Optimizing Adobe Illustrator Files for the Web
STEP 1: Create Artwork in Adobe Illustrator and name your file.
STEP 2: Save file first in the Adobe Illustrator format (.ai) and resave every 5 mins so you don't lose your work.
STEP 3: Save the final version in any of the 2 formats (Adobe Illustrator or Illustrator EPS) from the pull-down menu in the Save As window.
STEP 4: After you have saved the artwork in a native vector format (.ai or .eps), then save another version for the web.
Go to FILE>SAVE FOR WEB.
STEP 5: This command will bring up the OPTIMIZE SETTINGS WINDOW. You are able to preview the rasterized vector art in 2 or 4 views to decide which quality setting you prefer.
STEP 6: See the different settings in gif, jpeg or png. Each format will show a different degrees of compression quality and file size. Once you decide on the setting, press Save. Keep this general rule in mind: Use the jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format for photographs or continuous tone images like gradients and blends; Use gifs Graphic Interchange Format) for flat area colors like vector artwork or if you don't want a background color tied to your graphic; PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is new format and it is a losslesss compression method, meaning that no quality loss is incurred but the file size is larger than a gif.
Learn how to use all the digital file formats.
STEP 7: Play with the different settings in the Preset menu and notice how the file size in the bottom data window changes.
STEP 8: See how the file size is directly related to the file format.
Saving your artwork in native .ai format takes less file size than saving it as eps (Encapsulated Postscript). When a file is converted to eps, it tracks each object in the artwork by assigning it a separate mathematical equation. This allows the postscript printers to print the lines, shapes, and text by sending the equations to the printer and letting the printer figure it out. The result is uniformly smooth artwork with high contrast edges annd crisp details.
Hope this helps you to understand why I want you to turn in .ai files instead of .eps files. Ai files are much smaller compare to eps files.
STEP 9: Once you commit to an optimized setting, then press on the SAVE button to save the file and you can either upload your optimized images to your website or place it in the eCampus dropbox.
