EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

[bbmeister]

Normally we save a layered .tif file as a EPS or PDF to preserve the vector data of text from photoshop.
The placed HiRez looks gray, (not as a grayscale) when placed in INDD CS2, or CS3. The EPS rips the same, (gray) from INDD. This is definitely a INDD problem. I can drop the EPS and it rips fine. When placed in INDD-nadda!
When setting the display to fast, typical, or high no difference either. Greek images is turned off.

Thanks
bobm


Our rip is Nexus rip 8.5.3.

Edited by: Bob Meister on Jan 14, 2008 8:51 AM

Edited by: Bob Meister on Jan 14, 2008 8:52 AM

 

[bbmeister]

Re: EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

I failed to mention that the placed eps is 248mb, saved from a 501mb layered tif.
Upon further investigation, when I reduce the file 50% in Photoshop. and replicate the process it works. Just a little afterthought. I guess I'll try the Adobe-InDesign forum also.
Thanks
bobm

 

[bluskool]

Re: EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

248MB? Why so large?
If you are going right to a RIP, why do you need to keep the text vector? You should keep a master file with your layers and vectors, but copy the file and flatten it for final print. It seems you are making it way more complicated than it needs to be. A complicated EPS inside another file can definitely cause problems. It kind of sounds like you are saying that you are exporting the ID document as an EPS as well. If that is the case, then that is really complicating things.
As far as it coming out grey from ID, what color settings are you using in ID?

Dan R.

By the way, if you save a layered tiff as a PDF, you are not maintaining any vector data. PDF will flatten your photoshop layers.

 

[leonardr]

Re: EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

If you save a layered PSD or TIFF to PDF from Photoshop, it MAINTAINS all of
your text as actual text.

Leonard

 

[bluskool]

Re: EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

You are right. I did not know that. However, I made a PDF from a PSD that I had that had many layers including two text layers. One of the text layers stayed vector and the other did not. So, there appears to be an exception. The text layer that became rasterized was inside of a group. I can only conclude that text layers inside of groups will be rasterized. So, if that is true, PDF will NOT MAINTAIN ALL your text as text.

Dan R.

 

[bbmeister]

Re: EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

We have always used a pdf or eps as a *placement file only* from Photoshop. This is to retain the vector information. You *cannot* edit the eps, you got to go back to the original layered file and re-save the eps or pdf.

The key here it is a layered *text* file. We have used this technique in the past and it has always worked, rastering the image data and keeping the text as vector. It is just this one file that has been a problem. As far as "248MB? Why so large? " It is what was furnished and we have to deal with it, (I have worked with files much larger than that). It is common knowledge in InDesign to keep files as layers, (ie. ai or pdf). That is why Quark sucks so bad! Flattening the file will raster all of the vector data.

Leonard- Thanks for the input and you're correct. PDF is our normal save-out from Photoshop, but the vector data went a little whacky in this particular file. The text did not convert correctly . The PDF cut some roundness out of the text causing white to show through. There should be no white showing. (see attachment).
Thanks

 

[bluskool]

Re: EPS ripping gray (not grayscale)-INDD

You must be doing very large format printing if your file is that large. That may be the case, you did not say.

If you are not, well, I don't know what to tell you then. My first guess just by looking at the problems in the clip of your PDF, even if I didn't know how big your file was, would be an overly complicated file. There is some banding and, of course, the white spot you were talking about. If you were to flatten it, you would see any problems then. When you send it through the RIP, you are rasterizing the thing anyway, so the only real difference with flattening first is that you will know what you have before it prints. I would ( and do) advise anyone to not rasterize if they are sending their files to me or to any off site printer (it is always best to leave it as flexible as possible.) I suggested that to you because I believed you were the printer. If you are preparing this document right for print, then keeping it as simple as possible will help you avoid the problems you are having. But don't take my word for it, just try it. Flatten the file, put it in your document and RIP it. If the Flattened file (which I would keep as a tiff) looks good in your document, it should(provided everything else is done correctly and color management is considered) look the same when it prints. It should make no difference in quality if you keep that text vector or you rasterize it (unless there is something done to it after it is rasterized).

9 times out of 10 your EPS files that contain vector data will cause no problems at all, but if they do, I would rasterize it. Worst case scenario I am wrong and you have to try something else, no harm done. Best case scenario, your problem is solved without sacrificing one bit of quality at all, and you will know how to handle this in the future. I don't believe there is any harm in trying Bob.

Best of luck to you,

Dan R.