Postscript level 2 and level 3

[sPretzel]

Hi,

My question relates to an EPS file generated from Illustrator. Please advise if I'm better off asking this question in the Acrobat forum.

When saving as Illustrator EPS from AI, the popup menu gives a choice between PostScript LanguageLevel 2 and PostScript LanguageLevel 3. I have several questions.

1- What is the default setting for this when saving from AI: level 2 or 3?

2- For a previously saved file as eps, how can I find out if it was saved as level 2 or level 3?

3- What is the safest for print? Level 2 or level 3? In other words, which is least likely to encounter problems in a printshop?

4- What are the main advantages/drawbacks of one over the other?

This is for CS4.

Thank you.

[Monika Gause]

The main problem is a printshop asking for an EPS.

Level 3 is more modern and allows Smooth Shades. If they don't have equipment to process level 3, then maybe ask if you can speak to Mr Gutenberg.

[sPretzel]

Hi Monika. I'm the one embedding it in my files. The printshop is not asking for it. But I'd rather be safe than sorry.

It looks as though the default in AI is Level 2 when saving as Illustrator EPS. I did read up a bit on Level 3 and see that it allows 4096 shades of grey vs. 256 for Level 2, which is also what you are saying. Perhaps I will cautiously move to Level 3 in the future.

Do you know how I can find out if an existing eps file is Level 2 or Level 3? I did not see any information about that in the file properties.

[Monika Gause]

So you are saving EPS and then?

And what are you delivering to the printshop?

[sPretzel]

PDF. Any chance of finding out if an eps file is Level 2 or Level 3?

[Monika Gause]

What are you doing with the EPS files?

Placing them in InDesign? Or Illustrator? What is your workflow? Depending on your workflow it might not even matter.

[sPretzel]

At this point, I'm only looking to see what an existing eps file (by itself) is saved at, Level 2 or Level 3. Nevermind the context or what the file is for. As I said, I haven't been able to see this information in the properties of the file. The properties just say EPS.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Open it in a text editor. There is an attribute "Language Level". Some editors might not write it into the file.

[Kurt Gold]

The "LanguageLevel" entry is not reliable in terms of a unique indicator and the entire entry may be missing at all or comes with a different name, depending on the .eps file one is using.

Sometimes the entry that shows the EPS level version is actually called "Version", but as far as I can remember there may be some different terms as well.

[sPretzel]

Great Monika. I tried it with eps files I created with AI and the text file shows the language level. It is labelled "LanguageLevel", as you said.

Thanks Kurt. Good to know.