EPS file

What it is

An EPS file is PostScript code with two restrictions: it must describe a single page, and its header must state the page's bounding box. Because a word processor or page layout application cannot always run PostScript, an EPS file can also carry a low-resolution screen preview.

Property	EPS
Image type	Vector, raster or both, described as a PostScript program
Pages	One
Required header	%%BoundingBox, the area the artwork covers
Preview	Optional: TIFF, Windows Metafile or Macintosh PICT, or a device-independent EPSI preview
Colour	RGB or CMYK; Photoshop DCS, a variant, stores CMYK separations
Transparency	No; transparent artwork has to be flattened or rasterised
Layers	No
Metadata	XMP can be embedded; header comments give the title, creator application and creation date

EPS files were made to be placed inside other documents, which is why logos and illustrations were long exchanged as EPS. Adobe's Illustrator help now says EPS is not suitable for modern workflows and recommends PDF for artwork with transparency.

Sources: Adobe, Save artwork in Illustrator, Encapsulated PostScript File Format Specification, version 3.0 (Technical Note 5002, 1 May 1992; archived copy, Adobe's own link no longer resolves), EPS and DCS file import in Illustrator (updated 25 October 2026), Supported file formats in Photoshop, XMP Specification Part 3; Library of Congress, Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) File Format, Version 3.x. Read 27 October 2026.

Which apps open it

Platform or app	Opens EPS	Notes
Mac, Preview	Only up to macOS 12 Monterey	Apple states that macOS no longer includes built-in support for viewing PostScript and EPS files
Windows, Microsoft Office	No longer inserts EPS	Turned off in the April 2017 security update for Office 2010 to Microsoft 365, because EPS files can contain embedded scripts
Google Drive	Previews EPS
Illustrator	Yes	Opening converts the EPS to editable objects, with possible data loss; placing it linked keeps it intact
Photoshop	Opens Photoshop EPS	Vector graphics are rasterised into pixels when opened
InDesign	Places and exports EPS
Affinity Photo 2 and Designer 2	Yes, open and export
GIMP	Yes, with Ghostscript installed
Inkscape	Imports EPS with Ghostscript installed; saves EPS	Transparent objects are rasterised when saving EPS
Canva, Figma	Not in their upload or import formats

Sources: Apple, If you can't open PostScript or EPS files on your Mac (15 June 2026); Microsoft, Support for EPS images has been turned off in Office; Google, Drive file types; Adobe, EPS and DCS file import in Illustrator, Image file formats supported in Photoshop and InDesign supported file formats; Affinity Photo 2 and Affinity Designer 2 file formats; GIMP, external programs; Inkscape, command-line manual; Canva, Check file upload formats and requirements. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it

Route	How	What the conversion loses
Ghostscript to PNG	gs -dSAFER -dEPSCrop -sDEVICE=pngalpha -r300 -o logo.png logo.eps	Vectors become pixels; -dEPSCrop crops to the bounding box, pngalpha keeps a transparent background
Ghostscript to PDF	gs -dSAFER -dEPSCrop -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -o logo.pdf logo.eps	Keeps the vectors
Inkscape	inkscape logo.eps --export-type=svg or --export-type=pdf	Needs Ghostscript to read the EPS
ImageMagick	magick -density 300 logo.eps logo.png	Vectors become pixels; needs Ghostscript; the default density is 72 dpi
Illustrator	Open the EPS, then save as AI or PDF, or export SVG or PNG through Export for Screens	Opening converts the artwork to native objects, with possible data loss
Freedam	Download a WebP rendition, or use an image URL that delivers AVIF, WebP or JPEG	Vectors become pixels, from a preview of up to 2,048 pixels; the EPS stays in the library

On macOS 13 and later, Preview no longer converts EPS files; use Ghostscript or one of the applications above.

Sources: Ghostscript, Using Ghostscript and Devices; Inkscape, command-line manual; ImageMagick, formats and command-line options; Adobe, EPS and DCS file import in Illustrator; Apple, If you can't open PostScript or EPS files on your Mac. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it with AI

An AI assistant that can run commands on your computer, such as a coding agent in a terminal, can install Ghostscript, an open-source PostScript interpreter and run the conversion for you. Paste a prompt like this one, change the folder names, and read each command the assistant proposes before you approve it: it runs with your permissions on your files.

Install Ghostscript on this computer (Homebrew on macOS, apt on Debian or Ubuntu, winget on Windows) and check that `gs --version` works (on Windows the command may be gswin64c).

Then convert every .eps file in the folder ~/Logos to PDF, cropped to its bounding box, for example:
gs -dSAFER -dEPSCrop -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -o logo.pdf logo.eps

Also make a 300 dpi PNG of each with a transparent background:
gs -dSAFER -dEPSCrop -sDEVICE=pngalpha -r300 -o logo.png logo.eps

Write the results to a new folder ~/Logos/converted and keep the originals unchanged. When you have finished, list any file that failed, with the error.

EPS in Freedam

Freedam accepts .eps files in the asset library and stores the original unchanged.

• Preview: Freedam renders the PostScript with Ghostscript, cropped to the bounding box, into a transparent PNG and then a WebP preview of up to 2,048 pixels on the long side. If that fails, it tries again through a PDF conversion.
• Renditions: WebP copies 128, 256, 512 and 1,024 pixels wide are made at upload, and larger sizes up to 5,120 pixels are made from the same preview on first request. Freedam image URLs deliver the artwork as AVIF, WebP or JPEG, depending on what the browser accepts.
• Downloads: people with download rights choose between the EPS file and a WebP rendition. The download dialog marks the original as a file for editing and suggests the 2,048-pixel WebP.
• Metadata: on upload Freedam reads the width, height and colour space, the bounding box, the PostScript header comments (title, creating application, creation date, author, number of pages), any Exif fields, and the description, keywords, creator and copyright notice from the file's IPTC or XMP fields, which fill the asset's own fields.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my EPS file open on a Mac?

Apple removed built-in support for viewing PostScript and EPS files after macOS 12 Monterey, so Preview no longer opens them. Use an application that reads EPS, such as Illustrator, Affinity or Inkscape, or convert the file with Ghostscript.

Can I insert an EPS file in Word or PowerPoint?

Not in Office for Windows. Microsoft turned off EPS insertion in an April 2017 security update, because EPS files can contain embedded scripts. Convert the EPS to SVG, PNG or PDF first.

What is the difference between EPS and AI?

EPS is a single-page PostScript program with an optional low-resolution preview and no transparency. AI is Illustrator's native format, with a PDF version of the artwork inside, multiple artboards and transparency. Adobe says EPS is not suitable for modern workflows.