Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I colorize or manipulate Ultimate Symbol image files in Illustrator?
A: Yes, they are EPS files and are fully editable in any draw program

Q: Can I use these files with PageMaker?
A: Yes, PageMaker accepts EPS files. You may place or import them and then scale and colorize the image.

Q: Can use these files in Quark Xpress?
A: Yes, however, you can only colorize EPS files in the most recent upgrade of Quark. Earlier versions of Quark require you to first colorize EPS files in a draw program such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or CorelDraw! before importing or placing in Quark. Another alternative is to open the EPS images in Photoshop, and resave them as TIFFs, which all versions of Quark have the ability to colorize.

Q: Can I use these files with my Windows page layout program?
A: Yes, all files come in PC EPS format. The CD-Rom products include WMF file formats which are compatible with most windows programs.

Q: I brought a file into Illustrator and it won't let me colorize or manipulate it.
A: The files must be OPENED in Illustrator, not 'placed' or 'imported' in order to manipulate them fully. To do this, open Illustrator, click on 'File' on the tool bar select 'open' and locate your file.

Q: Why is the clip art jagged when printed?
A: All clip art images available from Ultimate Symbol are supplied in EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) format and must be printed to a PostScript printer. If you do not have a PostScript printer, it is recommended that you convert EPS files into other non-PostScript file formats.

Q: How do I convert EPS files into other non-PostScript file formats?
A: To convert EPS files into a non PostScript file format, we recommend that you convert the files to CGM or WMF (Windows Metafile) format with conversion utilities such as HiJaak or Transverter Pro.

Q: Why do I get poor on screen image representation?
A: Because of the low resolution available on most monitors (normally 72 dots per inch), higher resolution images may not be properly represented on the screen when opened in some applications. In recent versions of PageMaker (6.5 and up), you can select high-resolution preview to improve the appearance your on-screen images. Choose File > Preferences > General and click the appropriate Graphics Display button. PageMaker will then render your pages with crisp, high-resolution images (as long as they were crisp and high-resolution to begin with).

Q: Why can't I insert EPS files into a document?
A: Applications require EPS import filters to be installed. If these filters are not listed in the list of file types in your application, EPS images will not be able to be imported or placed.

Q: What filters do I use to import EPS images into Corel Draw?
A: Use the Adobe Illustrator 88, 3.0, AI, or EPS filter to import using the File/Import command. Please note that the filters must be correctly installed in order to import EPS images.

Q: Why do my clip art images print mirrored & upside down?
A: This has to do with a bug in the PostScript driver that ships with Windows. It is advisable that you contact either Adobe Systems or Microsoft for updated versions of these drivers.

Printing Complex Files
Macintosh: If you are having difficulty printing a complex 6.0 file with many points, try instead using the 3.0 version provided. Many EPS 3.0 files have split paths to facilitate printing on printers that are old or that have insufficient memory to handle large, complex files with many points.

Transparency & Compound Paths
Macintosh: When possible, 6.0 images were saved as compound paths, which allows for transparency or the ability to 'see through' blank areas of the image.

If a grouped image will not come apart, it may be because the file is a compound path. To release a compound path in Illustrator, select the image, pull down the "Object" menu, select "Compound Paths", then select "Release". Be aware that when releasing a compound path, some apparently empty or transparent objects/spaces may become solid black or white. Freehand users: see composite path in your software manual.

Images Composed of Separate Shapes
If an image appears in the Design Elements Catalog with an asterisk * in the lower right-hand corner, it is composed of separate, overlapping shapes which may be pulled apart. To decompose the image, select the image, go to "Arrange" menu, and select "Ungroup". You are now ready to pull it apart.

For more information contact us.