EPS files

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paulburrucker
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 10:21 pm
Finale Version: 25.3.0.276
Operating System: Mac

Post by paulburrucker » Thu Aug 09, 2018 6:58 am

Finale 25.5.0.259
Mac OS 10.13.6
Finale user for 30 years

Years ago I was producing EPS files in Finale to be used with various page layout applications, then as newer Finale versions became available the reliability of the accuracy of those files degraded such that I couldn't use them anymore; I switched to producing PDFs. The problem with PDFs in this case is that each page cannot be exported as a separate PDF except manually. In many cases I make hundreds of PDFs per Finale file. My questions are: 1) Is there a way these days to make individual Finale pages into discreet PDFs automatically, and 2) Are EPS files more reliable these days?


Vaughan
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 2:50 pm
Finale Version: Finale 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by Vaughan » Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:33 am

This is perhaps skirting the issue but I used to do exactly the same thing: send endless single-page EPS files to publishers. At the time (I’m talking about many years ago), many publishers wouldn’t accept multi-page documents. In the meantime, multi-page PDFs are no longer a problem and many publishers would look upon a whole set of single-page EPS files as cumbersome. Finale’s EPS export is still untrustworthy (especially as concerns the placement of certain graphic elements) and I would highly recommend going the multi-page PDF route, especially if you create them using Finale’s Graphics Tool. This not only produces smaller files than those made with the built-in MacOS function, but also ones which are true B&W instead of RGB.
Vaughan

Finale 3.2 - 26, Sibelius 4 - 7, Dorico 2.2
Tobias Giesen's plugins, full version, Robert Patterson plugins, Jari's plugins
MacOS 10.14.2
MacPro (2016) 16 GB, MacBookPro (2018) 16 GB

Amsterdam

BuonTempi
Posts: 1297
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:59 am
Finale Version: Finale 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by BuonTempi » Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:52 am

Vaughan wrote:create them using Finale’s Graphics Tool. This not only produces smaller files than those made with the built-in MacOS function, but also ones which are true B&W instead of RGB.
The RGB or Black issue depends on the selected printer in the Print menu and its characteristics when you Save As PDF. As for the size issue, it's measurable in Kb, so you'd have to save 5,000,000 PDFs before this would become a problem.
paulburrucker wrote:1) Is there a way these days to make individual Finale pages into discreet PDFs automatically, and 2) Are EPS files more reliable these days?
1. As you're on Mac, you can use my PDF Suite of Finder Services, which provide PDF manipulation in the Services menu (right click). This includes splitting a PDF into files for each page.
https://github.com/benwiggy/PDFsuite

I would say that in almost every workflow, PDFs can seamless replace EPS files, creating fewer problems.

Vaughan
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 2:50 pm
Finale Version: Finale 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by Vaughan » Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:37 am

Is there a practical reason for creating single-page PDFs?
Vaughan

Finale 3.2 - 26, Sibelius 4 - 7, Dorico 2.2
Tobias Giesen's plugins, full version, Robert Patterson plugins, Jari's plugins
MacOS 10.14.2
MacPro (2016) 16 GB, MacBookPro (2018) 16 GB

Amsterdam

BuonTempi
Posts: 1297
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:59 am
Finale Version: Finale 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by BuonTempi » Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:05 am

Presumably for importing as graphics into a DTP app. You can import one page from a multi-page PDF into things like InDesign, though it might cause file bloat.

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