I've finally decideded to use my skills in vector art by going to the Internet and getting on a lot of these sites that help designers collaborate with other businesses on t-shirt, logo, etc. design ideas and and the sorts. The problem that has rescently plagued me from being able to continue on in this journey is one file extention: .eps. =(

Random Specs: I use Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. I use Inkscape 0.48.3.1 r9886.

I was curious if how someone saves a .eps file in the future to include filters, effects, transparencies, etc. is being possibly worked on?

If not, is there an Adobe Illustration-ish version of a file extention that can be accepted from Inkscape onto Adobe Illustrator, that would allow the person who wants the design as an .eps, to save it as an .eps at their leasure? I know people may want their .eps file at the time of transfer, but, ugh. I don't know anymore...

If there's anyone out there that's using Inkscape on designer and business collaboration sites, how do you work around the .eps stuff when everywhere I turn, .eps files are of high demand? Any opinions about these .eps file problems, with Inkscape, Adobe and using inkscape for work would be very much appreciated!

At this point, I can not compete on these vector art design sites due to Inscape's .eps file saving capabilities are still young. While I know I can save my vector art as an .eps (and still keep it vector/ but everything's looks good straight, but if there's any curves, it's jaggy in those areas), I can't save any filters or affects that would make my designs "pop" and make them really shine, because the filters, effects, blurs, etc. are considered separately from the vectors as raterized images. At this point, I can't compete with a community of designers that have the advantage to add affects to their designs, because businesses don't want bland designs.

I know Adobe Illustrator is a very powerful tool, and expensive, which is why I'm using Inkscape, but I'm just curious what you guys do when you have to make/save something as an .eps? Do you just skip Inkscape on this and just do it in Illustrator? I've found other info across the Internet where certain illustrator postscripts may support, in one version the ability to keep/allow an option for transparency, where else, other postscripsts from other versions of AI may not (due to how it's designed again). Does Illustrator do a good job at saving everything you make in vector form as vector form (that also includes effects, blurs, filters)?


I've supplied a picture of snippets of a vector image I made (which I combined the images in Gimp but saved them at 200 dpi, so what you see is exactly what I see). The first two on the left are what they look like after I saved them as an .eps, post script 2, no rasterization (which means every effect I used that makes my image awesome is gone) , and set to page (or canvas for image area). I've used both script 2 and 3 options. I've done all the xml stuff and went through and made sure nothing is transparent anymore. The two images on the left, when they have straight lines, are ok. If there is any curves at all, it's jaggy in those areas. But this is what I see when I open the .eps file and I look at it in a document viewer. The two images on the right is how crisp they look when, still in the document viewer, when I zoom in, the objects are no longer jaggy looking and are in good shape. I feel that this is just a problem with how the document renders the image to the person viewing the image, and there's nothing wrong, no bug there. I'm just letting others know this just in case they've came across this "problem". In the document viewer, I can zoom in only so far, but it still looks clean, but kinda has this pixel look to it as shown on the images to the right.

First, haven't had the time to read through your entire post, mostly scanned it- so pls pardon me (being ill I have time limits). So, bottom line - I sell on MS (microstock) site(s). This site is more for 'how to do' than selling, so will say, if you want to contact me privately for discussion, feel free to, and that way I could probably say more than I'd say here....
I also can't afford AI (it's more like an $800 version). Inkscape (will shorten to Inky) is fine for sites as long as you don't use filters or gradients or lower than 100% opacity (and forgive me, I don't always use the proper Inky terms, in my mind they're correct, but since being self taught, not always right - so Brynn will normally correct me (I hope, lol).
My understanding is that gradients can be used in AI (but not here), for some reason they aren't rasterized in that program - as you stated, I sure hope that gets worked on in Inky too, that would be a major addition for us. I would be doing a major happy dance! oh, and GIMP also rasterizes your SVG, (I have learned this the hard way), even if you save it as an SVG.
Also, you cannot have ANY open paths, that's a BIG no no, and that's the one that takes me down a lot.
You should be able to open the SVG file you created in Inky right into AI. The Inksy SVG saves more data (or maybe metadata, not sure) than a regular SSVG, or you'd lose that info in AI. You can also keep your Inky SVG, then do a 'save as' and save it as a regular SVG in Inky, then open that in AI. Then you could add in the gradient(s).
There's a lot to get familiar with on sites when you sell. There's a major one out there, that sounds great - but that fact is that you'll be lucky if you ever actually sell anything, there's millions of sellers on the top ones, and your stuff get buried, so you'd really have to so your own SEO/search stuff and find customers to send there if you want sales. Also for the miscrostock (MS) places, you'll need thousands of files to expect to make a living off it it, as a typical file may only get you anywhere from $.25 to $.75 on average, so don't expect to get big bucks or get rich off of it. Also, many artists only sell jpgs vs svgs because some sites don't pay you any extra for selling it (other reasons too). Now, if you stick with this, it might be a nice side earnings in time, but you really have to keep uploading files to make it worth it. (It's like anything in life, it takes hard work and time). p.s. not trying to disillusion you at all, I say go for it, just be realistic and don't put all of your eggs in one basket.
dee

flamingolady wrote:First, haven't had the time to read through your entire post, mostly scanned it- so pls pardon me (being ill I have time limits.

Not a problem. Do what you can.

flamingolady wrote: So, bottom line - I sell on MS (microstock) site(s). This site is more for 'how to do' than selling, so will say, if you want to contact me privately for discussion, feel free to, and that way I could probably say more than I'd say here....

I totally understand you on this. But this is not what I was aiming for exactly. I wanted to give some people that's just now introducing themselves into Inkscape the idea to know what they want to do with Inkscape before they jump ship over from AI, or starting out with Inkscape in general. Selling self-made designs on products (a good option - if that's what they want to use it for in the future) isn't the problem. These types of sites are not as strict on what kind of file extentions they want supplied in order to complete the project. More on this at the end of the comment...

flamingolady wrote:My understanding is that gradients can be used in AI (but not here), for some reason they aren't rasterized in that program - as you stated, I sure hope that gets worked on in Inky too, that would be a major addition for us. I would be doing a major happy dance!

I would also join in on this happy dance if they could get this to work too (plus transparencies & filters/effects? ).

flamingolady wrote:You should be able to open the SVG file you created in Inky right into AI. The Inksy SVG saves more data (or maybe metadata, not sure) than a regular SSVG, or you'd lose that info in AI. You can also keep your Inky SVG, then do a 'save as' and save it as a regular SVG in Inky, then open that in AI. Then you could add in the gradient(s).

I'm glad that you mentioned this because I know people have also been having a little trouble with saving .eps files with Adobe Illustrator too. I now have a better understanding it's just Inkscape in their early stages with allowing us to save files as an .eps. Inkscape has come a tremendous way. =)

flamingolady wrote:There's a lot to get familiar with on sites when you sell.

Oh my goodness, is there ever! XD

flamingolady wrote:There's a major one out there, that sounds great - but that fact is that you'll be lucky if you ever actually sell anything, there's millions of sellers on the top ones, and your stuff get buried, so you'd really have to so your own SEO/search stuff and find customers to send there if you want sales.

Yeah, this is why I've not gone this route due to this type of problem. This is the reason I wanted to go to a site that's directed/designed to have a place for designers and businesses to collaborate with each other.

flamingolady wrote:Also for the miscrostock (MS) places, you'll need thousands of files to expect to make a living off it it, as a typical file may only get you anywhere from $.25 to $.75 on average, so don't expect to get big bucks or get rich off of it.

My bad, I wasn't very descriptive on the work I want to do. I wanted to earn money off to the side and would be great to work into it as a part time job, so I don't plan on doing this work as a source for livable income. I've come to terms early on in my life that when I jump into something, it will most likely not take off. And that's fine, I just want to be able to be provided the opportunity to at least make a little off to the side doing something I love to do. But the problem is that these designer to business collaboration sites, the sites in general you want to sign up and be members of, want you to send a .zip file to the business with all the .whatever extentions and images. I can most certainly do everything they ask for with ease, but I can't supply (what the site requires) the business with an .eps. It would be a vector, but it would be bland, and so I don't even have a chance to compete because these sites won't give others that have Inkscape a chance to compete fairly. They're catering to Adobe Illustrator, Corel users. I can most likely make just as awesome of a logo design as someone who makes one in AI in vector form, but the sites want you to send an .eps file to the business every time that you're design gets chosen. =(

flamingolady wrote:Also, many artists only sell jpgs vs svgs because some sites don't pay you any extra for selling it (other reasons too). Now, if you stick with this, it might be a nice side earnings in time, but you really have to keep uploading files to make it worth it. (It's like anything in life, it takes hard work and time). p.s. not trying to disillusion you at all, I say go for it, just be realistic and don't put all of your eggs in one basket.
dee

I was thinking the same thing about doing this as a side job too. I've come to terms with the fact that whatever I may try, I won't be making a lot from it, and that's fine. I just wanted to maybe get something going that could eventually evolve into part-time work doing what I love to do. I wanted to test the waters first just to say I tried, but I can't even do that due to these designer to business collaborator sites catering to only those who have Adobe Illustrator and Corel (when making vector art). I'm all ready a head of the whole eggs in one basket. I'm at a point where I'm making baskets to put the eggs in. XD Like you, I'm also self-taught. Inkscape isn't the only thing I love to use. I also use Gimp, Avidemux, Audacity and rescently Krita. I can't wait to get aquainted with Synfig.

To anyone reading my first post (and this post), again, it's not my intentions to make anyone feel as if I'm bashing Inkscape or being i-rate on here. I just had an .eps question or two, others opinons on the matter of .eps file extentions and to let those who are new with Inkscape know "Hey if you're looking into using Inkscape for creating art designs to make money for yourself, then this is the program for you. If you want to do more than make art work for yourself to sell and get work on a site that promotes designer to business collaborations that want .eps (vector only) file extentions, then this program is probably not for you at this present time. It's not that Inkscape is encapable of getting the job done, it's just that Inkscape's powerful enough (thank you programmers!) to do the job just as well as Adobe Illustrator, and that the (Inkscapes) framework is being overshadowed by art software that's in higher demand by society than needs to be".

hi again,
fyi - you didn't come across as anti-Inky to me, or irate. I wasn't exactly sure what kind of info you wanted, so I sort of went overboard to answer some of the usual getting started in business type issues....

Quote "I can most certainly do everything they ask for with ease, but I can't supply (what the site requires) the business with an .eps. It would be a vector, but it would be bland, and so I don't even have a chance to compete because these sites won't give others that have Inkscape a chance to compete fairly."

For the record, you can give them an EPS, maybe I wasn't clear, I do submit EPS's directly from Inky that are EPS, and they are fine, (just do a save as to eps when saving). You just can't include the gradients, filters, etc. (you may already be aware of that, but I wanted to be sure). I do agree that the sites cater to AI and Corel, but there are several of us that sell, using Inkscape alone. I tend to sell clipart via jpgs only so I can include the gradients, etc...
I just 'know' in the bottom of my little pea picking heart that one day Inky will have non-rasterizing gradients, just like AI! and all the little people of pea picking city will rejoice and crown the developers kings! (well, they truly already are, I'm amazed at just what this program can do, and I haven't even learned it all).
dee

maylin86 wrote:I can't save any filters or affects that would make my designs "pop" and make them really shine, because the filters, effects, blurs, etc. are considered separately from the vectors as raterized images.

That's because EPS(postscript) does not -natively- support vector transparency/blur.
It looks like Illustrator use some tricks for transparency (storing a clipping path in a standard location of the EPS) but this is is an undocumented feature so it will work only in AI (and software that reverse engineered the Adobe solution)

flamingolady wrote:fyi - you didn't come across as anti-Inky to me, or irate. I wasn't exactly sure what kind of info you wanted, so I sort of went overboard to answer some of the usual getting started in business type issues....

Yay! Glad I didn't. Sorry! The info I was asking for at the beginning was this:

1) I was curious if how someone saves an EPS file in the future to include filters, effects, transparencies, etc. is being possibly worked on?

The rest was just to give those a better understanding of Inkscapes EPS capabilities that I've come to understand, and to find out if others were having any problems with EPS files to.

flamingolady wrote:For the record, you can give them an EPS, maybe I wasn't clear, I do submit EPS's directly from Inky that are EPS, and they are fine, (just do a save as to eps when saving). You just can't include the gradients, filters, etc. (you may already be aware of that, but I wanted to be sure). I do agree that the sites cater to AI and Corel, but there are several of us that sell, using Inkscape alone. I tend to sell clipart via jpgs only so I can include the gradients, etc...

Yes, I am aware that in Inkscape filters, gradients, etc. can't be included in an EPS file. The problem is that most sites require an EPS for logo and similar designs, and since an Inkscape EPS can only include these special effects as rastorized data, it appears I cannot compete using Inkscape. I can see where clipart would not suffer from this problem since they are typically rastors. But that is not the type of work I wish to do. I'm only interested in vectorized artwork at the moment.

flamingolady wrote:I just 'know' in the bottom of my little pea picking heart that one day Inky will have non-rasterizing gradients, just like AI! and all the little people of pea picking city will rejoice and crown the developers kings! (well, they truly already are, I'm amazed at just what this program can do, and I haven't even learned it all).

They also continue to amaze me with Inkscape's capabilities. I haven't learned it all either and it's exciting when I learn something new I never knew I could do with it. Thank you for taking time out of your day to respond and help me with any questions I had. I really appreciate it a lot!

Please don't totally discount this program for competing with AI users, I've sold several vectors without filters and gradients. Depending on the design, I sometimes offer a fancy jpg alongside a plain eps. The other thing is that I've found that the people buying logos don't necessarily want all the frills - given today's high costs of ink and paint, many just want a black and white design (or a simple 2 color design). Some want to use it as their company stationery, so there is a market for all designs.
I'm thinking in the near future, when ALL of the browsers support SVG, that they will totally bypass the whole EPS thing, and go straight for the SVG's. My understanding is that browsers like IE (which I use), don't support it, but, once they all do, that'll solve the difference.
Oh - tip - if you are really creative, you can use interpolation as a workaround to create 'fake' gradients. It's easy enough to do if populating a rectangle, but I haven't mastered filling in small curvy spaces very well.

flamingolady wrote:Please don't totally discount this program for competing with AI users, I've sold several vectors without filters and gradients. Depending on the design, I sometimes offer a fancy jpg alongside a plain eps. The other thing is that I've found that the people buying logos don't necessarily want all the frills - given today's high costs of ink and paint, many just want a black and white design (or a simple 2 color design). Some want to use it as their company stationery, so there is a market for all designs.

What? Really? I guess that makes sense with what you said about the ink/printing costs. I just get blown away from all the logos I see done on other sites and all the effects and I just felt like I couldn't pull through producing something that awesome. Not that I can't, it's just the EPS on Inkscape is limited. Don't worry flamingolady, I don't plan on totally discounting this program. I actully use it to make t-shirt designs and other design products on sites that are more store-housing sites that sell your designs on their products. I just wanted to try and test the waters on designers to business collaboration sites, but then I saw where they require EPS files on all these types of sites. I personally feel bad for anyone who would just want to do designs on these particular sites due to the limitations on EPS usage right now. =( I actually emailed and talked with someone from one of these types of sites, and they told me this:

Most of our designers here uses Illustrators and Corel. But the saved file can be blown up because some of them are using effects such as dropshadows, transparencies on gradient, etc. If you can design without using any default or preloaded effects, then you are good to go atleast.

Because they told me this, I felt like my type of work (to an extent) didn't fit in. =( It's totally nothing against Inkscape, it's that these sites are driving me up the wall. Being as non-violent as possible, I can't help but believe these types of sites need a muffin to the face. XD

flamingolady wrote:I'm thinking in the near future, when ALL of the browsers support SVG, that they will totally bypass the whole EPS thing, and go straight for the SVG's. My understanding is that browsers like IE (which I use), don't support it, but, once they all do, that'll solve the difference.
Oh - tip - if you are really creative, you can use interpolation as a workaround to create 'fake' gradients. It's easy enough to do if populating a rectangle, but I haven't mastered filling in small curvy spaces very well.

That would be great. It would really level out the playing field for everyone in my opinion. I wouldn't hold my breath on Microsoft following suit on this particular problem for IE. They don't like to change stuff that much, but they make it look like they did on the surface. XD It would flabberghast me if such a legendary OS complied efficiantly to such changes. XD To me, Chrome and Firefox are doing very well over IE at this point. As for the workaround using interpolation, I'll definitely take a look at it. There's still hope. Yay! Thank you very much for your time flamingolady, you've been such a good help. =)

maylin86 wrote:

flamingolady wrote:My understanding is that browsers like IE (which I use), don't support it...

I wouldn't hold my breath on Microsoft following suit on this particular problem for IE...

FWIW Internet Explorer 9+ does support SVG. Filter support was added with IE 10. That doesn't really help all the WIndows XP users who can't upgrade past IE8. Given the age of that browser I would recommend such people to use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera or something else that's not based on the IE rendering engine.

More info on which (mainstream) browsers support which bits of SVG here: http://caniuse.com/#search=SVG

maylin86 wrote: I wouldn't hold my breath on Microsoft following suit on this particular problem for IE. They don't like to change stuff that much, but they make it look like they did on the surface.

MS recommends migrating from his historical vector language VML to SVG.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011 ... -ie10.aspx

For older IE you could use http://raphaeljs.com/ or -better- switch to FF, Opera,Chrome

Well I'll be. Microsoft is actually doing things again with IE. Well, I'm glad there's some movement going on with IE with SVG support. I guess I was thinking in terms of when I was a web designer. Things always worked out well with FF and Chrome, compared to IE. I just figured they'd lag behind on supporting SVG, too. I've not used IE since I was in high school. XD I haven't had a need to go back, and at this point, I couldn't due to using Ubuntu. FF and Chrome have always been good to me. Thanks v1nce and Xav for clearing this up. =)