The second thing to remember is that an EPS file does not have to have a preview attached. Without a preview, you can't see what the file will look like on screen, but it should print ok if used as a graphic in a document which is printed to a PostScript printer.
Examples of drawing programs are Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia (once Aldus) Freehand.
Most of the better drawing programs will be able to export as EPS. This will usually be via an Export or Save As function (not Print). In many cases they will create a preview - sometimes it is an option.
These EPS files are ideal for quality work since they work well at
any resolution. (For instance, on a better printer, the text becomes
sharper).
Painting programs
Painting programs are superficially similar to drawing programs. The
difference is that they work on a grid of pixels, making marks which
become permanent. Objects cannot be moved, except by cutting out the
area and moving it, which would normally leave a hole in the background.
Examples of painting programs are Windows Paintbrush, Corel PhotoPaint, and Adobe Photoshop.
Some painting programs have the ability to export as EPS, often with a preview. Again, Export or Save As is the usual way.
These EPS files are often less good quality than those from drawing programs, because they are based on a fixed size grid. What looks good on screen may be obviously divided into squares using a good printer. However, by choosing a resolution appropriate for the intended use, excellent results can be produced; and this is how photographs are placed into many newspapers and magazines.
Adobe Photoshop can export EPS in a variety of formats including
separated DCS files, and can also produce
compact 'JPEG format' EPS files which will print only on a level 2
PostScript printer.
DTP programs
DTP (Desktop Publishing) programs are usually used to design and make
up pages for a publication. Similar to word processors, they normally
give much greater control over the exact layout of a page. Examples
are Quark XPress, Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, and
Serif PagePlus.
Any quality DTP program allows you to place EPS graphics on a page. Some will also allow you to save a copy of a page as an EPS file. Although EPS copies of whole pages are rarely needed (except for 'thumbnails' of interior pages to put on a magazine cover or title page, DTP programs are often used to combine other elements (for instance a picture and some text). This would not be a whole page, but a new graphic, perhaps for use as an inset box in another article.
Word processors, spreadsheets, other programs...
The ability to create EPS files from other applications is usually
limited. Often the only option is to use the Print function to try
to make a usable EPS file.
These programs often have better support for importing an EPS file. For instance in Microsoft Word you can use the Insert Picture function.
A first hurdle to cross is persuading the application to print to
a file, rather than sending the results to a printer.
Printing to an EPS file in Microsoft Windows
When a Windows program prints, it usually does so by asking a Windows
Printer Driver to do the work. This allows any Windows program to
print to any printer, in theory, without any program changes.
There are several PostScript printer drivers available for Microsoft Windows. Microsoft supply PSCRIPT.DRV (latest version 3.58), and Adobe supply ADOBEPS.DRV (latest version 3.01). Either one can produce an EPS file. Go into printer setup and choose to print the file as EPS.
Go back to our PostScript introduction
Go to Quite At Home.