Update Your Old Art Files
Answered by Jay Nelson, Editor and Publisher, Design Tools Monthly

Question:
Some of our clients have been in the business for many years, and so have we. Occasionally we run across an old piece of vector artwork that won't display properly when placed onto a page layout document. Should we be updating these graphics?

Answer:
If you've been designing for very long, you'll likely have an assortment of old but important files that may need to be used in the future -- logos and illustrations, for example. The EPS file format has undergone revisions over time, and your current applications may have trouble opening the oldest ones. So, why not sit back with a beverage and open and re-save them in a modern application? Maybe even save them in PDF format? Adobe Illustrator, Acrobat or even Apple's Preview should do the trick.

Acrobat even has a clever feature that will convert batches of files to PDF format. It's under the File menu, named Create PDF> Batch Create Multiple Files…. Just point it at a folder, or a bunch of separate files, and let Acrobat convert them for you.

To make the task even easier, let Mac OS X find all your older EPS files for you: create a smart folder on your desktop by choosing File> New Smart Folder. Click the + button and choose "Last modified date" is "before" and type 1/1/2001 (for example). Click the + button again and choose "Kind" is "Other" and type EPS. All the EPS files on your Mac older than 2001 will then appear in the window for your use.

Some of them may be unopenable; but it's better to encounter them now than when under deadline…
 
This question was answered by Jay Nelson, Publisher & Editor, Design Tools Monthly. We love DTM's tips and advice and think you will, too. For a free sample PRINTED issue, contact Design Tools Monthly at 303-543-8400, e-mail info@design-tools.com, or go to their website: www.design-tools.

© Copyright Print Buyers Online.com, Inc.