Adobe Illustrator (AI)
The Adobe Illustrator (AI) file format was developed by Adobe Systems, Incorporated for the Macintosh and Windows platforms. It is primarily vector-based, although later versions support bitmap information.
You can import AI files for use in CorelDRAW or export CorelDRAW files to the AI file format. Before exporting a document as an AI file, you can preflight your document to find potential problems. Preflighting checks and displays a summary of errors, possible problems, and suggestions for resolving issues. By default, many AI issues are checked during a preflight, but you can disable the issues that you do not want to check.
To import an Adobe Illustrator file
1
Click
File 
Import.
2
Locate the folder in which the file is stored.
5
Click in the
drawing page where you want to import the file.
To export an Adobe Illustrator file
1
Click
File Export.
2
Locate the folder in which you want to save the file.
3
Choose
AI - Adobe Illustrator from the
Save as type list box.
4
Type a filename in the
File name list box.
6
From the
Compatibility list box, choose an Adobe Illustrator file format.
7
In the
Export range area, enable one of the following options:
•
Current document — exports the active drawing
•
Current page — exports the active page
•
Selection — exports the objects that you have selected
•
Pages — exports the pages that you specify (This option is only available for CS 4 and later versions.)
8
In the
Export text as area, enable one of the following options:
•
Curves — lets you export text as curves
•
Text — lets you export text as editable characters
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Convert transparent areas to bitmaps |
In the Transparency area, enable the Preserve appearance and convert transparent areas to bitmaps option. (This option is only available for version 8 and lower.) |
Discard transparent areas and preserve curves and text |
In the Transparency area, enable the Preserve curves and text by removing transparent effects option. (This option is only available for version 8 and lower.) |
Convert an outline to an object to create an unfilled closed object with the outline’s shape |
In the Options area, enable the Convert outlines to objects check box. |
Convert complex outlines to curves |
In the Options area, enable the Simulate complex filled curves check box. |
Convert spot colors to process colors |
In the Options area, enable the Convert spot colors to CMYK check box. |
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In the Options area, enable the Embed color profiles check box. |
Generate a preview of the document in the Adobe Illustrator File open dialog box |
In the Options area, enable the Include preview images check box. |
If you enable the Simulate complex filled curves check box, an object that is composed of complex curves, such as a text object that was converted to curves, may be broken into several objects on export to help minimize the complexity of the object.
If you disable the Include placed images check box and export the file, the exporting process generates one Adobe Illustrator file and a series of EPS files. The EPS files contain individual objects and images which are linked to the AI file. Always store the EPS files with the AI file to preserve the link to the AI file.
To view the preflight summary for an AI file
1
Click
File Export.
2
Locate the folder in which you want to save the file.
3
Choose
AI - Adobe Illustrator from the
Save as type list box.
4
Type a filename in the
File name list box.
6
In the
Adobe Illustrator Export dialog box, click the second tab.
You can limit the issues to check during the preflight by clicking the
Settings button
, double-clicking
AI Export, and disabling the check boxes next to the items that you want the preflight to overlook.
You can save settings by clicking the Add preflight settings button 
and typing a name in the Save preflight style as box.
Adobe Illustrator (AI) technical notes
Importing an AI file
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You can import AI file formats up to and including Adobe Illustrator CS6.
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For files saved in Adobe Illustrator CS or higher with PDF-compatibility, text can be imported as text or curves.
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Objects with gradient fills that were created in CS5 may not appear correctly when imported.
•
Corel programs cannot import AI files containing
bitmaps linked as EPS files.
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Adobe Illustrator graphics are imported into the program as a group of
objects. Click
Object Group Ungroup to manipulate objects in the imported graphic. If you open an AI file instead of importing it, you do not need to ungroup objects.
•
Flash movies embedded in AI files are not imported.
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For AI CS4, CS5, and CS6 files, each Artboard is imported as an individual CorelDRAW page. In multi-page documents, objects that are placed off a page are placed on the first page of the CorelDRAW document.
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Objects filled by using Global Colors (color schemes) appear correctly in CorelDRAW, but the Global Colors are not maintained as color styles.
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Symbols, objects with patterns, and objects that have 3d extrude or bevel applied are converted as curves.
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Objects that have the Feather or Transparency effect applied are converted using the applicable lens effect in CorelDRAW.
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Objects that have the texture, drop shadow, blur, or brushstroke effect applied are converted as bitmap objects in CorelDRAW.
Exporting an AI file
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During export conversion, objects can become complex, making it difficult to edit them in other drawing programs or in CorelDRAW if you reimport them. To avoid this problem, save the file to the CorelDRAW (CDR) format before exporting it, and use CorelDRAW for all editing.
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If you create a file that will be printed in other programs, such as Adobe PageMaker, export it using the Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) filter, not the Adobe Illustrator (AI) filter. The Encapsulated PostScript filter supports more drawing effects than the Adobe Illustrator filter does and yields better results overall.
•
Most linear and radial fountain
fills are preserved. Conical and square fountain fills are exported as a series of filled bands, an effect similar to that achieved by
blending. You can set the number of bands by clicking
Tools Options CorelDRAW. Click
Display, and type a number in the
Preview fountain steps box. The maximum number of bands supported is 256.
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You can export text as text when you are exporting AI files from versions CS and later.
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When exporting multi-page CorelDRAW files to CS4 or later version, individual pages are exported as Artboards. The
Arrange by row format is used for the layout of the Artboards.
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When exporting multi-page CorelDRAW files to CS4 or later version, objects that are placed off of the page are removed.
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Some OpenType features are not supported by Adobe Illustrator.