes. In fact the earliest selling point for InDesign over QuarkXpress was that InDesign was capable of total integration with Illustrator and Photoshop. EPS had existed as a format because Quark, which was not owned by Adobe, did not possess the codes to be able to recognize native Illustrator files but it could see an "Encapsulated Postscript". Back in those days entire backgrounds sometimes had to be done in Illustrator when transparency was involved and then put in either the bottom layer or sent to the back when brought into the Quark file. InDesign's ability to recognize the .ai was a huge improvement to workflow.

I do know that there are still some vendors out there who ask for EPS files but I have found that when questioned about it they will usually admit that it is just because it is what they have always used and will actually have no problem accepting an .ai (and in many cases a PDF).