Postscript Level 2 or 3?

[Colin]

When exporting a file as an EPS, I noticed that the default setting in CorelDraw X5 was Postscript Level 2. Should this not be set to Level 3?

 

[Jim Doggett]

When exporting a file as an EPS, I noticed that the default setting in CorelDraw X5 was Postscript Level 2. Should this not be set to Level 3?

Postscript levels are pretty much moot for most of what you'd export from CorelDRAW ... a curve is a curve is a curve. Most often where problems occur are when not converting text to outlines, and when including a Tiff header, since some, older PS interpreters parse the header and not the curve data.

JMO

 

[Colin]

Has it no bearing on print (color) quality?

I just found this.

 

[Jim Doggett]

Has it no bearing on print (color) quality?

I just found this.

For newspaper and magazine folks it helps, since levels of gray are above 256 ... pretty significantly above. A couple thousand levels, I think. But yeah; for sign-makers who design in CMYK or RGB colorspace and then RIP or send to a cutter, it's moot, IMO.

 

[genericname]

Does Postscript 3 not handle gradients better? That alone is a selling point for me.

 

[Jim Doggett]

Does Postscript 3 not handle gradients better? That alone is a selling point for me.

Maybe. But I think that's the RIP that makes the difference. CorelDRAW, Adobe (AI and PS) are creating the gradients in 256 steps, which makes exporting PS2 or PS3 moot, I believe. Maybe others are aware of advantages.

 

[Sticky Signs]

I got yelled at a long time ago for using level 2 so now I always use level 3. I still have no idea what it does, but I use it...

 

[genericname]

Yeah, but Postscript 3 interprets gradients in 4096 shades of grey. Why would it be an option if Illustrator would just downsample it back to 256 upon saving?

 

[Jim Doggett]

Yeah, but Postscript 3 interprets gradients in 4096 shades of grey. Why would it be an option if Illustrator would just downsample it back to 256 upon saving?

Supports up to that many levels, but whether in Illy or Photoshop, I believe the gradients themselves are built using 256 fountain steps, essentially. So that's what's saved out in the EPS, whether Level 2 or 3 ... to my knowledge, anyway.

 

[genericname]

Supports up to that many levels, but whether in Illy or Photoshop, I believe the gradients themselves are built using 256 fountain steps, essentially. So that's what's saved out in the EPS, whether Level 2 or 3 ... to my knowledge, anyway.

Seems you're right! Did some looking around, and nowhere does there seem to be an option for increasing the number of steps in an Illustrator gradient. Looks like nearly a decade later, the tail's still wagging the dog with Postscript 3. I'm sure it has its uses, but I'm not sure how to exploit it myself.

Only thing I did find was in regards to gradients made in Photoshop. Was in an old archived post here, and looked like Rooster mentioned saving from Photoshop as a 16-bit file. Nothing as elegant as an increase in steps of a vector though.

Even Adobe's help forum recommends 7 inches as the largest acceptable width for its vector gradients. I thought we were living in the future? What is this crap?