Do you work with vector images?  For screen-printers, vinyl cutters, and really any kind of printing out there, these file formats are a must for clean artwork.  Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator are the main Vector Editing programs that are used by graphic artists.  They both offer the same effects, and options, but the way that they separate and create the art can differ between the two.  Adobe is more advance when it comes down to creating special effects, fades and shades, where Corel is good at creating simple vectored images.

     EPS formatted files are the simple vector files that work with any vector based program.  Corel Draw files (.cdr) and Adobe Illustrator files (.ai) are specific to those programs and won’t import or open correctly in other programs.  An EPS file is a simplified vector file that will allow the image to be edited in Corel, Illustrator, and any other vector software.  

     The problem with these files is that the vector format created in Illustrator doesn’t always match up with that of the Corel system, and vise versa.  Every time a file is saved into a different format from its original, some of the vector info is lost.  As a result, your image will begin to loose certain details. 

     Since Corel and Illustrator files are not the same, it is imperative that you request your images in the format unique to your software.  For Illustrator it is .ai, and for Corel it is .cdr. If you are using any other software, an .eps file will work perfectly for you.

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