This program is a drop-and-drag utility written for System 7. I do not expect it to work under earlier system releases. This program is SHAREWARE and has a modest shareware fee of $10. If you find this software useful in your work or personal environment please send your shareware contribution so that I may continue eating. All versions of EPS Bleeder may be distributed as long as this READ ME file tags along for the ride and as long as no fee is received by anyone other than me for its distribution. If you intend to include it is as part of a “collection of shareware or freeware” you must notify me in writing first to get approval. This software may not be given or sold to any company’s customers unless written permission is secured from me first. Whew...how’s that for red tape? Oh yeah, I reserve all rights for this program. If anyone has suggestions or has a new EPS file format that needs parsed, just drop me a copy of the EPS code and I’ll make sure you get an updated version with the new search code in place. I do not make any claims to the suitability of this software to perform any action on any file other than those described in this READ ME file. If you use this program, you do so of your own free will and I will not be responsible for any conceivable damage it may do to your computer or your files (hopefully, it won’t). There...that’s quite enough.
USAGE
If you need to print an EPS file created with QuarkXPress 3.1, QuarkXPress 3.11, Adobe Illustrator 3.0.1, Adobe Illustrator 3.2, FreeHand 3.1 or Adobe PhotoShop 2.0.1 through Aldus PrePrint or Aldus PressWise, but still keep your bleeds, then this is your program. EPS Bleeder examines the source EPS file or files, determines whether or not it can enlarge the bleed area (if it is a recognized EPS format), and writes a new document in place of the old with the enlarged bleed area.
HOW TO USE
If you double-click (open) the program directly, you are presented with a configuration dialog box that lets you set all four bleed parameters: top bleed, left bleed, right bleed and bottom bleed. All values are in points, with positive values indicating an enlarged bleed and negative values indicating a reduced bleed. The default bleed for all sides is 9 points (1/8th inch). If you press the “Reset” button, all bleeds will be set to the default amount.
To process one or more EPS files with EPS Bleeder, select your files in the Finder, shift-clicking to select more than one, if necessary. When all your source files are selected, drag them to the EPS Bleeder program icon so that it becomes highlighted, then release the mouse button.
EPS Bleeder now displays a movable modeless status box indicating the following information: 1. number of files left to process (including the current file), 2. the name of the current file being processed, 3. a progress thermometer that shows the completedness of the current file.
You can click the “Stop” button or type command-period at any time to halt the bleed enlargement process. If there is a file being processed, it will be aborted and all remaining files will be preserved in their original format. All files that have been successfully converted will remain so.
WARNINGS:
EPS Bleeder writes over the original EPS file to conserve disk space, but does so in a way that the process is reverted if there are any problems along the way. Do not run an EPS file through the EPS Bleeding process if you plan to place the EPS into a page layout program. The “bled” file is saved as a text-only format which should prevent you from accidentally doing so, but I know people can sometimes be creative. Converted files have no picture preview and have been altered to be suitable only for pre-press applications such as Aldus PrePrint and Aldus PressWise.
PROGRAM SPECIFICS:
QuarkXPress 3.1 and FreeHand 3.1—Original bounding box remains intact. EPS Bleeder finds the master clipping rectangle in the EPS code and modifies it according to the bleeds set in the configuration dialog box.
Adobe Illustrator 3.0.1 and Adobe Photoshop 2.0.1—Original bounding box is altered to allow items to bleed when a positive bleed value is set in the configuration dialog box. As such, the actual page size is reduced. This is opposite to the method used for QuarkXPress 3.1 and Freehand 3.1 bleeds where the page size remains the same and items extending from the page are allowed to bleed.
REVISION HISTORY
EPS Bleeder 1.3: One thing was changed from version 1.2: Added support for QuarkXPress 3.1.1.
EPS Bleeder 1.2: Two things were changed from version 1.1: 1. Added support for Adobe Illustrator 3.2 EPS files. 2. Enlarged the “Problem File” dialog to allow for larger file names (cosmetic fix).
EPS Bleeder 1.1: Three things were changed from verion 1.0: 1. The status dialog box is repositioned to the main screen (the one with the menu bar) if less than 36 pixels of all edges are visible (if someone with a big monitor pulled it way too far off the edge for your little monitor), 2. The zeroes to the right of the decimal place of each converted number have been removed to avoid problems with QuarkXPress 3.1 EPS files, and 3. A small cosmetic fix was performed to the left edge of the progress thermometer to avoid erasing that edge in between processing files.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Nathan Dickson, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. EST, (614) 487-2813.
