Shrink EPS files by removing the screen previews, Illustrator editing data, and other extras that programs pack in alongside the artwork. The PostScript that draws your artwork stays the same, and your files never leave your browser.
Drop EPS files here
Works with .eps, .epsf, and .epsi files from Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Inkscape, and others. Add several at once.
How to compress an EPS file
- Drop one or more EPS files into the box above, or choose them from your computer.
- Look at the bar under each file. It shows how much of the file is artwork and how much is previews, editing data, and other extras.
- Pick what to remove. The safe options are on by default. Turn on the optional ones if you need a smaller file and can accept the trade-off.
- Download each compressed EPS, or download them all together in a ZIP.
Why EPS files get so large
An EPS file is PostScript code that draws your artwork, plus whatever extras the program that saved it decided to include. Those extras often outweigh the artwork.
The first is the screen preview. EPS files saved for Windows usually start with a small binary header followed by a TIFF or WMF preview image, and some files carry an EPSI bitmap preview inside comment lines. Previews exist so page-layout programs can show the graphic without interpreting the PostScript. Programs that render PostScript themselves, such as InDesign, rasterize the EPS for display when no preview is present.
The second is Illustrator's editing data. When Illustrator saves an EPS, it writes a complete copy of the document after the printable PostScript so it can reopen the file with layers, artboards, and editable type. PostScript interpreters are told to skip this block, so it never affects printing, but it's frequently larger than the artwork itself.
Photoshop EPS files add a block of image resources that holds a thumbnail and metadata. On top of all that, comments, indentation, and Windows-style line endings add up in files with hundreds of thousands of lines.
What this compressor doesn't change
Embedded raster images and fonts are copied through untouched, and so is any binary data the file marks with a byte count. If most of your EPS is a placed photo, it won't shrink much here. For that, re-export from the original program with a lower image resolution or JPEG compression, or consider saving as PDF, which compresses images natively.
If the tool finds raw binary data that isn't marked with a byte count, it skips the text cleanup for that file, since collapsing spaces inside binary data would corrupt it. Preview and editing-data removal still apply.
Should you remove Illustrator's editing data?
Remove it when the EPS is a finished file you're sending out: to a print shop, a sign or engraving service, a stock site, or a client who only needs to place it. Keep it if you or anyone else might need to edit the artwork in Illustrator later. Without that data, Illustrator opens the file as a generic EPS, and grouping, layers, and live type may not come back the way you left them. Either way, keep your original file.
Frequently asked questions
Is EPS compression lossless?
With the default settings, yes. The PostScript that draws the artwork isn't changed, so the file prints and exports exactly as before. Rounding decimal numbers is the only option that changes the artwork, and it's off unless you turn it on.
Will the compressed EPS still open in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop?
Yes. InDesign and other layout programs place it normally, and Photoshop rasterizes it when you open it, as it does with any EPS. Illustrator opens it with full editability unless you removed Illustrator's editing data.
Why does my compressed file show a blank box in some programs?
Some programs display an EPS only through its embedded preview. With the preview removed, they show a placeholder, although the file still prints correctly to a PostScript printer. If you need the preview for those programs, turn off Screen previews and compress again.
Why did my file barely get smaller?
Your EPS is probably mostly embedded images or fonts, which this tool doesn't recompress, or it was saved without previews or editing data. The ZIP size shown under each file gives you a sense of how much further general compression can go.
Should I send a ZIP instead?
EPS files are mostly text, so they zip very well, often to a fraction of their size. A ZIP is great for email and uploads, but the recipient has to unzip it before placing the file. The tool shows each file's zipped size, and you can download everything as one ZIP.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Every file is read and compressed in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server or stored.