Best option for placed images into Illy - PSD, tiff, eps?

[rickself]

I have a client who has dropped BIG PSD files into Illy and then embedded them. Working on Vista is bad enough but these files take forever to manipulate. When I attempt to relink the file and un-embed, Illy tells me the file is the wrong type. So what is the BEST way to go when placing into CS4 Illustrator - tiff?
Any help out there?
Rick

[DigiCorn]

How are you exporting the file for RIP? I'd probably save the Illy as an .ai or .eps and drop into ID and then marry the .psd on top (assuming it's a .psd because of layering/transparency?).


.tif and .eps from PS are always safe.

[rickself]

I am definitely saving the file as an AI and placing into Indy for the layout and pdf to rip. But the illy artwork has an image in the background that is hogging the memory. I have tried tif and got the same message that the file was the wrong type. So I saved to eps and Illy accepted the file. Am I losing any resolution  by simply resaving her layered psd as a flattened tif? Do the placed images into Illy NEED to be embedded to place into Indy for creating the pdf to rip? I had 20 years in prepress before moving into job planning the last 4 years and some things have changed in 4 years!

[Chilbear]

Why not delete the offending pic from Illy and then place the Illy (sans photo) and the picture into INDD on different layers?

[DCurry]

Am I losing any resolution  by simply resaving her layered psd as a flattened tif?

No.

Do the placed images into Illy NEED to be embedded to place into Indy for creating the pdf to rip?

No - if you save as AI file and choose PDF-compatible you should be fine to place in ID. If you choose to save the Illy file as EPS, then you will want to click on the Include Images box in the save options dialog (it's been a while - my terminology may be slightly off but the idea is the same).

I disagree with DigiSig's assertion that EPS from Photoshop is always safe. They're fine if you know exactly what you are doing, but I've seen plenty of problems with Photoshop EPS. Not a lot of reason to use them anymore, unless you are using antiquated layout software that won't recognize clipping paths in TIFFs or PSDs or duotones in PSDs. If you are using relatively modern Adobe apps, then TIFF or PSD will be safer and easier (fewer options during the save dialog to worry about setting correctly).

[gnubler]

Not a lot of reason to use them anymore, unless you are using antiquated layout software that won't recognize clipping paths in TIFFs or PSDs or duotones in PSDs. If you are using relatively modern Adobe apps, then TIFF or PSD will be safer and easier (fewer options during the save dialog to worry about setting correctly).

Just yesterday I had to save a multi-channel Photoshop file as EPS because when I tried to place the PSD into Indy CS4 it said "no".

[rickself]

Thanks, guys.
So I've saved the files as flattened EPS, (illy would not take a tif). There are 2 each of 4 different images on the layout. Hopefully the manipulation will be easier with linked files rather than embedded - a safe and hopeful assumption. I COULD place the images in ID but I don't want to mess with the client files any more than I have to.

[andyfest]

.psd files seem to work best for us these days. Use PhotoShop CS4; keep any empty CMYK channels (don't delete) + any spot channels; mode should be set for CMYK - not multichannel. Using these presets we have had no issues with supplied psd's.