How to Convert JPG Files to EPS Format on a Mac
By Shawn M. Tomlinson
JPEG, or Joint Photographic Experts Group format, has become a standard because it is a compressed file format for digital images. By compressing large photos, JPEGs allow you to fit more images on a digital camera memory card or a hard drive. They also move across the Internet relatively rapidly. The one problem they have is called digital noise. This makes it difficult to print large photos and produces images below the professional standard. You can convert photos to higher-level standards.
Use a higher-end program such as Adobe Photoshop on the Apple Macintosh to convert files to a variety of formats. While some other programs do allow you to convert files, Photoshop is the industry standard and gives you more control over the conversion.
Open Photoshop on your Mac, then open the JPEG file you want to convert. Go to Image>Image Size. Set the final resolution to 200 dots per inch or 300 dpi if this is a JPEG image from a digital camera. They usually are set to 72 dpi, but the width and height are very big, usually in the range of 30 or 40 inches. When you set the dpi to 200 or 300, change the width to the maximum you need to print. That could be 8.5 inches, 11 inches or bigger. This will prepare your image for conversion.
Blow the image up large so you can see the pixels. The JPEG "noise" will appear as red, green and blue pixels where they shouldn't be. If you don't see any of this, you are ready to convert. If there is noise, go to Filter>Noise and try the tools found there such as Median, Dust & Scratches or Remove Noise. Try Remove Noise first, but the others may work better with certain images.
Go to File>Save As. A popup menu will appear. In the center below the file list window, there is a bar that allows you to choose image file formats. Click on it and select Photoshop EPS. Save your new image as an Encapsulated PostScript File.
Tips
- EPS file images work better with PostScript printers, such as laser printers. They also work better with professional offset printers.
Warnings
- EPS files will be much larger than JPEG files because they are not compressed. The same image that is 5 MB as a JPEG might take up 20 MB as an EPS file.
Writer Bio
Shawn M. Tomlinson has been a newspaper and magazine writer for more than 28 years. He has written for a variety of publications, from "MacWEEK" and "Macintosh-Aided Design" to "Boys' Life," "Antique Week" and numerous websites. He attended several colleges, majoring in English, writing and theater, and has taught college classes about writing.