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Computers and Software => Raster and Vector Manipulation Programs, and How to Do Stuff in Them. => Topic started by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 03:53:06 PM

Title: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 03:53:06 PM


Anyone out there on this Saturday? I have a couple of files that just came in and naturally, the client's artist is not available today.

So, a little help is humbly requested. I am attaching the pdf versions that give me an error message, but they may be no good for any of you either.
I can email you the ai files.

TIA
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Command-Z on June 04, 2011, 04:01:48 PM
Tried opening in Illy CS3... no go. That's the highest version of Illustrator I have.

Can't even open in Acrobat Pro. "Not a valid PDF"

Opening in Text Edit shows no data info either, which leads me to believe there isn't anything there to open! That plus the fact the files are only 4 KB in size.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Denis Kolar on June 04, 2011, 04:02:18 PM
It will not open for me too.
Try renaming to something simple and then opening.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Homer on June 04, 2011, 04:09:35 PM
I have 4 at work, can it wait until Monday? I may be able to swing over to the shop later tonight. . .
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: whitewater on June 04, 2011, 04:17:38 PM
sorry no go from me...I tried everything on my mac..
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: squeezee on June 04, 2011, 04:23:52 PM
Doesn't open in CS4, I think that they are corrupt.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 04:30:47 PM
Thanks all, Client just sent me better files, though the one for the back is still a little weird, I made it work.

For those who may be curious, I have attached the new files. Welcome to my world...yawn
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: DouglasGrigar on June 04, 2011, 04:42:51 PM
Thanks all, Client just sent me better files, though the one for the back is still a little weird, I made it work.

For those who may be curious, I have attached the new files. Welcome to my world...yawn

Look in your e-mail box for two EPS files broken down all the way to 88.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 05:12:10 PM
Okay, now Douglas, thanks, but let me ask, you got those out of the initial funky ones?  or from the new and improved versions that did open for me as pdf in Corel, but on the back design had  two weird happenings (though I worked around with copy and paste in a new file.
1. I could not isolate the back shirt template to delete.
2. When I grouped the text, it tried to hide!

I ended up copying and pasting the text and ball to a new file, and then grouped it just fine.

btw, this is for a small cad cut job.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: ebscreen on June 04, 2011, 05:36:41 PM
When emailing files (esp. pdf's) I occasionally get those 4kb files with the same name as the correct files. Usually all together. Weird email quirk.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: DouglasGrigar on June 04, 2011, 05:40:11 PM
When emailing files (esp. pdf's) I occasionally get those 4kb files with the same name as the correct files. Usually all together. Weird email quirk.

EPS and PDFs can have a “FOPO” or icon file in front - that often does not translate well.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 05:40:44 PM
I didn't even notice the small size of those funky ones at first!
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: DouglasGrigar on June 04, 2011, 05:52:29 PM
Okay, now Douglas, thanks, but let me ask, you got those out of the initial funky ones?  or from the new and improved versions that did open for me as pdf in Corel, but on the back design had  two weird happenings (though I worked around with copy and paste in a new file.
1. I could not isolate the back shirt template to delete.
2. When I grouped the text, it tried to hide!

I ended up copying and pasting the text and ball to a new file, and then grouped it just fine.

btw, this is for a small cad cut job.

I used the new versions you posted but I also opened the others... or I should say tried to open the empty PDF folder with nothing in it.... Corel and Illustrator do not play well together, I opened the files on my Mac with Illustrator CS3 of all things - popped right up...

Quote
1. I could not isolate the back shirt template to delete.

Problem with the file that did have art is that it was a clipping mask (this is often generated by low-end art programs that are vector capable and Illustrator saving to PDF with some of the “save” settings).

Quote
2. When I grouped the text, it tried to hide!

Groups and clipping masks and compound paths all together - Blech... >:(

I sent EPS because I did not know if you were using Corel or not, EPS seems to work best with the Corel transfer...

Did the versions I sent have the same problems? I tried to strip out the extra stuff leaving only the compound paths.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 06:00:08 PM
Yes, your eps files fire right up,the automatically opening Corel , set as the eps default opener!

Ain't it amazing just how complicated some simple files get?

The words "don't worry, we have a professional artist on staff" send chills down my spine.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: screenxpress on June 04, 2011, 09:34:51 PM
Is it doing something funky to me? 

Are they nothing more than text with a funky icon?  Or is there a lot more that is not popping up on mine?

I think the 1 kb files are just "pointers" where they sent the wrong thing.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 09:42:31 PM
No Wayne, just a little text and the stylized ball. Typical of the micro-run cad cut jobs that come my way.
It's just that, initially, they sent compressed ai files, and the bad pdf's. I can't attach ai, so what was first posted were the pdf "pointers"
By the time a few here had seen them, the client sent the second set of good pdf's that you see. Well, I say good, only because they were usable, but as I mentioned, the one for the back was weird, and Douglas explained why.


Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: screenxpress on June 04, 2011, 10:35:24 PM
That explains the 1 KB files.

I have to say, the back opened beautifully for me.

Interesting to see text laid down one letter at a time.
Title: Re: Help with ai files?
Post by: Frog on June 04, 2011, 11:06:47 PM
The back opened beautifully for me as well, but it didn't let me delete the shirt, or group the text to be able to set up my sheet to cut easily. Doug explained that was due to clipping masks and compound paths, or some other Adobe nonsense  ;D

I did work-arounds with copy and paste to new files, but Douglas' eps conversions were fine as well.
This was just another example of what I see as a very simple file made difficult by a professional graphic artist. We all get 'em.