[Solved] EPS files - importing and export to PDF

[qkrijger]

Hi all,

I figured this would be a basic question with documentation on it that was easy to find - alas.

I would like to use OOo to write letters and invoices for my small company. So I would like to create a letter template with a good heading. For this, I am trying to insert my logo as EPS (I do not want to use a pincure, as often the letter wont be printed, but sent digitally). However, writer seems to use only the bitmap preview file (for an EPS with a preview, that is). This is also the case when exporting to PDF, which is the format in which I want to communicate with my clients.

If we figure the methods for this out here, it should be added to the guide I believe. And the FAQ, I could do the faq myself, but I think myself to nooby to do anything with the guide

Thanks

[acknak]

OOo cannot export the vector form of an EPS graphic to PDF, so you always get the preview image in that case.

You can workaround that by using something other than OOo to generate the PDF: You can install a so-called "PDF printer"--a printer driver that looks like a printer to applications but generates PDF files instead of paper output. Or, you can use OOo's "print to file" option to get Postscript output which you can then use other software to convert to PDF.

A better solution is to avoid EPS. Get a version of your graphic as either an OOo Draw graphic, or a metafile of some type that OOo supports (e.g. WMF or EMF). I doubt there's any way to do a clean file conversion; I usually just re-create the graphic by hand. If that's not practical, then you'll have to make do with EPS.

The limitations of OOo when using EPS graphics are well-known, but I don't know if they're actually documented anywhere.

[qkrijger]

Thanks for your answer Acknak

I solved the problem a bit. That is, I used WMF format (a first for everything...) and redid the text elements in Writer. However, this solution is of course not ideal. I don't really get it, I mean, when really using PDF (as OOo does) isn't it logical to implement good EPS support? I mean, EPS is the vector based file format, is it not? Is this something for the future, or won't it ever be implemented? And SVG?

When using LaTeX, EPS is used for dvi/ps files, and PDFs for a PDF. Isn't it easy to implement graphic import of a PDF file? Or is there some elementary limiting factor that I don't understand?

Just thinking out loud here Couldn't find these questions answered on the forum.
Anyway, this info might be added to the supported file format list (which now only states EPS is supported).

Greetings!

[acknak]

Better handling of EPS graphics has been requested, and there is fairly strong interest in it, but it's a thorny area for OOo to deal with. See: Issue 14163: EPS content is not exported to pdf properly, among others.

You can register there and add your vote (up to two) or comment.

You may already know that EPS files use Postscript internally to represent the graphical information. The problem with Postscript is that it is more than a graphics data format, it is a complete programming language. So, converting the Postscript part of an EPS graphic to something else is not a simple problem at all. The only method for doing such a conversion--that I'm aware of--uses Ghostscript, which is a huge, complex piece of software, and even that can't always make a perfect conversion. Adding that kind of capability to OOo is just not practical.

OOo already can use Ghostscript--if it's installed--to create an EPS preview image (if necessary); maybe, down the road, OOo will use it for converting EPS to PDF also, but for now, that function is not available.

I don't know specifically how TeX deals with EPS, but I suspect it depends on Ghostscript as well.

[qkrijger]

Thanks. I voted on it, and replied with the wish for support of a vector based file format support compatible with most design software.

[acknak]

Great. Thanks for taking time to follow up.

[ptram]

But -- is there any vector graphic format that OOo can export to PDF? I tried with the various saving options in Drawn but Writer seems to not recognize any of the saved/exported formats of Draw.

Paolo

[acknak]

Well, OOo's native graphics are exported as vectors; possibly the metafiles (EMF/WMF) also, but I can't say for sure.

[ptram]

The problem is that .odg files, generated by Draw, cannot be imported/linked in Writer. Or am I doing the wrong operation, when choosing Import > Image > From File?

Another problem is that I don't seem to be able to edit an imported .eps file in Draw. But this might not be a problem, if this is not only a preview, and Draw allows for saving the full .eps instructions with its .odg.

Paolo

[wbk]

The problem is that .odg files, generated by Draw, cannot be imported/linked in Writer. Or am I doing the wrong operation, when choosing Import > Image > From File?

Not wrong perhaps, but I get better results if I use insert > object > OLE object and then browse for the odg instead of creating something new.

[acknak]

It's all a bit of a mess, I'm afraid. There's no option (that I've found so far) that "just works" for all the usual things you need to do with a document--all approaches have their good and bad points.

This post: http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... 36#p115836 lists some possibilities.

[mgagnonlv]

Hi,

An easy workaround for the original poster. If you have access to Illustrator, export the .eps logo in the .png format. If you export it at 300 dpi, you will get something as crisp as the original eps file for anything but professional printing.