PhotoShop 7.0 doing something weird! Help.

[threeputt]

The attached file shows the resultant image when I open an .ai file that I've created in my drawing program. PhotoShop distorts some of the lines. It's random, too. It's only been doing this since yesterday, but it's driving me nuts.

Straight lines not connected. Sometimes straight lines go off on an angle.

Is it in my export filter from Omega 2.6? Or in Photoshop? I compose in Omega (.plt file) and export as Gerber .ai to my desktop, then open in PS.

Been doing it this way for years. No problems until now. What gives?

 

[Fred Weiss]

The things it is doing wrong are all items that are smart edit items. Try selecting them in Composer before you export them and copy/paste to a new page. This will destroy the smart edit. Then export as AI.

 

[threeputt]

Nope, Fred that didn't work. I'm thinking now that it must have to do with my settings in Omega's export filter. I wonder what the proper settings should be? I was never schooled on this, but it hadn't been a problem.

The boxes that I have "ticked" are:

Use CMYK.
Export complex fills as complex fills.
Make cutter paths shapes.
Include fills for cutter path shapes.
Stroked.

Can you tell me if those are right?

 

[Fred Weiss]

I only have Omega 2.1 which I use in conjunction with Illustrator to get me through these kinds of exports. It doesn't have those options, so I am unable to advise you.

 

[JBarraxSW]

If you're exporting to Photoshop, you might try using a raster format instead. I am making some assumptions here. If you're exporting from a vector application to a raster, I assume you want your final output to be a raster file for some sort of digital print application. If that's the case, you should probably forget about exporting in .ai format, and send it in a high resolution lossless raster file.
Have you tried exporting as a .tiff? That will give you a lossless compression format so you are less likely to have pixelation, but will preserve the lines as they are. They just won't be vector design elements.
Hope that helps.
By the way, I have seen similar problems exporting ai files from CorelDRAW X3 to Photoshop. Except in that case, I can't even open the ai file in PS.

 

[threeputt]

I could try that, Jerry. And yes, you're correct in that I'm ultimately preparing the art for print. In the past, I've been reluctant to export as raster files as the colors get skewed so badly. But that may be a function of settings in the color dialog box.

 

[JBarraxSW]

The color skewing may be due in part to the fact that you're going from a spot color RGB workspace to CMYK, which is a smaller color gamut. If yoiu want to reduce the out of gamut variance, try designing the graphic in CMYK before you export it.
But be aware that you're always going to have some shifts when you go from an RGB to a CMYK colorspace, which is what happens when you print to a process printer, digital or otherwise.

The other thing I thought about this morning was the break in your lines in the thumbnail. It could be--just a guess here--that the break is where Omega has insterted some nodes in that particular line element. If you have node editing features (I'm less familiar with Omega than Fred) look at that section and see if there are nodes or points in the middle of that horizontal line. If so, delete them so you only have them in the corners, and try exporting in .ai again and see if that break doesn't disappear.

Hope that helps.

 

[thewood]

Have you tried exporting as an .eps rather than .ai?