Excel charts, eps and Illustrator 1

[Sam577]

Hi,

Is it possible to export an Excel spreadsheet to eps? I can't see it in the available formats in Save As. Is there another way to turn Excel into eps?

I've been told that this is the best way to get an Excel chart into Illustrator, much better than a copy and paste. Is that true?

Many thanks
Sam

 

[Eggles]

If you have Distiller, you can convert the Excel worksheet/chart to a PDF. The PDF can be opened in Ilustrator and then edited (text, colours etc). The final product can then be saved as an EPS for placing into a page layout program. But as far as I know, you cannot save from Excel directly to EPS. You need Distiller again from where you can 'print to file' choosing EPS as the output (rather than the unadorned postscript format, which is used to then generate the PDF).

 

[Sam577]

Thanks.

I've always wondered about this print to file. As far as I am aware, it is printer language that tells the printer where to print on the page.

But if I choose this option (print to file), what do I end up with and what do I do with it? Do I need any special printer drivers to use it?

Sam

 

[Eggles]

>>Do I need any special printer drivers to use it?<<

You need a postscript printer - it doesn't have to be a 'real' one - just the printer driver. You can download a printer driver from the Adobe website.

>>if I choose this option (print to file), what do I end up with<<

If you choose to 'print to file' you must first choose a postscript printer to 'print to'. You end up with a postscript file with the suffix .ps (or .prn) depending on what program you are printing from.

>>and what do I do with it?<<

You open the postscript file in Distiller and distill it to a PDF.

So ... you must have a copy of Distiller to really go anywhere with the postscript file.

Some commercial printers can make use of the postscript file to print directly from.

 

[Sam577]

Thanks! I have a real postscript printer as well as Distiller.

So what's the advantage, if any, of printing in this way over printing directly to pdf (or from another software application such as MS Word)? Is it just the case that it's a better quality (sharper) print?

Many thanks
Sam

 

[Eggles]

The advantage of making a PDF in 2 steps (print to postscript file->PDF) over a direct export to PDF is that it allows you to set the job options (compression, font embedding) for that particular PDF. Some direct-to-PDF pathways do not provide access to the job options, and Distiller (which is what is working in the background to make the PDF in a direct export) always retains the last used settings. These may not necessarily be appropriate for that particular PDF.

Another advantage is that you only have to make the postscript file once, and can make multiple PDFs from the same postscript file for different purposes. For example, ypu may want to make a low-rez PDF to email to a client as a proof, or to upload to a website. You can also make the high-rez PDF needed for offset printing from the same ps file (assuming the client doesn't want any changes!). In the desktop publishing business, where layout files may be large and graphic-intensive, this can save lots of time.

On a personal level, I just think PDFs made via the 2 step process are more reliable.