EPS drop shadow problem in InDesign

[Steve Lombardi]

Ok, I'll post this here instead of the ID forum, since it seems to be a problem with Illustrator CS and not InDesign CS.

We have a logo created in Illustrator CS. If we save it as an EPS file, bring it into indesign and apply a drop shadow, the drop shadow is of the BOX, not the logo artwork.

The only way to get the correct appearance is to save as a CS AI file (not EPS) then all works as expected.

Oddly, older logos created in AI8 or AI9 (saved as EPS files), or Freehand MX eps files also work fine -- just CS EPS files have this problem.

In searching other threads I have found that saving the file with an 8-bit TIFF preview as opposed to the standard "macintosh 8-bit eps" preview seems to work fine also.

What's up with this? Is this going to be fixed? I've had to contain near-riots in the art department over this one.

If it matters, we're on OS 10.3.3, InDesign 3.01.

Thanks.

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

I can't make this happen using ID 3.01 and AI CS. The EPS come just fine with transparent background and the drop shadow is of the artwork not the box.

Does the artwork have any raster pieces in it? Do you have a white box or crop marks?

[Steve Lombardi]

No raster pieces, no crops, no white box.

After one of our art directors had major problems with a new logo, I ran simple texts on my Mac:

1 - Created text "Logo", Stone Print Roman 72 pt, black

2 - Convert to outlines

3 - save file as Illustrator EPS default options:
Preview=Macintosh 8-bit color, transparent. overprints, preserve, embed fonts, include cmyk. Postscript level 2 (although I've tried 3 also).

4. in Indesign 3.01, new doc. Place my "logo.eps"

5. command-option-m, dropshadow, using defaults.

Boom! A rectangular shadow, not a text shadow.

If I save THE SAME ART as an AI file, and do steps 4 and 5, it works as expected.

Something's very wrong here, as I can see from this forum I'm not alone, although it doesn't seem to affect everyone. I'd love to find the culprit here.

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

I can't get a box, no matter what I do. Do you have rasterize the postscript set when you import under import options?

Something you can try if you run into this problem is to use the clipping path feature in InDesign.

[Larry_G._Schneider@adobeforums.com]

Two things. EPS by default is a flattened file. PS level 3 is required for transparency. ID sees the AI file and can work with it. ID only sees the ESP envelope but not the objects inside.

Larry

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

I would think that, but when I save the EPS, it is set to Postscript Language 2 and it still works in ID.

[Steve Lombardi]

Gee, guys, I don't doubt it's working for you, but it NEVER works for me with an AICS EPS file, period. Only an AI file works.

This is driving me nuts, since I was the one who got my office to switch to ID from Quark, and now we're having no end of shadow problems. The art directors are after me!

I can't get a box, no matter what I do. Do you have rasterize the postscript
set when you import under import options?




No, it's not on. In fact, I've never used that dialog box. I did try importing with it on, no difference.

PS level 3 is required for transparency. ID sees the AI file and can work
with it. ID only sees the ESP envelope but not the objects inside.




Then why do Illustrator 8 EPS files, or Freehand EPS files work fine? As I said, it's ONLY eps files saved in CS causing this problem.

[Larry_G._Schneider@adobeforums.com]

What's the problem with using the AI file. It's one less file that you have to track and keep current.

Larry

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Well I checked this out before I posted here but as I suspected a couple of you have display performance set to typical and if you change that and set it to high performance you might notice a difference.

Let me know what you think!

[Steve Lombardi]

I already tried the display preformance. It has nothing to do with that.

And they also print that way, so it's not a display issue.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

I am sorry to say that I can both make the white box appear and disappear by changing the display performance you happen to be wrong later I will post a screen shot so you can see for your self.

In ID you will not get the full support for the EPS preview without high Quality display performance. Like it or not you are wrong.

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

The only way I can get a box is with my vector are turn to a gray box.

[Steve Lombardi]

Dude -- I'm not wrong here. I'm no idiot. I tried display performance and yes, of course the white box appears and disappears. That's not the problem here. The problem is applying DROPSHADOWS.

Please, everyone, see <http://stevelombardi.com/ai/high-qual_display.jpg>

You can see what I mean.

I'm not dumb or crazy, it's a real issue.

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

Dude—I never said you where crazy or an idiot. I am trying to help you out, by trying to reproduce what you are doing, but I does not work on my Mac the way it works on yours nor does the other poster have this problem. It seem to be a problem with your AI not ID, because ID work with all other files fine as shown by your sample. If you want I can give you a link to an AI CS file created on my machine to see if it does it on yours.

[Steve Lombardi]

That would be excellent, if you could send me a CS EPS file that works for you. Then if it doesn't work here, we can start to dissect why.

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

Try this
Shadow.eps <http://www.gfinsty.com/shadow.eps>

[Steve Lombardi]

Thanks, Elliot. Your file indeed works perfectly.

What settings did you use when you saved the eps file? Was the preview "macintosh 8-bit"? How about all the other settings? Can you please perhaps post a screenshot of the "save for eps settings" dialog?

Obviously, either we're using the wrong group of settings, or something is hosed about our Illustrator install here.

[Elliott_Tank@adobeforums.com]

Preview: Macintosh (8-bit Color) with the transparent radio button selected, though it is grayed out. (If yours say Opaque this may be the reason for your problems.)

Transparency: Preserve, Preset: Medium Resolution though grayed out.

Fonts: Embed Fonts checked

Options: on one selected is Include Document Thumbnails, Adobe PostScript LanguageLevel 2

[John_Kallios@adobeforums.com]

Steve

If you can please send a sample Illustrator eps file and a sample InDesign file to:

john(at)orionprinting(dot)com

I would really appreciate it. If you cannot, no hard feelings.

John

[Steve Lombardi]

John, I sent you the files. Please let me know what you find out.

Elliot, that's the same settings I use. So what on earth could be wrong here?

FYI, when I tried the file you sent, it worked perfectly.

However, when I opened your file in my copy of AI CS, saved is under a new name as an EPS with the settings described above, it NO LONGER worked! This is quite weird; I've got to find out what's going on. To see what I mean, please re-visit the link posted earlier.