Expert: Amy - 4/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: hi there, I read your response to creating a clipping mask for use in
illustrator- since I upgraded to cs3, my usual techniques are lost- I like to
make my image clipping masks in pshop, and place them into illustrator. So,
I've got my path (a silo-ed image), saving as an .eps, but when I place it into
illustrator, it looks like crap! totally pixelated. this is a piece for both print
and web use- what am I forgetting? thank you!

ANSWER: Hey there,

So, are you sure it's not just a preview of a LINKED graphic that looks terrible?

If you are saving your PS document as a high res image with clipping path, PhotoShop EPS, the preview will look awful only if you LINK when you place, as it is only 8-bit. But the printed result will look great.

If you EMBED when you place, it should look super. The document will be larger, that's one of the trade-offs.

Click on the graphic that looks bad and hit the EMBED button in the control bar (right under menu bar).

and let me know,
Amy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi, thanks so much for your fast response!

I think it was linked, yes. okay, so I as re-place it, I uncheck the link option in
the place dialog box-there is no option to embed here.. it places it and it
does look pretty good, but the image still shows up in the link palette. and in
the palette options, the "embed" is greyed out (the link/image is selected). as
a test, I clicked "go to link" in the palette options, and it shows the selected
picture. okay- very strange- a minute ago, I did not have the embed option
under the menu bar- but now it's there and says "imbedded". huh? ideas?
thank so much for your help!

Answer
Well, that sounds like it's working correctly, I think.

Don't think of that Link Window as showing only Linked images. It shows all placed images. In the Links window, if there's a file name to the right of the icon, it's linked. If it's blank, it's embedded. They give you the option to "relink" embedded images but it's really allowing you to "replace" if you ask me.

Does that help?

-Amy