Inkscape screws up EPS files

Question

I have been trying to use Inkscape to prepare artwork graphics for my scientific papers. I use LaTeX, and I need my figures to be prepared as high-quality Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) images. The work order is as follows. First, I plot parts of my figure using matplotlib and save them in EPS format. Second, I launch Inkscape and import the EPS files. Using Inkscape I compose a figure, leaving needed objects, killing unneeded, and adding some markups. So I used to do when I worked with CorelDraw in Windows, but now I work in Linux.

Unfortunately, Inkscape damages EPS files: it changes the colors and does not save all the objects. Over last years I tried to search for a solution, but I cannot find that people complained. The complaints (found on the Web) are related to something like "incorrect font rendering" when exporting from svg to eps or back. (For me this is not a problem - the text always can be represented as curves).

I currently work in Mandriva Linux 2010 and use Inkscape version 0.47 r22583 (Jan 14 2010). Somewhere I read that such problems could be caused by some outdated versions of cairo - mine is 1.9.14. I spend a lot of effort to build newer cairo (1.12.14), but I am still far from the purpose. I got confused in 32 and 64-bit libraries coexisting in my system...

I would be very grateful to anyone who has similar problems and, may be, advanced further towards the solution. Let me illustrate the problem.

Sorry, I do not have enough reputation points to neither post images nor insert more than 2 links, so, please take a look at the copy of this post with the images in my livejournal page:

http://benkev.livejournal.com/1093.html

The figure captions are below.

(1) Here are the three eps images I would like to combine in one figure:

(2) Here is what I get after importing the images in Inkscape and saving in SVG format. Note color and resolution distortion. Also, I draw three red circles around the feature of interest.

(3) Here is what I get when I export this figure to EPS file. One can notice that one of the three red circles gone: only two circles left!

Thank you!

Berty

You can post the links to the uploaded images. Someone with edit privileges would embed them in your post. – Chelseychelsie

AFAIK Inkscape can export graphics as TiKZ (at least it can convert SVG to TiKZ) which can be directly handled by LaTeX. And TeX can handle PDF graohics, too. Also: There are newer versions of Inkscape available (I have 0.48.3.1). Why do you insist on using a version that's three years old? – Ticktock

Martin, thank you for pointing at TiKZ, I di not know what was it for. I'll read. – Berty

But you see, the problem is that the AAS (American Astronomical Society) journals require that all the graphics be provided in the EPS format. I.e. no PDF, no SVG, no TiKZ. – Berty

Answer 1

This appears to be a bug in inkscape. The following steps might help:

1. Open the svg file in inkscape.
2. Select all (Ctrl+A)
3. Un-group (Ctrl+Shift+G). you may need to repeat this step several times.
4. Save the result as eps format.

Cowden

Thanks for this info ;-) indeed it works even if I do not have any groups, you saved my hours and well deserved upvote! – Ashil

@Umut Tabak Glad it helped somebody if not the SO himself. :) – Cowden

I have a very strange problem. With an inkscape exported eps file, some psfrag substitutions occur and the others not. Very interesting, do you have any ideas? I have 6 replacements in total, I am trying replace x, y, z and capital ones, X, Y, Z. small ones are fine but capitals are not working. – Ashil

Answer 2

For what it's worth after more than one year: I've been experiencing the same problems with Inkscape V0.48: the EPS was missing items when opened in other software (e.g. Latex).

I didn't completely solve the problem, but I found that it helped to remove groups. Simply select all components and keep ungrouping until there are no groups left. Save as EPS and the result should be better.

If there are still items missing, try to use 'raise selection up to top' on the missing items and save again.

Dinger

Answer 3

I know this is old, but the bug is still present in Inkscape so here's my two cents. My workaround is to save a copy of my project as "Plain svg". And export that as eps. I hope it helps!

Mull

Answer 4

I created a new layer and moved the text which was not showing up in the EPS to this layer. Then it was showing up in the exported EPS file. P.S. Make sure you make the new layer below the current layer and move text there.

Sustentation

Answer 5

It is a bug in inkscape (0.91 Window) but easy fix. Save directly into pdf from inkscape and then from pdf file save as to eps. Work like a charm for me.

Sanitize

Answer 6

A permanent solution for this problem is to export your *SVG to a *PNG and then export the *PNG (e. g. via the free Software GIMP) as an *EPS file type. The missing items are always included when I use this approach.

Effusion

A concern would be that the advantage of EPS, and therefore the reason many publishers like them, is that you can scale the entire image and the lines and points and text therein scale without distortion or loss of resolution. Wrapping a PNG in an EPS envelope may be technically possible, but defeats the purpose of doing it. – Hadsall