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EPS: A Confusing File Format?
monitor with Rubics cube PS (Encapsulated PostScript) files can contain either vector or bitmap images. If you haven't already done so, it might be a good idea to be familiar with the difference between vector and bitmap images before you read any further.

Vector EPS files These files are created by vector-drawing programs, like Illustrator and Freehand. They are composed of multiple objects and work from the principal of PostScript code. Because of this, a vector EPS can be reduced and enlarged to any size without any loss in quality.

Bitmap EPS files Though usually EPS files are reserved for vector art, there are times when bitmap files are saved as EPS images.

Spot color duotones, tritones and quadtones in Photoshop can only be saved in an EPS format.
Files with clipping paths in Photoshop ( outlines around certain parts of an image so that only part of an image shows/prints when imported into a page-layout program) can only be saved as EPS files.

A designer can create an EPS image from within a page-layout program like QuarkXPress by "saving the page as an EPS." The EPS can then be imported into Illustrator or a similar program and converted to vector art. If opened in Photoshop, or another image-editing program, this file (or any vector image for that matter) can be "rasterized" which is the process of changing a vector image into a bitmap image.

A word of caution about EPS images: professional printers won't have any trouble working with this format but your computer's printer might. Because of the way EPS files are set up (utilizing PostScript code), a printer must be PostScript enabled to print an EPS image clearly. Most Macintosh laser printers have PostScript interpreters while most PC laser printers do not. Also, many of the cheaper inkjet printers, on both platforms, also are not PostScript enabled. It's a feature to consider when shopping for a printer.

EPS is a rather common file format and most every image-editing program and vector-drawing program will allow you to save in this format. EPS images will work on both Macintosh and Windows platforms.

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