What happens to your file
Every path, rectangle, circle, ellipse, line and polygon in the SVG is read and rewritten as a PostScript command. Curves stay Bézier curves, and arcs are converted into Bézier curves of the same shape. Transforms on groups, such as move, rotate and scale, are calculated and applied as well.
The document size follows the width and height of the SVG, with 1 px in the SVG becoming 1 pt in the EPS. A 500 px wide SVG becomes a 500 pt (about 17.6 cm or 6.9 in) wide EPS. Because it is a vector, you can scale it up or down later without any loss.
Check before you convert
- Text is not carried over. Convert text to outlines in your design app before exporting the SVG, so it looks the same on computers without your fonts. See how to convert text to outlines.
- Gradients become a single solid color: the average of the gradient's colors.
- Transparency is not supported by EPS, so semi-transparent colors are replaced by the color they show over a white background.
- Clipping masks and filters (drop shadows, blurs and so on) are not applied.
When any of these apply, the file shows a warning in the list. No warning means the file is ready to use as is.
Where EPS is used
EPS has been the print industry's vector format for decades, so print shops, sign and banner makers and vinyl cutter workflows still ask for it. Stock sites such as Adobe Stock and Shutterstock also commonly accept vector illustrations as EPS. For submission tips, see uploading EPS to stock sites.