Need help converting PSD to EPS using Illustrator

[rshivers_cp]

Hello everyone!

I'm trying to convert .psd files into an .eps using a batch process in Illustrator. I know you can save a .psd into an .eps in Photoshop, but it ends up flattening most of the image and I need all text to remain editable in Illustrator.

What happens is when I manually open a .psd I can choose to convert Photoshop layers to objects, leaving the text editable and allowing me to flatten transparencies without flattening the entire image and rendering it uneditable. I record the action and then run it as a batch, but it will automatically open the .psd with the layers flattened into a single image. I don't want it to be a single image because when it is printed out the lines and text come out jagged looking, as if there is no anti-alias applied to the image. If I print it out after doing to the process manually the text and lines come out smooth as it should with anti-alias applied to the image. Is there anyone who know how to run a batch where it will open the .psd with the layers converted to objects automatically? I tried opening a file while I was recording the action, but it would only apply the actions to that particular file and just open the rest without applying any of the actions. I know this process may seem a bit much, but this is for a special process we have implemented and this seems to be the only answer at the moment. Any help would be much appreciated!

[Larry G. Schneider]

You're probably going to need to do this by means of a script instead of an action.

[rshivers_cp]

Thanks, you wouldn't happen to know of any good resources for scripting in Illustrator?

[Larry G. Schneider]

You can start here

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/illustrator/scripting/

[rshivers_cp]

Thank you very much. I appreciate your help!

[jonesu]

Just out of interest, why would you want to do it this way? It seems like a lot of work and hassle. Presumably you need the eps files for quark or something?

[rshivers_cp]

We need good quality .eps files so we can convert them over to other formats to be used with other systems (which are open source) that are being put in place. Most files are created in Illustrator, so those files will convert to .eps with no problems at all. The issue we are having are the files that were created in Photoshop that need to be, I don't know if this is the right way to call it, but "grandfathered" into our new system. The problem is the product we need to deliver has to be high quality for a print publication and that is not the result we are getting when saving a .psd into an .eps right from Photoshop. Everytime we print the file it comes out with jagged edges on the text and graphics, as if there is no antialiasing applied to the image. That is unacceptable for our publication. When you say its a hassle you're right. Anyway, maybe we're looking at it from the wrong perspective. If anyone has any better ideas please let me know. I'd be more than happy to go with a simpler solution than what we are doing now.

[rshivers_cp]

Nevermind my last post. We found a solution to help us out in Photoshop that was under our nose the whole time. It was a matter of just clicking on Layer | Type | Convert to Shape with all of the layers selected and the text would become vector objects. Talk about over complicating a simple process. Well, the lesson learned here is to not jump to a complex answer to a problem and learn to relax. Thanks to everyone who looked and offered their advice.

[jonesu]

Just a suggestion - I use this for 'problematic' clients who modify their text/images a lot and in a short space of time. It's cumbersome but it keeps everything editable and easy to keep track of. Personally I export to pdf. Does Opensource not support that format?

Dump your psd file into Illustrator as a background image. Place your type over the image as required, with effects as required. When done, delete the psd file and save the Ai file as is, with editable fonts - no need to outline them or convert effects. Save the psd file as a tiff and place it into a page in Indesign. Place the Ai text file on top of it and export the single Indesign page file as a pdf or eps. Then if someone asks for the text matter - or the image content - to be modified, either part can be very swiftly amended and re-exported out of Indesign, so that your pdf or eps still contains "live" fonts as opposed to vectors, (the advantage being that even the eps/pdf is editable at that point). Indesign recognises that a file has been updated, so you can update the master composite on the fly.

The nice thing about this is that you can assemble multiple composite artwork pages in Indesign and export the whole lot as individual eps files in one batch, or as part batches. And keep a master Indesign job file of the whole shooting match that can be collected into organised folders if you need to. I don't know how Indesign would export psd files to an eps format because I've never tried it. I prefer to flatten a copy to tiff, because then I know there is just one master file with no layers and no chance of a bit falling off somewhere, although there's no real reason why it should!

All the best

[jonesu]

Sorry, just read your first reply again. If you are converting the eps files to other formats, then it may not be a good idea to have "live" fonts kicking about in there anyway. For the simple reason that the other formats are not perhaps able to read the type of font information embedded in it, which would give you your nasty jaggies.

All the best