Input: pdf file with vector graphics

Output: eps for LaTeX with some text and graphic annotations overlayed

Requirements: The goal is to preserve the best quality graphics possible. In particular, we want to preserve the vector graphics, so Photoshop and GIMP, which are raster-based programs, are not suitable.

This is really much harder than I expected.

When exporting to eps, you want

Convert pdf file to eps

pdftoeps -eps input.pdf

Note that pdf2ps and pdftoeps are not the same.

Open resultant input.eps file in Open Office Draw.

Perform crops, rotations, resizing.

Add text and graphic annotations

Now it's time to export.

First try to export directly as an eps. Open the eps file in okular. If everything looks good, then you should be done.

Note about viewers:

All viewers are not really equally good for checking eps files.

Gwenview appears to rasterize. You can use it for determining gross contents of files, but don't use it to determine image quality.

Okular should

I end up with a blank file.

Work around:

Export Open Office file to pdf. (intermediate.pdf)

Export only one page

lossless compression

pdf2ps intermediate.pdf

ps2epsi intermediate.pdf final.eps