DDS to EPS Converter

Encoding: the DDS uses block compression (BC1 to BC7, also called DXT) or uncompressed RGBA; EPS uses PostScript program text, with an optional binary TIFF preview or an EPSI hex preview, and the download is an EPS that wraps the pixels as a PostScript image; it contains no vector paths.

Bit depth: 8 bits per channel for common texture formats in the DDS; EPS allows resolution-independent artwork, with previews usually 8-bit, and the EPS written here has 8 bits per channel.

Colour: RGB(A); normal maps and packed masks store data rather than colour in the DDS; EPS supports CMYK, RGB and spot colours, written here as 8-bit sRGB.

Transparency: the DDS stores it as alpha inside the compressed blocks (BC2, BC3, BC7) or a 1-bit cut-out (BC1); the EPS has none, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.

Other images: the DDS can hold mipmaps, cubemap faces or texture arrays; only the main image is converted.

Metadata: the DDS can carry a 128-byte header (plus a DX10 header) describing the pixel format, nothing about the picture; EPS can carry DSC comments such as %%BoundingBox, %%Creator and %%Title, but nothing is copied across.

DDS is a GPU texture format used by DirectX games. It stores block-compressed textures (DXT/BC) and mipmaps that graphics cards decode directly.

A DDS file starts with 'DDS ' and a 124-byte header giving the size, mipmap count and pixel format: a FourCC such as DXT1 or DXT5, or 'DX10' followed by an extra header naming a DXGI format. The largest mipmap comes first.

DDS files usually come from DirectX games, game mods and texture tools such as NVIDIA Texture Tools and Intel's texture plugin.

EPS is a PostScript drawing packaged for placing inside other documents. It was the exchange format of print and logo design for decades; most EPS files also carry a raster preview so layout software can show them.

An EPS is a PostScript program with DSC comments ('%!PS-Adobe-3.0 EPSF-3.0', %%BoundingBox). Files from Illustrator, Photoshop and CorelDRAW usually start with a 30-byte binary header (C5 D0 D3 C6) that points to a TIFF preview; others carry an EPSI hex preview between %%BeginPreview and %%EndPreview.

EPS is the better choice for print artwork and logos for professional layout software, while DDS suits game textures and mods.

EPS strengths: Vector artwork that prints at any size; Accepted by print shops and older layout software; CMYK and spot colours. Drawbacks to weigh: Browsers and phones cannot display it; Needs a PostScript interpreter to render the vector data; Superseded by PDF and SVG.