AboutKevin Stohlmeyer Expertise I am an Adobe Certified Expert. I can answer all your questions about Adobe Illustrator version 7 through the new Adobe CS3 version.
Experience I am an Adobe Certified Instructor for Adobe Illustrator and have been teaching this application to college students for the past 6 years. I now teach this as a corporate instructor.
Organizations Milwaukee Adobe Users Group
National Association of Photoshop Professionals
C2 Graphics Productivity Solutions
Education/Credentials BA - Graphic Design
Adobe Certified Instructor - Illustrator
Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer Date: 5/7/2008 Subject: Opening eps files with Illustrator - unknown format error
Question QUESTION: Hi
I have CS2 & CS3 on my pc, but when I am sent eps files from either colleagues or external agencies, I can't open them - I get a message box saying 'The file ".eps" is in an unknown format and cannot be opened' (although I can open eps files that are currently saved on my drive). I am not the only one with this problem - there are 4 of us with 4 different versions of Illustrator between us and we can't open any eps emailed to us.
Any ideas?
ANSWER: Hi Jayne,
This is a common problem. One of two things is happening: 1) these are not really .eps files, someone is just changing the file extension to .eps and Illustrator is confused by this. or more likely 2) your e-mail application is converting files when receiving or cannot understand the .eps format and is converting or corrupting these files when received. I have had this with clients who ended up having their people send things as .zip files when e-mailing. Entourage and Eudora are two that are notorious for screwing up .eps files.
Try having a client send a problematic .eps file from outside the company to a yahoo or g-mail account and see if you can open it then. If you can, problem is found - its your e-mail protocols.
Thanks
Kevin
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Kevin
Thanks for replying so quickly. I'm not sure which of these is the problem - the agency has sent me eps files before and I've been able to open them. Also we're using Outlook, and I've just emailed a file to my yahoo account and forwarded it back and I can still open the eps file.
ANSWER: Hi Jayne,
Well its a relief that its not your mail server/application. Whew. That is a whole pain in the butt to fix.
Now we can address your issue. My best guess is that your agency is sending you files that are incompatible with CS2 & CS3, although Im not sure how. I would discuss this with them and list the files that are coming up as corrupt as well as the clean files so they can check on their end to see what preferences are different. It could be a Mac/PC compatibility error. Which would be an easy fix. Its just a preference to check when saving out.
Either way, talk to them and see what they come up with on their end. If they say both types of files are the same, let me know and I will do some research for you.
Thanks
Kevin
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi
I've had the agency check this, and resend and I still can't open - it's only a recent problem - I've always been able to open them before - and we've got versions 7 & 10 which don't open them either
Answer Hi Jayne,
Have you tried opening in Photoshop? Sometimes Photoshop will show you the true format of the file (in the open window at the bottom of the screen it says "format" and even if the files says .eps, it will show what it truly is) and can open many other formats that Illustrator cant.
If Photoshop does not open this either, then I would gather that the files are somehow being corrupted in the transfer from Agency to you. Are they using Illustrator or another application, such as freehand? If they are using IL, we are running out of options. I would have them copy and paste the file into a new document and save down to a CS2 format as a native .ai file.
