Expert: Amy - 2/16/2010

Question
Hi There,

i am creating a book using word for the text and linking illustrator files into it for the graphical pictures. The illustrations are been added as objects. This works well, but the resolution when printed out thru word is very poor. The word document appears to reduce/compress the illustrator information to 200 dpi. and the word option box to cancel this option and leave it unchanged for print out, has no effect....any ideas how to get this to print well - without resorting to conversions to other formats.

Thanks

Gary Smith

Answer
Gary,

This sounds more like a Word issue and not an illustrator issue, and I'm afraid I can't help much with Word. Try the Word experts on this site for more help.

But honestly I've never known Word to be able to be used very successfully in this way with native Illustrator graphics.  

Vector graphics don't have a "resolution," per se, they are postscript. That's why that 'leave unchanged' option is not available to you on import. So Word is either printing them using an embedded low-res preview or possibly converting the data to an EMF format when you place it and/or print to a non-postscript printer. Do they look okay on the screen? Illustrator is smart enough to convert (rasterize) any postscript 'image' data upon sending it to a non-PS printer with the result being a nice, smooth graphic. I don't know if Word has an option to control this when you you print. Look around in the printing preferences.

If you can't get embedded AI files to print nicely, try saving those AI documents as EPS, PDF, or even as very high res TIF files. File size will suffer, though.

Good luck!

-Amy