Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

[pleuroma]

I work on a Mac running Adobe CS3 apps. I have an Adobe Illustrator file from a client that will be going to print. The background of the piece is a linked eps (DCS2) file. I am seeing no preview of this file in Illustrator (it said that I wouldn't see a preview of a DCS in the help menu). I can open the link in Photoshop and it looks fine (CMYK + Spot separations in the channels palette). How will the printer handle this file? Is there another way to adjust the file so that it shows up without losing color information? Also... this file will be going overseas for printing. Is there a workaround for this without losing color information?

Any advice or help is appreciated. Thanks-

 

[alarson]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Quick! Open up into Photoshop and Save as PSD and then update link in InDesign. Export PDF out and the world is a better place.

Quark made DCS format back when the earth cooled.
Adobe is not fond of Quark.
Adobe doesn't give a flying fling flang about updating CS3 to better support DCS. Not ever never.
Adobe has spent a lot of time on the PSD format, as it is a nice vehicle between all the Adobe CS apps.

Run away from DCS if you are in Adobe. Spot colors go through like a rugby team through a keg of beer.

Hope this helps.
Allan Larson

 

[pleuroma]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Hi Allan. Thanks very much for your quick response. Do I have to import to indesign or will this work in illustrator as well?

 

[alarson]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Any link to Illustrator or InDesign can work this way. I am assuming you have external links for the file accessible.

Works peachy keen for spot colors too, not just good old CMYK boring stuff.

Cheers,
AL

 

[WharfRat]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Personally ...
I would save as a Photoshop PDF (.pdp) file
As far as Adobe is concerned -
that would be the appropriate workflow.

MSD

 

[beermonster]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

save the file as a psd, that's the best way.

it will play nicely with illustrator and indesign too, and if you need to edit it at all it's just an image and easy to do too

 

[alang66]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

I would agree with MSD on the PDF. The trouble with .psd files is that ID and AI both split the image up into thousands of pieces when going out to PDF. This in itself wouldn't be a problem if no hairline gaps ever showed up but they do. Only yesterday, I put a file through that had a placed EPS. Proof came out with fine white hairlines running through it. Seems to be anything that contains JPEG compression going out to PDF and I can only assume psd uses JPEG compression. We use PDF with JPEG2000 compression and images stay intact when exported as PDF from AI or ID.
Downside is, colour preview doesn't show spot channels unless overprint preview is switched on.

 

[beermonster]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

not in mine they dont

are you also assuming the file will be supplied as a pdf at the end, as well as assuming psd uses jpeg?

i use psd files all day long, and sometimes when i need to do a composite layout of an illy file in indesign (with other indesign bits) i'll pdf right out of illy (even though i can place or copy paste between the two) and drop that into indy and all in the world is good.

i have no issues whatsoever with indy or illy - or photoshop - creating the "stitching" - which typically occurs where transparency exists (not always though)

but thats just my set up and how things go here - if it works your way excellent

 

[pleuroma]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

First, thanks for all the advice.

I tried converting the original linked eps (dcs 2.0) files to psds and then relinked them into my file. It works fine as long as I have the file open right after relinking but if I close the file and reopen it, I get the error " Cannot finish previewing". It turns out that it is only the images layer with the linked files that cannot preview correctly. Any ideas on this? I am not sure what I am missing here. Again, thanks for the advice.

Chad

 

[beermonster]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

not sure without seeing your file, but it's either an embedded file it can't find, or it sees another file type it can't preview - or maybe there's a graphic frame left over causing that..

anyway - when you relink the image, try not to "relink" as such - but import the new image (the new psd) onto a new layer and make sure you delete the old image and its frame

may or may not help - like i say - without seeing the file its a toughie

 

[beermonster]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

edit: i said embedded file it cant find - i meant a linked file

 

[WharfRat]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Not that it would matter in this case
but
.psd files will not retain vectors when placing into InDesign.
I believe, they are rasterized upon placement.
Also - Photoshop .eps files will retain their vector information when placed into
InDesign (or other)
but
they can never be opened again in Photoshop without rasterizing the vectors.
Only .pdp files will retain vector info when placed into InDy and exported to .pdf or printed
and also be round trippable with Photoshop.

MSD

 

[leonardr]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

If you have vector and/or text layers in your PSD files, all that information is maintained 100% when placed into InDesign (or Illustrator) AND will also be passed along when exported to PDF downstream.

Leonard

 

[WharfRat]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Since I was told this is not the case
I have not been using .psd files.
I will have to check it out - but, it is good news.
Thanks for the correction.

MSD

 

[javadave]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

Though I have great respect for Leonard and he IS at Adobe, I'm
curious what others might have to say about this statement. I think it
was Claudia McCue that first taught us that only a Photoshop PDF will
result in vector data being maintained in an eventual PDF output of
the file once placed in InDesign. Our own experience and testing has
proven that to be true.

Is what Leonard states new with CS3?

David Wolfe

 

[Guest]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

>but they can never be opened again in Photoshop without rasterizing the vectors.

Leonard,

It isn't clear how your comment relates to the above quote from MSD's message. Please Clarify.

Thanks,

Al

 

[leonardr]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

I was sure that we fixed this in CS3 - but I just tried it (you would think I should have done that before posting - and it does NOT work .

So, Claudia's recommendation stands - if you want vectors/text from PSD->PDF, use Photoshop PDF.

While I was at it, I also imported my test PSD into Illustrator, which happy converted the text layers to AI text blocks, but wouldn't do the same for PSD shape objects. So at least they get 50%.

Leonard
(now to go yell at the InDesign team about this one!)

 

[leonardr]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

I never wrote that, AFAIK...

Leonard

 

[Guest]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

That's right. It was clearly marked as a quotation from MSD's post to which you replied, but your comments did not address that part of his post. So i was asking for your comment on it.

Al

 

[pduperron]

Re: Illustrator and DCS 2.0 trouble.

PSD is really the way to go if you want to import PMS files into Illustrator or InDesign. Make sure your select Preserve Link once you link the new file.

Hope this help...