MATLAB does not print vector file even with renderer specified

Hello,

I am currently using Matlab 2023b, but the same issue pertains also to Matlab 2021b, which I still have installed. I used to export my figures (for example, contour plots etc.) with no problem via

print('-painters','a1.eps','-depsc')

in 2023b I changed it obviosuly to

print('-vector','a1.eps','-depsc')

It worked fine, and I could always import it into vector graphics editing software and edit there. But that is no longer true for some unknown reason. If I do it like this, part of the figure (e.g., axes, tickes, labels etc.) will be exported correctly as a vector graphics, but the plot itself is exported as a bitmap. Setting renderer explicitly to Painters, RendererMode to manual does not help. Saving as a pdf does not help either. ALso saving via save rather than print also does not help. All lead to the same result.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

I suspect the issue might be related to the Qt plugin error that I get when trying to launch some applications (even though my Python runs fine). But in principle MATLAB should not use that plugin at all, should it?

Thanks a lot in advance!

UPDATE: this is not an issue for simple plots (e.g., using plot function or even contourf function), but if I use surf function for example, then the graph is a bitmap. It used to be vector even for surf function generated plots...

[Philipp]

I have a similar same issue. Exporting as vector graphics does not work for complex figures.

Answer 1

[VBBV]

how about image format ?

print('-image','a1.eps','-depsc')

[sarcastic pedant]

no, that makes everything on the figure a raster image (including axes, tickes, labels etc.) that is otherwise vector if I use '-vector' renderer. I think it makes sense because '-image' forces Matlab to use OpenGL renderer which produces raster by definition. It just does not make sense why -vector does not work properly on some plots (like using surf function)