Xara DP6 - Internal program error 2000.k.no.tl

[Advocate]

As an experiment, I decided to export my vector file to .ai format, because my printer company has so much trouble creating a good image from the PNG images I sent them. The good folks on this forum had no problem; in fact, their results were beautiful when they tested my PNG image in Illustrator. ( http://tinyurl.com/See-thread )

But, anyway, to the point: When I attempted to import the file back into Xara to see how it looked, it gave me the message Internal program error 2000.k.no.tl. The next message it gave me was that image contains fonts not recognized (paraphrasing), but the text is on a hidden layer. Then the next message was "spurious internal error has occurred." The file did not import. I've tried several times.

I've only been working on this project since February, and have spent hundreds of hours fine-tuning this custom playing card project. Frustrated? Yes. I was hoping that by exporting to .ai that the printer would have a file that was ready to just place into his template and maybe, just maybe, the image would render properly without the banding issue. However, if I can't look at the .ai file with the same program that exported it, how can I tell what I'd be sending? Is it necessary to use the Illustrator program to look at files that Xara exports as .ai?

I feel like Sisyphus must have felt. This project boulder just keeps rolling back downhill.

Attached is the original .xar file, but of course I can't attach the .ai file because it's 1888kb. If anyone can please export it to .ai and tell me if the image looks good (no staggered rectangles), I sure would appreciate it. Then I can export all my images as .ai and send to the printer. Also, I'll seriously consider buying Illustrator.

TIA.

[gwpriester]

The file opens fine for me and I was able to export to PDF for commercial printing.

Not sure what the problem is.

[angelize]

Can your printer use a pdf? I regularly send files (I do a small weekly publication) to my printer as a pdf and they seem to have no problems opening them in Illustrator or Photoshop. The Xara pdfs come out crisp and clean.

[Advocate]

Thanks, Gary & Angelize.

Hi, Gary. I probably didn't communicate very well. The .xar file opens in Xara, but not the .ai file exported from the .xar file. I often get errors with any kind of .ai or .eps file when attempting to import into Xara. Or maybe you did export the .xar file to .ai, then imported the .ai file back into Xara and it opened. If so, I do have a problem. Maybe I should reinstall ...?

Angelize, I probably will submit PDFs, because the color on the PDF exported from the .xar file is too light, more of a cobalt than a navy. Xara definitely does a nice job of exporting PDFs.

Thanks, everyone. I'm researching where to buy a used or earlier version Illustrator at a good price. That might solve everything. The printer did mention this morning that they use CS5.5.

[mwenz]

PNG or TIFF?

These get printing CMYK, correct? I would opt for a CMYK TIFF if the printer cannot handle a PDFX-1a file.

Take care, Mike

[angelize]

I do believe that if they use CS5 they should have no trouble using a pdf.

[Advocate]

Hi, Mike

Yes, CMYK. It's funny you mention TIFF; I wondered if perhaps it should be exported as that.

I just received the PDF export from the printer which shows how the image will look from my AI export. It's unacceptable. The strange thing is, the banding effect problem is gone , but my carefully rendered double border around the edge disappeared, and was replaced by a single brighter blue border.

Another strange thing is that the PDF he sent me won't open properly in Adobe. All I get is a white "card" on the screen, as if only the background layer was exported. But it did open in Xara. See attached screenshots.

I re-sent the PDF file and asked him to try that. If that doesn't work, I'll try TIFF. Something somehow has got to work.

Edit to add: TIF export unacceptable. Color changed to a dull teal. I tried exporting with both Screen Colors and Simulate Print Colors. I guess the TIFF option is off the table.

[Advocate]

Angelize, I'll find out soon enough what the results are. The problem isn't whether they can use any of the files; the problem is the image output that they send to me. It's all very peculiar. Xara is my first foray into vector editing, and this is my first major printing project. It's been months of trial-and-error, especially getting the right color. I wish Xara and Illustrator were totally compatible. That would be a dream situation.

[mwenz]

Interesting.

Here are a couple links.

The PDF is about 390k, the TIFF is about 930k

http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/temp/advocate/card.pdf
http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/temp/advocate/card.tif

Take care, Mike

[ad1066]

PDF is really the best way to get images from one program to the other. Xara's AI export is really out of date (and even back in the day, I could never get it to work at all), but newer versions of Illustrator are very good about opening PDFs.