.WMF/.EMF to .EPS Conversion
March 16, 2005 10:34 AM Subscribe
Please offer your recommendations on the best cheap/free .WMF/.EMF to .EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) conversion utility. Win98 or XP. Application: getting t-shirts silkscreened. Thanks.
I don't do much graphics work on the Windows side, but Adobe Illustrator would probably do it. You might need an app to create an outline from the image such as Adobe Streamline. You might also be able to do what's needed in Photoshop (using layers).
No cheap/free tools for this that I am aware of.
It would help to know 1) what the image looks like. Is it line art or a photo? and 2) how many colors are being used for printing? In the end you will have to create a separate image (screen) for each color to be printed.
Finally, being able to view the result -- on screen or paper -- is also a little bit tricky!
posted by omnidrew at 10:58 AM on March 16, 2005
No cheap/free tools for this that I am aware of.
It would help to know 1) what the image looks like. Is it line art or a photo? and 2) how many colors are being used for printing? In the end you will have to create a separate image (screen) for each color to be printed.
Finally, being able to view the result -- on screen or paper -- is also a little bit tricky!
posted by omnidrew at 10:58 AM on March 16, 2005
Response by poster: One color. Most are text only, some include simple one-color (same color as text) graphics originating as bitmaps.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:06 AM on March 16, 2005
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:06 AM on March 16, 2005
This may be a two step process...why not install a generic post-script printer driver, then print the WMF to that printer and choose "print to file"? That gives you a PS file. To convert PS to EPS, get ghostview. Ghostview is a wicked pissah of a conversion tool, and its FREE. Ghostview available here.
Generic post script printer driver available here.
posted by cosmicbandito at 11:33 AM on March 16, 2005
Generic post script printer driver available here.
posted by cosmicbandito at 11:33 AM on March 16, 2005
I'd second cosmicbandito's solution. Ghostscript/gsview, while somewhat weird, are awesome. It's also great for making PDFs that are usually smaller than those made by Acrobat.
posted by zsazsa at 11:38 AM on March 16, 2005
posted by zsazsa at 11:38 AM on March 16, 2005
One color makes it much easier. In that case you probably would just need Photoshop, or any other graphics editor. Paint Shop Pro is demoware, I think. (Or what cosmicbandito said).
Work in black & white, specify the color when you place the order with the printers. You might be asked to invert it (make it a negative) before you submit it.
EPS as such is not necessary -- you don't have any outline data in the image, just bitmaps (both images and type). They should be able to take any normal image format such as a TIFF. If you provide an image actual size at 300 dpi (maybe less), the print people should be able to work from there.
posted by omnidrew at 11:41 AM on March 16, 2005
Work in black & white, specify the color when you place the order with the printers. You might be asked to invert it (make it a negative) before you submit it.
EPS as such is not necessary -- you don't have any outline data in the image, just bitmaps (both images and type). They should be able to take any normal image format such as a TIFF. If you provide an image actual size at 300 dpi (maybe less), the print people should be able to work from there.
posted by omnidrew at 11:41 AM on March 16, 2005
graphicsmagick will do the conversion, with appropriate libraries. i use gm on windows for general file conversion. for viewing eps files on windows, you can use ghostgum/ghostscript. all are free utilities.
that assumes you want a direct "pixel-based" copy. if the artwork is line art, you may want to use potrace too. i doubt potrace reads wmf, so you'd use gm to convert wmf to bmp, then potrace to generate eps. it works well - i'm using these tools as i write, trying to make something interesting from scans of some drawings i did earlier this week.
posted by andrew cooke at 11:55 AM on March 16, 2005
that assumes you want a direct "pixel-based" copy. if the artwork is line art, you may want to use potrace too. i doubt potrace reads wmf, so you'd use gm to convert wmf to bmp, then potrace to generate eps. it works well - i'm using these tools as i write, trying to make something interesting from scans of some drawings i did earlier this week.
posted by andrew cooke at 11:55 AM on March 16, 2005
Response by poster: Ghostview is a wicked pissah of a conversion tool
cosmicbandito: lemme guess you're originally from Boston? And thanks.
omnidrew: I took an unscientific poll of custom t-shirt shops on the web, and the most popular file formats seem to be EPS and JPG (tied for 1st), followed by TIF, GIF, and PSD in a 3-way tie for 2nd.
Thanks, all!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:58 AM on March 16, 2005
cosmicbandito: lemme guess you're originally from Boston? And thanks.
omnidrew: I took an unscientific poll of custom t-shirt shops on the web, and the most popular file formats seem to be EPS and JPG (tied for 1st), followed by TIF, GIF, and PSD in a 3-way tie for 2nd.
Thanks, all!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:58 AM on March 16, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 10:39 AM on March 16, 2005