eps saved back from v9 to v8

[Kath_Howard@adobeforums.com]

I have twice recently been sent an eps which I was assured had been saved back to Illustrator 8 - which is what I have. (Two different files from two different people).

Neither would open in v8 - the error message reads:

Can't open the illustration. The illustration contains an incomplete or garbled object description.

Offending operator: 'systemdict'
Context:
%%Version: 2.0 0
%% Copyright: Copyright(C) 1997 - 1999 Adobe systems Inc
All rights reserved
systemdict.

'Getting info' on the file tells me its 'kind' is 'Adobe Illustrator 8 document' but the version is 'created by v9' and 'saved as v9'.

I assume the problem is simply that it's a v9 document and I'm trying to open in in v8.

However, both times I was assured the sender had saved it back to v8, and its 'kind' appears as 'v8 document' in document info.

My question is: are they trying to save back to v8 but doing it incorrectly? If so, can I tell them what to do to save it back correctly, so I can open their documents?

Yes, I know I could upgrade, but to be honest I rarely use Illustrator now, especially since many of the basic functions are available in Indesign. In any case, an interim solution would be very welcome.

I'm using Panther, opening Illustrator via classic. In at least one of the cases, I know the sender was using Mac, not PC, but that's all I know.

Thanks for any help.

(Both times I dropped the file onto Photoshop 7 in Panther, which gave me a rasterised tiff, which was OK for my needs. I was also able to place the original file into Indesign, but the quality was poor Another time, though, I might need the vector graphic).

[Foster_Gary@adobeforums.com]

If the sender has created files in AI9 with raster drop shadows, it will never open right in AI8. Also, if in the course of creating the art, they used the "Preview Overprints" function, that seems to make the file useless to AI8.
I know it sounds dumb, but if you can get them to save the file while they are viewing as outlines (as opposed to preview) that seems to help.
I create all my Illustrator art in AI9 (it's what I have) but save everything to AI8 to bring it into Quark for printing. AI9 doesn't produce the expected results going to a Postscript level 2 printer.
This might all seem like voodoo, I don't know why it works this way but it's a successful work around.
Good Luck!

[John_Kallios@adobeforums.com]

Are the files being sent to you coming through email?

If so, are they being compressed before being sent to you?

Have you tried placing the file in a new Illustrator docement as embedded? (add .eps to end of file name if it appears grayed out when trying to place it)

[Kath_Howard@adobeforums.com]

Foster, thanks, but both are very, very simple images, just text in 2 Pantone colours, no drop shadows. I can place them in Indesign but then they print out as crappy low-res images.

John, thanks, I'd tried adding .eps but that didn't help. I can try placing the file in a new document - I was kind of hoping they'd just missed a simple step when saving back, and I could tell them to do that! Yes, they are emailed, no, they aren't compressed - but would that explain the identical error messages on two different files from two different people? Do the error messages tell you anything useful?

As I said, so far I'm OK because the tiff works just as well for my purposes, but I'm likely to be getting more stuff from these peope so I'd like to nail it down.

[Kath_Howard@adobeforums.com]

Hmm, I placed one of the files in a new document - it looked horribly jaggy and Illustrator hung when I tried to print, had to force quit.

.... and sorry, one wasn't emailed, came in on CD - with no contact details, duh! It's a 3rd party thing, 'I'll get my designer to send you a disk'. I'm trying to have an email conversation with the other sender.

[John_Kallios@adobeforums.com]

Have them resend the images to you. Make sure they compress them first. You should be able to open them right away.

Salvaging the files should only be done as a worst case senario situation.

[Kath_Howard@adobeforums.com]

Thanks.

[Just_A_Mac_Guy@adobeforums.com]

If the files are indeed EPS's, you can try distilling a pdf which you might be able to open in Illustrator. I have done this plenty of times to Illy 10 files before we upgraded. Course I was opening in Illy 9 so no guarantees doing it in Illy 8.