Vector output

[Tabian]

Hi Yall, I am having a great deal of trouble finding out how to export my artwork from Xara P&GD7 for vector output. I can get good representations from JPG files however some of the prints I have to produce can be 30’ x 4’ and sometimes even bigger. It is for these larger jobs that I really need a good vector. If I export to EPS, AI or PDF some shapes are distorted also fades and feathers show as rectangles.
Has anybody got the golden answer I am looking for.
Regards Tabian

[handrawn]

sadly it's not that easy

by far the best vector export is PDF - but the snag, as you have found, is that feathering and complex transparencies don't stay vectorised [they are rasterized - hence them showing as rectangles] - certain other features will be affected too

you could try a high resolution [raster] tiff - tiff's are designed for artwork - jpegs are really designed for photographs only

[Tabian]

Thanks for that Steve I'll give it a go just now. Oh by the way if I export as PDF Adobe Reader displays it OK but illustrator will not "well done Adobe"
Once again thanks for the tip...

[handrawn]

illustrator may be trying to read it as pure vector and failing, as its way of doing feathering etc differs from xara

the adobe reader display [I think] is a 100% rasterization not a vector..

[Tabian]

Yes but in Reader when you zoom in it is really crisp and clean !

[MarcT]

Hi Tabian,

You can also experiment with SVG, I find it works well for some situations.

Parts that cannot be transferred in vector (shadows, bevels, etc.) can be exported to a PSD at high resolution and then opened in AI, paste in front should retain positions when reassembling.

In sometime get spot colors in my AI files when I import from Xara, it's a thing to watch out for.

Hope this helps.

Marc

[Tabian]

Reconfigured my RIP to accept PDF files. No more dog toothed bitmaps just good clean vectors, smooth fades and true colours. Thanks guys for all your help, problem solved..