Having really annoying problems with EPS files in Quark 7. I have a file with a cutter guide in 7, then down-save to 6 and then open the file in quark 6 to check it's ok. Quite often the eps file has re-sized itself and gone out-of position. Its background often goes white too, but there's no actual white background on the eps file. The problem also happens using Markztools when converting to version 4. No one on the Quark site seems to have any suggestions so wondered if anyone here would know.
Thanks

does the v6 one have runaround on the box?
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Hello, Welcome. Saving docs backward to older versions is very problematic and will very often cause various issues like this. I always save documents forward to my working version. Most likely you have a document that has been save back AND forth (REFRIED QUARK FILE) and is thus quite damaged. What you are reporting is very abnormal. I would recommend doing a select all and copying to a new document, save as, then try to proceed from there.

What if it's an InDesign doc converted to Quark then saved back and forth, etc. You are using all that markzware stuff to convert docs which is all voodoo. I know that there are situations that this becomes necessary but people who require all that need to deal with the reality. There's only one safe way to convert layout files, that's forward and into their own application format. All else is an exercise in dysfunction.

Additionally, what kind of eps is this? EPS can have all kinds of issues programmed into them, including other EPS, now .ai and .psd embedded into an eps etc. The EPS alone can be a giant nest of issues. I would rasterize, flatten, or simplify the EPS, or use a Tiff. The EPS itself can be a simple rastered image, or a multifaceted layered mess of dysfunction. So, what is this EPS file is a big question to me.
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JoePostscript -- support administrator

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joe is right again here (bloody hell joe - thats twice this week )

i'm not convinved you have a quack issue (jeeez did i just say that!) - i think you have an issue with the placed image in quack

have a damm good root-around in that first

if the resulting image in the new document is smaller - take a step backwards - in the original file is the image up to date in usage, or has it been resized in whatever app it was created in and not updated in quack?

if, when you resave the quack file - does it ask you to update images? if so that could be the problem
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Yes, that's a major point that beermonster just made. Since we are speaking of converting docs between versions and even more of a nightmare, going backwards not forwards. Anytime you convert between versions it is of highest importance that all your links be updated and current, fonts all activated correctly, that a document is at its full integrity, THEN convert. To do so without having it COMPLETELY squared away will cause all kinds of stuff to go wrong.

What beermonster brings up is a great diagnosis I think. If... that image was imported.... then resized, resaved, or edited... but was never updated.

THEN, you take it and convert it in a state of dysfunction without squaring it all away, viola. You get the result you describe.

Man, we could make a TV show out of this. What should we name it? Prepress File Detectives? PFD, like CSI
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JoePostscript -- support administrator

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Thanks to you all for your input - I'll give you some more insight to whats happening. We create kids pop-up books. So we have a quark document with artwork as a tiff. On top of that we have quark text, then on top of that we have a cutter guide which is created in Illustrator. This will be just a 100% magenta or 100% black vector line art, no background, no text or any other fancy business like drop shadows etc. this is then brought into a picture box in quark that overlays all the text and art so it has no run-around or background colour. Everything fine so far. If we now down-save to 6, open it in six, we have no problems. If we now down-save to 5 from 6, things start going a bit poo! We get the offsetting/scaling/white background problem. Now the other problem is we sometime have to down-save to quark 4 because a few antiquated customers who want to do a foreign translation only have quark 4. So we down-save using Markztools which I brought to stop this from happening, but doesn't seem to help. The illustrator files do this no matter what version I save to ie. Illustrator 8, 10, 11 etc. I've tried many permutations of settings but wondered if the OPI in quark might be a problem. I know it did odd things to pdf's in the first version of I think 6 which quark sorted. Anyway, enough rambling! Does that shed any more light on things?
Cheers!

Quark 7 to Quark 4, all I can say is you are asking for trouble. Yes, I still have one machine with Quark 4 and 5 on it, but I never save down from 7, much less 6. Unless it is so basic, I usually have some kind of issues. If you must, I would have someone double check a proof like it is brand new, just in case. Font issues are just the beginning, but placement of photos, logos and just about anything else is a risk. Education time is over, off to Las Vegas for a little R & R, craps, roulette, and blackjack

...but surely using Quark to down-save there shouldn't be any of these issues? I know Quark is possibly the most clunky, bug ridden piece of software I've ever come across, but even they can't be that rubbish at down-saving their own files? Or am I just being naive that an expensive program like this should be able to perform such tasks (which adobe software seems to have no trouble in doing)? There I go, ranting again. Sorry!

Its not that it is a problem, but if you have specific things that can be done in 7 and not in 4, you will have issues. The biggest thing I see would be drop shadows and outlined type. Both are not available in Quark 4, but 7 it is standard.

right - gonna try this myself - will post back
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right - i got a file from 7 back to 4 with one issue only

it was the cutter guide - which i originally saved as a psl3, and when backsaving with the opi ticked in quack, the resulting file was incorrect - there was now a white background (like a photoshop canvas) which is incorrect

resaving the cutter as a psl2 eps, and backsaving down through quack's 7, 6, 5 and 4 WITHOUT the opi in quack and the file is fine.
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Cheers beermonster! Sorry for being thick, but you say save the cutter to psl eps - whats a psl eps? We've illustrator cs2 here.

no problems - and you are not thick just because you dont know something! dont be so hard on yaself!

when you save the illy file as an eps, the eps options box comes up - towards the bottom is a "postscript level" drop down - select level 2

now this may or may not have an affect - the point is these are the things i did and it works fine

good luck
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Hmmmmm....still no joy. I've saved the eps as layer 2 (which was it's default anyway) and imported without OPI and I still get the white background. Thinking of giving up kids books and starting a donkey sanctuary. Failing that, I might try Quark help desk again, might get someone this time who actually knows how the program works and understand english. Controversial.

Thanks for all your help.

never give up - it is do-able because i can do it - all we gotta do is replicate what i'm doing

lets take it from the top

in the save as eps dialogue box make sure the preview is mac 8 bit

if there's overprints ensure preserve overprints is selected

embed fonts if you need to

include a document thumbnail

now those are the exact setting i'm using in illy cs2 and that works fine here - of little consolation but it works
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Done it! It was actually the mac 8 bit preview that was creating the problem. I changed to tiff 8 bit and selected transparent background and hey-nonny-nonny, it only bloody worked!! Thanks for your help sir, much appreciated.

Now then, where do I find some donkeys with one eye that need looking after?

donkeys with one eye? well we have 3 press minders here......

ok - well at least we solved the problem somehow!

excellent.
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>> Now then, where do I find some donkeys with one eye that need looking after?

They are the ones walking in circles of course.
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JoePostscript -- support administrator

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Wind Turbine Buyer's Guide


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Quark 7 to Quark 4, all I can say is you are asking for trouble. Yes, I still have one machine with Quark 4 and 5 on it, but I never save down from 7, much less 6. Unless it is so basic, I usually have some kind of issues. If you must, I would have someone double check a proof like it is brand new, just in case.