is the abbreviation for Encapsulated PostScript File.

PostScript™ is a page description language which is primarily used for driving PostScript printers. In addition, it is also very important for incorporating graphics into DTP or computer publishing programs.

The EPS file has one major advantage and one major disadvantage. The advantage is that it can be printed out in excellent quality on any PostScript-compatible printer and incorporated in any PostScript-compatible program.

The disadvantage, however, is that interpreting this file is an extremely time-consuming process, as PostScript is a highly complex language which is more like a programming language than an graphic format in the traditional sense of the word. PostScript should therefore only be used when graphics are to be incorporated into a DTP program. This will ensure high-quality results without the DTP program having to know what the file actually contains, e.g. vector data or pixel data.

The Adobe Illustrator format is an interesting subset of PostScript. This format is both the specific Adobe Illustrator format and a complete EPS file. It is supported by a large number of graphics programs on numerous hardware platforms. There is, however, just one point to note here - although an Illustrator file is an EPS file, not every EPS file is an Illustrator file!