Getting graphs/charts *out* of PPT

[Sandra]

Hoping someone may be able to help me...

A client sent me some graphs/charts that they created in PPT (so when
I double click in PPT it launches MS Graph)
Now they'd like me to use them in a printed newsletter, for which I'm
using Illustrator (could just as well be using InDesign if that would
help me...)
Problem is, the only way I been able to figure how to get them from
PPT to Illustrator is by simple copy and paste, and the graphs come
over all yucky and pixelated.
They print as if they were vector-based from PPT (completely scalable
and all that), so is there a way to get a vector version of these
charts into Illustrator?

I'm running PPT '98 on my machine (yes, we're *still* stuck in OS9
here...) but could gain access to a machine running PPT X if I need
to.

Any thoughts?
Anyone?
Thanks!!!



I heart MS Graph!!
P

 

[Matt]

Hi Sandra, I would remove all extra information from each slide and create a
pdf of the PowerPoint file. Then open each page of the pdf in Illustrator.
This has worked for me in the past keeping the vector information.

Another option for you is to save the PPT file as Macintosh Picture (PICT)
images using Save as from the File menu. You can than open these files in
Illustrator. I have seen overlapping text with this option in the past. It
looks like postscript errors, but you could always retype the text in
Illustrator if you have this issue.
I hope either method helps.
Matt

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Sandra

I'm not a mac user, so bear with me...

When you copy the graph to clipboard

Do you have a "paste special" in illustrator (if so....try using any of the vector formats available)

Another alternative....try setting them to print to a postscript printer. and using the "print to file" option.

Then get illustrator to import the postscript or encapsulated postscript file.

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

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[Harvey Waxman]

Depending on your OS why not just snap a screen shot of the graph?

cmd-shift-4 works well in OSX and should make an excellent image.
There is a similar method in OS9 but I forget what it is.

Also SnapZPro if you have it.

--
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[TAJ Simmons]

Harvey,

I think the original request was.....

so is there a way to get a vector version of these charts into Illustrator

Surely a screen capture would be a bitmap/pixel capture?

TAJ

 

[Sandra]

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

TAJ - no "paste special" in Illustrator - I think that must be a
Microsoft thing... (well, at least it's not an Adobe thing...)

I ended up saving each chart to it's own one-slide .ppt file, and
printing each one to an .eps, then bringing the .eps into Illustrator.
(I'm sort of kicking myself - not sure why I didn't come up with that
on my own!)
There was a lot of extraneous "stuff" to get rid of (a couple of
vectors that seem to represent the edges of the slide, some extraneous
text that I couldn't figure out at all,...) so not the most elegant
solution, but it did work it so I'm happy now!

I did try saving the PPT as .pict files, but they didn't open properly
in Illustrator - I ought to try bringing them into Photoshop and then
re-saving as something that may be more Illustrator friendly, but
since I've got my .eps solution working, I'll come back to that later.
(which may actually mean never, but well... it's in the back of my
mind in case I need it some other time!)

As for the screen shot solution - I did consider that, but since
that's still raster, so not quite what I was hoping for. I suppose
worst case if none of this had worked, I could have blown each graph
up to fit my entire screen so I could get as high a res screen shot as
possible.... but fortunately that doesn't seem to be necessary.

Thanks again all!

-Sandra

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Sandra,

You can save any slide as a PICT file or an entire presentation as a
series of PICT files. From PowerPoint's Save As menu choose the file
type Macintosh PICT.

If you update to PowerPoint 2004 the Save As PICT feature has been
enhanced so that you can choose the resolution of the resulting picture
file.

Jim

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Sandra,

There was a lot of extraneous "stuff" to get rid of (a couple of
vectors that seem to represent the edges of the slide,

I think those (edges of the slide) are called the "bounding box". I think they are to tell the software that imports the
eps, what the page size is and which way up it goes.

some extraneous text that I couldn't figure out at all,...)

Beats me on that one.

but it did work it so I'm happy now!

Cool.

The print to file is an old trick. But one to keep handy in your book of tricks.

TAJ

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

There was a lot of extraneous "stuff" to get rid of (a couple of

I think those (edges of the slide) are called the "bounding box". I think they are

to tell the software that imports the

eps, what the page size is and which way up it goes.

That wouldn't be the bounding box. It's just a series of numbers that does tell the
app the size of the image but it's not actually anything that produces "marks" on the
page. In fact, it's a comment in the PS, so the interpreter ignores it.

If Frame Pages were checked in the print dialog, that might do it though.
Also, ISTR that PPT puts a background rectangle behind the slide as it prints, at
least in some versions. It might be a residual effect of that. IAC, should be easy
enough to delete.

Beats me on that one.

Cool.

The print to file is an old trick. But one to keep handy in your book of tricks.

TAJ

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Apologies for the delayed response.
Just back from PowerPoint Live 2004
Had a great time, learned a lot
================================================

 

[TAJ Simmons]

What Steve said.... he knows about postscript and stuff

TAJ