importing .ai into Corel Draw

[starfox25]

Anyone ever had problems importing illustraror files into corel. Im having problems at work. Often overlaping segments tend to reverse out amongst many other strange things. I've tryied every export extension and have tried flattening transparency inside illustrator.
Thanks

[Broacher]

Yawn! Back from vacation sloth. Sorry.

Do you have both AI and CDraw on the same machine? What versions?

[starfox25]

ai 10 and cdr 11

[Broacher]

First, you gotta accept that not every object will make it across the CDR<>AI bridge and stay editable -- in either direction. If you save the AI 10 file as an AI7 EPS file, your odds improve. Next to try: import that EPS file directly through Corel's PS Interpreted filter. Next, PDF to open directly.

Finally, go to www.oberonplace.com and look for the AI Clipboard VBA macro pack. These are great for taking stuff from AI (or even ID) directly in and out of CorelDraw through the clipboard. Often faster, and more thorough than other methods. Definitely worth the download and installation.

[cbscreative]

Welcome back Broacher, I thought you were quiet lately.

[Broacher]

Quiet? You bet. Actually, you see... I'm the eligitimate offspring of Banshee and Cyclops. (Don't ask me how they did that). As a result, I can't open my mouth without a waiver from an attorney-- and you should see my bathroom mirror!

(I can't.)

[Cyclops]

:D man "you're no son of mine" :D It is true you resembel my corel quality... but still... :D LOL

[starfox25]

import that EPS file directly through Corel's PS Interpreted filter. Next, PDF to open directly.

I'm not sure what you mean is this going threw the import option?
Thanks for the tips I really appreciate it

Also I 'm guessing that vba app woun't work on a mac, am I right?

I never have problems when I am working with both programs on a PC you see I work at a etching co I prep the art on a mac in illustrator and then export as a eps v8, I transfer the file over a network to another facility that opens the file in corel (v10 on a PC) and uses a laser machine to make a mask on the ware. Corel is the only option to run the lasers with, and the other artists arent willing to use corel because everything's been done for years in illustrator, (what a mess!)

[Cyclops]

I'm not sure what you mean is this going threw the import option?

Ctrl (Cmd}+I opens the import dialog, then you choose file type "PS,PRN,EPS" and choose your ai7 eps file. This is the best method to bring eps files in Corel.

[Broacher]

>>Also I 'm guessing that vba app woun't work on a mac, am I right?<,

Oh. You're one of 'those'? Then the legend is true! Their really is a pro working with CorelDraw on a Mac! And sadly, you're right-- VBA is for PC only.

And I'm not sure how this translates to the Mac version, but on the PC you have two choices for importing EPSs. The 'EPS-Encapsulated Postscript' filter simply places the EPS's preview into the Corel workscreen without any ability to edit the contents (like 'Placing' a linked EPS in AI). It will output fine, but you can't do much with it like that. As mentioned already, the 'PS, PRN, EPS - Postscript Interpreted' filter is the one I was alluding to. The biggest drawback with this route though is that 99.5% of the time interpreting the text objects as 'Text' doesn't work. That's balanced by the fact that even with 'convert to curves' selected instead, it'll actually use embedded fonts to render the curves-- not something AI seems to be able to handle.

Other drawbacks of the PS interpreter? It's fixed in version 12, but if I'm not mistaken, in ten and earlier, it had a nasty habit of converting CMYK images inside an EPS to RGB. Also, it still cannot 'handle' converting a duotone EPS by converting to a CDraw 'internal' duotone. It converts it to CMYK instead. Although, to be fair, neither can AI (and both work as 'placed' links).

>>I never have problems when I am working with both programs on a PC you see I work at a etching co I prep the art on a mac in illustrator and then export as a eps v8, I transfer the file over a network to another facility that opens the file in corel (v10 on a PC) and uses a laser machine to make a mask on the ware. Corel is the only option to run the lasers with, and the other artists arent willing to use corel because everything's been done for years in illustrator, (what a mess!)<<

What happened when you tried exporting as an AI version 7? That's usually pretty reliable. Especially for the typical things you'd need for etching stuff.

Anyhow, first try the EPS interpreted. If it's only for the sake of the output workstation, it should work fine and you wouldn't need to worry about being able to edit the text as fonts. I'd still want to test saving as a PDF from AI10 (without preserve AI editing enabled) and try opening that in CD10, just to see how that might go. It would at least mean smaller file sizes.

Going the other way, AI-CS seems to do the best job yet of opening up CorelDraw files directly-- especially when they're saved in CD vers. 8 files.

[starfox25]

I cant believe it . After trying everything, switching the file type to ps worked!!!!!! Now I'm using v11 on my mac. The place where I transfer the filed to use v 10 and 9 is this going to work.

[starfox25]

You guys rock!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Postscript Interpreted' filter worked fine. Thanks for the info.

Oh. You're one of 'those'? Then the legend is true! Their really is a pro working with CorelDraw on a Mac!


I love corel draw but its a total disaster on a mac, they havent even made v12 for macs. Another corel question if I may, Whitch corel drawing tool most resembles illustrators. In illustrator after I set a point and drag to a curve I can hold down alt or option and pull the curve in any direction I want, I cant seem to find that in Corel

[Cyclops]

In Corel is called Bezier Tool ;)

[Broacher]

In Corel 12, they actually have included the traditional Adobe pen tool (with a slight variation of previewing the curve). But the original Corel bezier pen is very powerful in it's own right-- more so, if you get used to it, because it can use the three different node types using click and key modifiers. I like that you don't need to change pen tools to get the mode you want. Google for bezier tutorials in Corel. There's some good ones out there.

[cbscreative]

Careful, getting used to the Bezier tool in Corel will spoil the fun of working in AI with the pen tool. I've never been able to work as fast, efficient, or accurately fast in AI as I can with "node editing" features of CorelDRAW. Consider that my soap box entry here, I just feel AI is a bit clumsy in that area. To be fair, they both have pros and cons.

[PrintPharmacist]

I have learned from using Corel that you need to save you Illustrator formats to a lesser version, I try to use 8 if possible, but also saving it as a pdf and importing it that way is useful too. ALSO.... In CS you can export it as an Illustrator Legacy file, and sometimes it works too.