Saving/Exporting Files Illustrator can save files in various formats, each suited for different uses. Illustrator can also export files in a wide range of formats, which is one of the reasons some people consider Illustrator a valuable utilityeven if they never actually draw anything with it. Save Generally, Illustrator uses the Save command to save files that are "round-trippable," meaning that those files can be reopened in Illustrator with no loss of editability. To save a file, choose File, Save; then from the pop-up menu, choose a format to save your file in (see Figure 7.210). If you want to save an existing file with different options, choose File, Save As. Figure 7.210. Choosing a format to save your file in. 
Adobe Illustrator Document (.ai) In reality, Illustrator's native file format is PDFwhen you save a file as a native Illustrator file, you can open and view that file in Adobe Acrobat or in the Adobe Reader. This is also how InDesign is capable of placing native Illustrator filesbecause it reads the file as a PDF file. You can choose from several options when saving an Illustrator file (see Figure 7.211): Create PDF Compatible File As mentioned earlier, you can view a native Illustrator file in Adobe Acrobat because the Illustrator file is really a PDF. However, this is true only when the Create PDF Compatible File option is checked when you save your file (it's on by default). To significantly save file size, you could turn off this option, but be aware that other applications won't be able to open the file correctly. For example, you won't be able to place the file into InDesign. Uncheck this option only if you know that you will be opening the file again in (and printing it from) Illustrator CS2 only (the file won't open in older versions of Illustrator, either). Include Linked Files Check this option to include linked images inside the Illustrator file itself. This adds to your final file size but could allow Illustrator to print linked images if the link is broken or lost. To reopen the file in Illustrator, you'll still need the linked images. If you have no linked images in your document, this option will be grayed out. Embed ICC Profiles If you have placed images that contain ICC color profiles into Illustrator, you can choose to embed those profiles using this option. If you have no images with ICC profiles in your document, this option will be grayed out. Use Compression Check this option (it's on by default) to allow compression in the file to create a smaller file size.
Figure 7.211. The Illustrator Options dialog box. 
You should save in the Illustrator format for the following: Files that will be opened again in Illustrator CS2 Files that will be placed into InDesign 2.0 or later Files that will be imported into an After Effects composition
Illustrator EPS (.eps) EPS, which stands for Encapsulated PostScript, has been an industry-standard format since the industry of desktop publishing was created. The printing of EPS files requires a PostScript printer (or one that has a PostScript emulator). Because the EPS format has been around for so long, most applications that enable you to place art support the popular file format. You can choose from several options when saving an Illustrator file (see Figure 7.212): Preview A PostScript file itself can't be displayed on your screen (unless your computer screen understands PostScript), so a raster preview is included in the file as well. Macintosh previews (PICT files) won't show up on a Windows computer, so if you're planning to use your EPS on a Windows machine, choose a TIFF preview instead. Transparency You have the option to either preserve or discard your overprint settings when saving an EPS file (some RIPs or trapping software prefer to handle overprint settings themselves). Additionally, if your document contains transparency, it requires flattening (PostScript doesn't support transparency), and you can choose a transparency flattener style to use for that process. Adobe PostScript If you're printing to a PostScript Language Level 2 or 3 device, you can specify that here. By default, Language Level 2 is chosen, but you can change that to Language Level 3 if you have a printer that supports it, to take advantage of such things as smooth shading (which prevents banding in gradients).
Figure 7.212. The Illustrator EPS Options dialog box. 
You should save in the EPS format for the following: Files that will be placed into QuarkXPress Files that will be placed into various other applications that support the EPS format (video applications, 3D rendering programs, and so on)
Illustrator Template (.ait) Saving a file as an Illustrator template enables you to use that file as a document template to base other files on. We discussed templates at the beginning of this chapter. There are no specific settings for saving a template file. You should save in the Illustrator template format for the following: Adobe PDF (.pdf) One of the most popular formats chosen for saving files out of Illustrator is PDF. The PDF format has become universally accepted around the world for viewing high-quality, graphically rich documents. You can specify many different settings when saving a PDF file (see Figure 7.213): Compatibility There are several versions of PDF to choose from in Illustrator. PDF 1.3 is the version of PDF that Acrobat 4 uses, and it does not support transparency (and requires flattening). PDF 1.4 is the version of PDF that Acrobat 5 uses, and it does support transparency (no flattening is required). PDF 1.5 is the version of PDF that Acrobat 6 uses, and it supports both transparency features and PDF layers. PDF 1.6 is the version of PDF that Acrobat 7 uses. Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities This option (on by default) includes extra information in the file that allows Illustrator CS2 to reopen the PDF file and retain full editability. Turning off this option results in a significantly smaller PDF file, but it can result in lost information when the file is reopened in Illustrator. If you plan to turn off this option, I suggest keeping a copy of your original file for future editing. Embed Page Thumbnails On by default, this option embeds raster thumbnails into the file, which some programs use to display PDF page previews. Optimize for Fast Web View This option enables the PDF to start loading in a web browser as soon as it begins downloading, allowing viewers to see some contents of the PDF as they load rather than having to wait until the entire PDF is downloaded. This is similar in concept to interlacing. View PDF After Saving If you're sending your file to a client or a printer, you might want to open the file in Acrobat just to review it and make sure that it's correct. Checking this option automatically opens the newly created PDF file in Acrobat as soon as you save it. Create Acrobat Layers from Top-Level Layers When using the Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or Acrobat 7 (PDF 1.6) compatibility setting, you can choose to export your top-level Illustrator layers as PDF layers (which can be viewed in either Acrobat 6 and higher or the Adobe Reader). Compression PDF has full support for compression, and you can specify settings for different kinds of images. You can also specify the downsampling of images to create smaller PDF files (for onscreen viewing). Marks & Bleeds If your file is going to a printer, you want to make sure that your final PDF has both bleed space and trim marks specified. Security PDF files can be password protected on two levels. You can choose from these settings and also specify whether files can be printed at high resolutionor even printed at all.
Figure 7.213. The Save Adobe PDF dialog box. 
Did you Know? You can use the Save Preset button at the bottom the Adobe PDF Options dialog box to save frequently used settings for PDF files. Saved PDF presets show up in the Preset pop-up menu at the top of the Adobe PDF Options dialog box.
More detailed information on specific PDF settings can be found in Chapter 10, "Using Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional." You should save in the PDF format for the following: Files that will be opened in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader Files that will be sent to a client for review Files that will be submitted to a printer for final processing Files that will be submitted as ads for publications
SVG (.svg) As discussed earlier, SVG files are XML-based graphics files. Although you can export SVG files from the Save for Web feature, you can also save SVG files, which, by default, contain round-trip information to allow the files to be reopened in Illustrator with no loss in editability. You can specify several settings when saving an SVG file (see Figure 7.214), including these: Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities This option (on by default) includes extra information in the file that allows Illustrator CS2 to reopen the SVG file and retain full editability. Turning off this option results in a significantly smaller SVG file, but it can result in lost information when the file is reopened in Illustrator. If you plan to turn off this option, I suggest keeping a copy of your original file for future editing. Include Extended Syntax for Variable Data If you've defined variables in your Illustrator file, make sure that this option is checked (it's on by default), which includes variable information in the file. This setting is available in the Advanced options dialog box.
Figure 7.214. The SVG Options dialog box. 
SVGZ is a compressed SVG format that exhibits the same settings as SVG. You should save in the SVG format for the following: Files that will be uploaded to a web page or wireless device Files that will be used as templates for the Adobe Graphics Server Files that will be sent to a web or back-end developer
Export When you export a file from Illustrator, you can expect to lose some editability if you want to reopen that exported file in Illustrator. To export a file, choose File, Export, and then choose a format to save your file in from the pop-up menu. Whenever you are exporting files from Illustrator, you always should save and keep a version of your file in case you need to make edits later. PNG (.png) and JPEG (.jpg) The .png (pronounced ping) format is a raster-based format. You might remember that you can export this format from the Save for Web function in Illustrator. However, the .png format can also be used for non-Web applications. For example, you can place PNG files into Microsoft Word (which the Export for Microsoft Office feature uses). Using the PNG export feature enables you to export high-resolution files and specify certain features, such as interlacing and support for transparency. By the same token, you can also save high-resolution JPEG images in RGB, CMYK, or Grayscale color modes via the Export feature in Illustrator. Photoshop (.psd) Most people aren't aware that you can actually save a Photoshop file from Illustrator. Instead of copying and pasting data from Illustrator to Photoshop, you can retain a lot more information by writing a Photoshop (.psd) file right from Illustrator. Features that are retained using this method are layers, layer names, nested layers, transparency blending modes, opacity levels, clipping masks, opacity masks, compound shapes, text, web slices, slice optimization settings, and image maps. You'll see how this works later, in Chapter 15, "Creating a Web Banner." TIFF When you simply want to rasterize your entire Illustrator file, you can export a TIFF file using the TIFF export option. Save for Microsoft Office One of the challenges a designer faces is when a client asks for an image that he or she can place into a Microsoft Office application. With Illustrator CS2, you can use a new feature called Save for Microsoft Office that creates a PNG file with one click of a button. Although PNG files are raster-based images, they are saved with high enough resolution to look great both onscreen and on a printout. If you require specific PNG settings, you can always use the PNG export option mentioned earlier. To save a file for use in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, choose File, Save for Microsoft Office. When the file is created, you should use the Insert from File command in the Office application of choice to place the file. |
