Artemis Software was founded with the goal of delivering elegant software solutions to specific real world computing problems. We heartily embrace the notion that when it comes to software, "less is more." If a particular feature is not obviously and instantly useful to 90% of a product's users, then we believe it should not be occupying their precious RAM and disk space, or cluttering up the product's human interface.
About Our Shareware Policy
We offer our products to users electronically on a shareware basis. This lowers our costs dramatically and allows us to charge as little as 10% of what the product would cost if sold commercially. Additionally, customers have the opportunity to try the package out before paying for it, rather than the other way around. However, this method only works when customers are diligent about sending in their license fees. Keep in mind that you may exercise this software for a period of 30 days to ensure that it suits your needs. If you decide to continue using the product beyond the 30 day trial period, you must send the designated license fee to Artemis Software.
You may also provide unregistered unmodified copies of this software to others for evaluation under this policy. You must provide the complete package as you received it, including but not limited to any and all documentation.
About epsConverter™
Simply put, epsConverter is an application that can read any portable EPS file (Encapsulated PostScript® file) and convert it into an Adobe Illustrator™ compatible EPS file, suitable for editing with Illustrator, or for importing into any application that can read Illustrator files.
You may be wondering, "what might be the advantage of converting from one EPS format to another?" To answer that question, we must first clear up the current confusion among users about just what an EPS file is.
Technically, an EPS file is a single page document consisting of a PostScript representation of the page's text and graphics structured according to a specific set of rules known as the document structuring conventions. These rules allow applications to place the EPS file into another page without knowing anything about the actual contents of the EPS data. They also allow savvy applications to scale or rotate the placed image.
However, a placed EPS file is essentially a black box to the incorporating application. In other words, the application really has no idea what the PostScript code in the EPS file represents. To get around this, many EPS files contain a low resolution preview image which allows the application to give the user some idea of what the file looks like. The preview can also be used to give the user feedback when scaling or rotating the image. But users still cannot edit the individual elements of the EPS file, such as the graphics and text objects that are there, or the colors, line weights, patterns, etc. These features of the file are essentially "locked" for all time. Contrast this with actually importing the data from one file into another file, in which case the imported file's objects are available for full editing. Finally, when it comes time to print, if you don't happen to have a PostScript-equipped printer, the low resolution preview image is scaled and sent to the printer. This usually produces poor results.
Now that we have working definitions of the terms EPS, place, and import, we can see that user confusion stems from improper usage of terminology. First, many applications claim that they can import EPS files, when actually they can only place EPS files. Second, applications that can actually import Illustrator files claim to be able to import EPS files. This is a subtle point, because although Illustrator files are in fact EPS files, the reverse is not true. An Illustrator file is actually a vastly simplified form of EPS file which is much simper to read and import.
Now to finally answer the question... epsConverter will indeed import any portable EPS file and convert it into an Adobe Illustrator™ compatible EPS file. Then, any application which can import Illustrator files (and there are many) will be able to fully edit the contents of the file. An option allows generation of the appropriate EPS headers, so converted files may also be placed into applications which can only place EPS, and can be printed to PostScript-equipped printers as well.
Some Sample Uses For epsConverter
• Make emergency edits to EPS files.
• Recover FreeHand 3.x EPS files as editable documents.
• Translate newer versions of Illustrator files down to earlier versions for users/customers who haven't upgraded yet.
• Rasterize EPS files with Adobe Photoshop™, which can read Illustrator files. You can also use epsConverter with Photoshop to create thumbnails or previews, to translate the EPS file to a number of different raster file formats (such as TIFF), or to print EPS files to non-PostScript printers.
• Simplify Illustrator files. Believe it or not, there is actually a reason to run Illustrator files through epsConverter. Since epsConverter breaks down complex structures such as patterns into simpler component elements, they will no longer be ignored by the importing application. For example, Photoshop normally ignores patterns in Illustrator files. Not so after running the files through epsConverter!
• Import EPS files as editable path data into any of the many programs that support the Illustrator file format, including Adobe Illustrator 3.x and later, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Dimensions, Ray Dream addDepth, Ray Dream Designer, FreeHand 3.x + EPS Exchange, FreeHand 4.x, and many more.
• Create PICT previews for EPS files which don't have them. Convert the EPS file with epsConverter. Then, open it in Illustrator, choose "Save As…" from the File menu, and save as EPS. Illustrator will create the preview and add it to the file.
• Generate an EPS file from an application that cannot save its documents in EPS format. Print the file to a PostScript file using the LaserWriter 7.x driver and convert the resulting PostScript file using epsConverter. The result will be an Illustrator-style EPS file which can be placed or imported into any supporting application.
System Requirements
epsConverter requires a Macintosh Plus or newer model. epsConverter/fpu requires a Macintosh equipped with a 68020 or later processor and an FPU, but won't run on PowerPC. All versions of epsConverter require System 6.0.7 or later. To take advantage of drag-and-drop file conversion, you need to be running System 7 or later.
Installation
To install epsConverter, simply drag the epsConverter icon onto your hard disk. Typically, System 7 users will place an alias to epsConverter on the desktop for easy drag-and-drop activation.
Using epsConverter
For a full description of the software's features, please read the accompanying documentation. The basic operation of the software is described here.
System 6 users have two options for converting files. You may double-click the epsConverter application to launch it as you would any Macintosh application. You will be presented with the standard open file dialog box, from which you may choose a file to convert. To convert additional files, choose the "Convert File…" menu item from the File menu. Note that you may only convert one file at a time. Alternatively, you may select a group of files in the Finder, including the epsConverter application, and then open them all as a group by choosing the "Open…" command from the Finder's File menu.
System 7 users have the additional option of dragging one or more files and/or folders onto the epsConverter icon. This will activate a batch conversion of all selected files and folders, and is the preferred method of using epsConverter.
Converted files will have the extension ".art" appended to their names. For example, the file "escher.eps" will be converted into the file "escher.eps.art". Converted folders will have the text "(converted)" appended to their names. For example, the folder "eps files" will be converted into the folder "eps files (converted)". Converted files inside the converted folder will have the ".art" extension. Original unconverted files and folders are left untouched.
epsConverter can optionally create a log file of its activity in the folder where the application resides. This file may be opened with any text editor. You may find it useful in tracking your usage of the application, or in reporting bugs or problems to us.
Important Note For System 6 Users
Although this version of epsConverter works with System 6.0.7, support is not provided to System 6 users, and there is no guarantee that future versions of the software will work with System 6. If you do use epsConverter with System 6, and you are running under MultiFinder, you must increase epsConverter's partition size. To do this, select the epsConverter icon and select "Get Info" from the Finder's File menu. Increase the partition size to a minimum of 900K.
Registration and Personalization
epsConverter is fully functional. An unregistered copy will produce exactly the same results as a registered copy EXCEPT that it will add a background watermark to the page as a reminder to register. The watermark may be easily removed from within Illustrator or an Illustrator import-capable application. Once you register and personalize your copy of epsConverter, watermark generation will be disabled. To register epsConverter, select "About epsConverter™…" from the Apple menu, click the Register… button, and follow the on-screen instructions. Once we receive your license fee, we will send you a personal serial number which will allow you to disable the watermark generation.
How To Reach Us
You can reach us with problems or comments in any of the following ways:
America Online Forum:
Computing and Software
Macintosh Graphics Forum or Macintosh Desktop Publishing Forum
Special Interest Groups
Artemis Software
Keywords: Artemis, epsConverter
E-mail:
America Online: ArtemisSW
Internet: ArtemisSW@aol.com
US Mail:
Artemis Software
P.O. Box 11488
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110-5488
Fax:
206.780.0271
Artemis Software and epsConverter are trademarks of Artemis Software, and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
