I've been using inkscape version 0.47 with no problem for a few months. Yesterday in the middle of saving a few different files my inkscape quit saving as an .eps. Instead, it just saves as a "file" When I pull up the document in my computer the file type simply says "File." I didn't change anything but then tried restarting the program and then restarting my computer and neither worked. Any ideas how I can fix this? Thanks in advance.

~Audi

Are you using Inkscape on Windows? (Inkscape 0.47 is quite an outdated version by the way).

AudiS wrote:Instead, it just saves as a "file" When I pull up the document in my computer the file type simply says "File."

If you are using Inkscape on Windows, do you happen to try to save the EPS file to a directory which as a dot (aka period) in on of the directory names of the full path name?

This dot (aka period) will trigger a bug in the Windows version omitting the file ending when saving a new file. Try saving into a different location (without dots in the path name) to work around it (upcoming bug-fix release 0.48.3.1 will have this long-standing bug fixed, finally).


IF you don't happen to use Inkscape on Windows, I don't really have a clue what could be the cause for this.

I am on Windows Vista. I use inkscape to create designs for a vinyl cutter. My vinyl cutting software (SignCut) says that the best version of Inkscape to use for eps files is version .47 so I'm not sure if I should upgrade to .48 or not.

I'm not really sure what you mean by the dot triggering a bug. I'm not typing the dot in when I save the file, I simply type my file name and then choose from the drop down menu to select eps as the file type. I just tried saving to a different folder and it saved, now my software won't open the file.

I think ~suv meant any dot besides that one. For example, if you have the image in a folder named "my.pics". Or a folder anywhere in the path name with such a dot. Do you understand "path name" (no offense intended if you do, I just need to know how much info to provide).

(To my understanding, it's not uncommon for unusual characters (anything except numbers and letters) in folder names, to cause problems. Not just with Inkscape, I've seen it in several unrelated programs.)

No offense taken, I'm not totally computer illiterate but I get totally lost when any problems happen. The files I'm having problems with have no weird characters in them, just simply letters and numbers.

Hhmmm, I don't know what the problem might be. I could have explained "path name" but don't know about inablility to save as EPS. You're trying to save in a folder that you've used before (to save EPS files)? I know that I've had trouble sometimes trying to save an image in a non-image folder. Somehow, some folders can't have images in them, although I surely don't understand how or why.

I don't know why SC recommends 0.47. It could simply be because that was the current stable version when the SC documentation was written. Or for all I know, it could be other reasons. I would not describe 0.47 as "quite outdated". It's not the current stable version, but it should still function well. And if you've been successful saving EPS with 0.47 in the past, then the version should have no bearing on the problem. .....hhhmmmm.....well, unless..... If you had put some elements into the drawing that you never had before, and if in 0.47 those elements could not be converted to EPS, and in the current version, those elements can now be converted....that would be the only way that version would have some bearing, to my understanding. But ~suv knows far more intimately Inkscape's technical side than I do, and may have some knowledge that the current version can handle EPS conversion better.

Well, here's something you could try. I'm not sure where it would lead us, but it might give us a clue. If you have any SVG files, that you've successfully saved as EPS in the past, try saving them again...try 1 or 2. If it still converts it successfully, that might indicate that there is something different about the files that aren't being converted properly that's causing them not to be converted properly.

Do you use the same template every time, to create the EPS files? I don't know if it's possible, but maybe a template can become corrupt???

I tried converting some of them like you said. I tried 3 and 2 of them worked fine. Not sure why the other one didn't. The support tech for my signcut software told me my image wasn't a vector (.eps saves as a vector) So I'm thinking that something weird is up with inkscape. I'm going to download the new version and see if that helps any. I'm lost as to what else to do and I have to have this stuff working so I can run my business! I will be back if the new version doesn't help.

Well, I'm quite confused by vector file formats. I also thought EPS was a vector format. But I recall a topic from some time ago, when there was an EPS file that was not a vector file. ....Or maybe that was EMF....?? Well I can't remember for sure, but somehow, there is some vector format which can contain non vector images. I'm pretty sure it was EPS, but my memory is not so good lately.

If that's the case, using another version of Inkscape probably won't help.

Hhmmmm....I don't know if this will work for you. But it is possible to convert a raster format to vector, using Inkscape. Path menu > Trace Bitmap (Basics - Help menu > Tutorials
Manual - Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program
Inkscape Community - Inkscape FAQ - Gallery
Inkscape for Cutting Design