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Author Topic: how to make EPS files small  (Read 20324 times)

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« on: October 03, 2008, 06:55 »
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ok.. i am a newb at illustrations.  I have just made on in illustrator and am trying to save the EPS file for shutterstock.  They say the max file size they want is 5mb, but mine is 16mb.  How can i make it smaller ???

should i be flattening the vector somehow when i am done?
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 07:00 by leaf »


« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2008, 07:05 »
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I guess that you have used transparent elements or opacity on objects to get the file size so large. These things must be avoided because they are not supported in Illustrator 8. Try using gradients or gradient mesh's to get the same effect. Also avoid things like drop shadows.

« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2008, 07:07 »
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.... oh... :(

I used drop shadow and transparency ... i guess that could be the problem.

« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2008, 07:18 »
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Easy mistake to make...

To get round the drop shadow issue try duplicating the (button etc) add a gradient to it and slightly off set it from the original. It takes a bit of trial and error but you can get some good effects. (fade 50-30% black to white)

The transparent effect can be achieved again with a bit of trial and error but try using the pathfinder tool to divide the element up and add gradients to it. Try duplicating the objects add transparency to it then try copying it with the method above...then obviously delete the transparent element.

« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2008, 07:42 »
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how about things like gaussian blur, and inner glow?  do they cause the same problem?

and when you are talking transparency you mean the opacity slider right?  we can't use that in AI8 files?

and how about blending modes??? :(
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 07:58 by leaf »

« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2008, 08:29 »
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Gaussian blur, inner glow etc all get turned to bitmap but worse than that they turn anything that they intersect with to bitmap.

The same thing happens to transparency or blend modes.

Obviously you can use all of these things but then save the file as a jpeg and not upload the eps file but it does defeat the object.

Also be careful with the 3d tool, you can use it but not with shading and remember to expand the element before saving it and clean it up....you end up with stray points and parts that you can't see because they are the back (or would be if you could see them).

« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2008, 09:22 »
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It is all the difficulty with vectors: you can only use a fraction of  the features provided by Illustrator and you must carefully check your EPS for any "forbidden object" (bitmap, open paths etc.)

It is somehow frustrating indeed  :-\

« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2008, 09:35 »
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The transparent effect can be achieved again with a bit of trial and error but try using the pathfinder tool to divide the element up and add gradients to it. Try duplicating the objects add transparency to it then try copying it with the method above...then obviously delete the transparent element.

can you break that down for me a bit more.. i am totally lost on how this is supposed to work ???

« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2008, 10:09 »
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The way I learnt was to pull apart other peoples work, try and figure out how they achieved the look I was after.

The pathfinder tool has 10 different tools each allowing you to chop/intersect an element. It is hard to explain here how each one works here but the little icons are self explanatory....just overlap two shapes and press each icon in turn to see what they do.

Try searching for a turturial on creating buttons.

jsnover

« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2008, 10:32 »
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You should do a bit of reading in the IS illustrator forum as there are lots of threads there about (a) what you have to avoid in making a compatible EPS8 file and (b) how to simulate transparency without using any of the effects or blend modes to do it. Even if you're only uploading to SS, the rules are pretty much the same from a technical standpoint and there are tons of other illustrators who've run into the same issues you're now grappling with.

CofkoCof

« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2008, 10:50 »
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Might be helpful:
http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41295&highlight=transparent
http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45067&highlight=transparent

I sometimes do the traparencies like this: first I use them, then I save the colors of different positions (with the eyedropper). Then I remove the tranparecies and add a normal gradient and adjust the colors to the ones that I saved before. But mostly I can get the gradient with just a few tries.

Drop shadow can be easily done with a white to gray blend.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 10:54 by CofkoCof »

« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2008, 11:29 »
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thanks for the links.  I have been searching for the last few hours on tutorials and the link and have been rather unsuccessful in finding anything.  :(  very frustrating.  Sometimes google is magic and gives in the answer in 2 seconds, other times it makes me go crazy.

anyhow, i read those shutterstock threads - and have one more question.
Can you do a gradient from a color to invisible?  otherwise I can't quite figure out how they get the reflection in the last step of this example


which  bluecherrygfx posted in the shutterstock thread.

Oh yeah, and I read that IS doesn't accept radial gradients???? what is that about?... all the tools that i am figuring out how to finally use are getting taken away from me :(
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 11:31 by leaf »

CofkoCof

« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2008, 11:39 »
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You put an elipse over the rounded rectangle, you duplicate rounded rectangle, intersect the rectangle and elipse and then you make the gradient on the elepse go from light blue to white. About the reflection: it is a fliped duplicate of the button, then the gradient is adjusted so it goes white fast and blends to the white background.

EDIT: Rype did a tutorial about it (great tutorial blog btw):
http://vectips.com/tutorials/shiny-buttons-without-blends-or-transparencies-in-illustrator/

Drop shadows:
http://vectips.com/tutorials/create-non-raster-drop-shadows/
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 11:50 by CofkoCof »

« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2008, 12:54 »
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then the gradient is adjusted so it goes white fast and blends to the white background.


but is that a white to invisible gradient?.. i can't figure out how to do a color to an invisible gradient - or is it even possible?

CofkoCof

« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2008, 13:01 »
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then the gradient is adjusted so it goes white fast and blends to the white background.


but is that a white to invisible gradient?.. i can't figure out how to do a color to an invisible gradient - or is it even possible?
You can do white to invisible gradient but it wont save nicely in the eps. Show us what you are trying to do and maybe we can figure it out.

« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2008, 16:48 »
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I am trying to figure out how to do the very last step in that example with the blue speech bubble.  Getting the reflection of the button on the 'ground' and making it fade to white - i can't figure out how that is not a layer with graduated opacity.

« Reply #16 on: October 03, 2008, 17:13 »
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The reflection is not a gradient to invisible: you cannot use transparency thus no "invisible" is allowed.

This is only a gradient from light blue to white which mimic an opacity layer.



« Reply #17 on: October 03, 2008, 18:28 »
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ahh yeah, ok got it.. sorry i am slow :(

light blue to white, and then the speech bubble on top.

« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2008, 20:31 »
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...Also be careful with the 3d tool, you can use it but not with shading and remember to expand the element before saving it and clean it up....you end up with stray points and parts that you can't see because they are the back (or would be if you could see them).
Thanks. I spent half the day today playing with the 3D Effect and thought I had done some stuff worth submitting. I expanded them, saved them as EPS8 and everything seemed ok, not too big a file. Then I happened to read this thread and went back and reloaded my images. About a thousand open paths! I had forgotten to check for that. I read this post thinking to help someone and I got help.

« Reply #19 on: October 07, 2008, 08:34 »
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ok, new puzzle for you.

How about this image
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-17436841.html

can that be done without transparency.  That top most 'white' reflection seems like it would be tough to do without transparency.. maybe it is possible with a half moon and oval shape put together with two gradients but it seems like it would be quite a challenge to get the colors to match up nicely
« Last Edit: October 07, 2008, 08:36 by leaf »

CofkoCof

« Reply #20 on: October 07, 2008, 08:54 »
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ok, new puzzle for you.

How about this image
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-17436841.html

can that be done without transparency.  That top most 'white' reflection seems like it would be tough to do without transparency.. maybe it is possible with a half moon and oval shape put together with two gradients but it seems like it would be quite a challenge to get the colors to match up nicely

Well nicemonkey can asnwer you for sure, but I'll also give it a try:
- the biggest circle looks like a linear gradient from top to bottom (cyan to a bit darker blue)
- on top of it is a bit squished circle with the same gradient, just that it's radial this time (starting from center)
- the glossy moon on the top is linear gradient from top to bottom (white to light cyan)
- the glossy shape under the moon is a radial gradient (cyan to light cyan, center is at the bottom of the shape). The light cyan of this shape has to be similar to light cyan of the moon shape.

Experiment with the colors and dragging the gradients to acchieve the desired effect (trial and error, like nicemonkey said). You can also use the trick I described earlier. Make it with transperencies, then save the colors and use them on the non transperent shapes. This way it's easier to make those colors match.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2008, 08:59 by CofkoCof »

« Reply #21 on: October 07, 2008, 09:02 »
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Yes this image was created with just simple straight forward gradients and some experimenting with the path finder tool. The drop shadow is simply a gradient faded to white placed behind the button

« Reply #22 on: October 07, 2008, 09:48 »
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ok i think i understand... back to testing things out.

thanks for all the help.

« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2009, 13:13 »
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Wow this is an old thread...

I'm confused now.  It seems everything above states that you cannot use transparencies, but the IS forums and the "are you compatible" article state that transparencies can be used as long as they're flattened.  Which one is it?

« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2009, 14:29 »
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If you "flatten" the transparency it will rasterise (bitmap) the image and thus make it uneditable. Obviously you can then save the file as a jpeg but that kind of defeats the point of creating illustrations.


 

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