Title: A Beginner’s Guide to Exporting as .ai
Adobe Illustrator is a widely-used, powerful tool for creating vector graphics. Once you’ve created your artwork in Illustrator, it’s important to know how to export it in the format you need. One popular format for exporting artwork from Illustrator is .ai, which preserves the vector properties of the file. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of exporting your artwork in .ai format.
Step 1: Prepare Your Artwork
Before you start the export process, make sure your artwork is complete and ready for export. Check that all the elements are properly aligned and grouped, and that any text is converted to outlines to ensure it renders correctly in the .ai format.
Step 2: Open the Export Dialogue
Once you have your artwork ready, go to the “File” menu and select “Export” and then “Export As”. This will open the export dialogue box where you can choose the format and the location to save your file.
Step 3: Select .ai Format
In the export dialogue box, select Adobe Illustrator (.ai) from the format dropdown menu. You can also choose an appropriate name for your file and select the destination folder where you want to save it.
Step 4: Customize Export Settings
After selecting .ai format, you will have the option to customize the export settings. You can choose whether to include or exclude certain elements, such as fonts or linked files. You can also adjust the compatibility settings to ensure that the .ai file can be opened in various versions of Adobe Illustrator.
Step 5: Save Your File
Once you are satisfied with the export settings, click “Export” to save your artwork in .ai format. Your file will be saved in the designated location with all the vector properties preserved.
Step 6: Check Your Exported File
After saving the file, it’s a good practice to open it in Adobe Illustrator to ensure that your artwork is intact and looks as intended. This step will help you catch any potential issues before sending the file to others or using it in your projects.
In conclusion, exporting your artwork as .ai from Adobe Illustrator is a straightforward process. By following these steps, you can ensure that your vector graphics are preserved and ready to be used in a variety of projects. Familiarizing yourself with the export process will help you work efficiently and effectively with Adobe Illustrator.
