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Creating Print Graphics (TIFF vs EPS)

The information below came from a link on www.pcwebopedia.com. For information about scanning, see Scanning. Generally, save your images as TIFF or EPS for printing and GIF or JPEG for the web.

Should I save my graphics as TIFF or EPS?

Well, the answer is quite simple (with a few exceptions):

For bitmapped graphics and scans (anything out of Photoshop) you always, always, always want to save your graphics as TIFF.

For vector-based and object-based graphics (anything out of Illustrator or Freehand) you always, always, always want to save your graphics as EPS.

The only exceptions to this rule is:

If the image in Photoshop needs to be saved with a clipping path, duotone information, or OPI Compatible, you will need to save it as EPS, instead of TIFF.

Here's some common myths:

Myth 1: EPSs print better than TIFFs.

Only half true. EPSs that are vector-based (Illustrator or Freehand) do print better than TIFFs because they are resolution independent. This is because the information is based on objects, not pixels.

EPSs that are bitmapped-based (Photoshop) consist of the same pixel based data that their TIFF counterparts do. Therefore they will print exactly the same.

(Note: You may get a different printed result from either format depending on how your output program treats TIFF images vs. EPS images, but the pixel based information is still the same)

Myth 2: I have a lot more control of EPSs.

Just what kind of control are you talking about?

If you're planning on embedding halftone or linescreen information; don't! Your service bureau will do this correctly for you. If your service bureau doesn't, then you're using the wrong service bureau.

Actually, the exact opposite is true. You will have a lot more control of of TIFFs once they are placed in your DTP Program.

The reason for this is the TIFF format is very basic, and most any DTP Program can change that information on the way out to an output device.

This is not true for EPSs. EPSs are proprietary to the program that wrote them. Other than some simple header information in an EPS, the rest is totally undecipherable by your DTP Program.

So if you're planning on adjusting the brightness, color, or hue of your graphics in your DTP Program, you'll need save it as a TIFF.

This includes downsampling TIFFs to lower resolutions for lower resolution devices.

Conclusion

Use TIFF for bitmapped images.

Use EPS for postscript images.