Opening files from Illustrator loses everything out of the canvas.

[crapsuzette]

I cannot fully switch to Designer because I have tons of Illustrator's files with stuff out of the canvas.

Is there a way to avoid losing all the items out of the canvas when opening AI files in Designer?

Best, Alessandro

Edited May 31, 2024 by crapsuzette

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @crapsuzette

The first thing to ask is have you tried using menu “View → View -Mode → Clip to Canvas”?

If that’s not the answer, can you show us a full-screen screenshot so we can see what you can see?

Would you also be able to supply one of the Illustrator files which exhibits the problem when used in Designer?

[Callum]

2 hours ago, crapsuzette said:

I cannot fully switch to Designer because I have tons of Illustrator's files with stuff out of the canvas.

Is there a way to avoid losing all the items out of the canvas when opening AI files in Designer?

Best, Alessandro

Hi Crapzuzette,

This occurs because when Affinity opens a .AI file it is actually reading a PDF stream saved within the .AI file as far as I'm aware the PDF format doesn't support having objects on the pasteboard and will throw away anything not on page.

[crapsuzette]

2 hours ago, GarryP said:

Welcome to the forums @crapsuzette

The first thing to ask is have you tried using menu “View → View -Mode → Clip to Canvas”?

If that’s not the answer, can you show us a full-screen screenshot so we can see what you can see?

Would you also be able to supply one of the Illustrator files which exhibits the problem when used in Designer?

Hi Garry!

Thank you so much for your hint.

I did try that and it's not working, it just makes visible an element if it's "half-cut" by the canvas but everything else is lost.

Maybe on a subscription based version 3 of Canva Designer it will be possible. 😅

Edited May 31, 2024 by crapsuzette

[crapsuzette]

1 hour ago, Callum said:

Hi Crapzuzette,

This occurs because when Affinity opens a .AI file it is actually reading a PDF stream saved within the .AI file as far as I'm aware the PDF format doesn't support having objects on the pasteboard and will throw away anything not on page.

Hi Callum,

thanks for your reply, it's what I was afraid of, what a bummer.

[Boskabouter]

Hi everybody,

Top-image is what I see in Illustrator, second image is what I see when I open this saved document(.ai) it in Affinity Designer. Pretty annoying.

Is there a workaround?

 

[Boskabouter]

I saw that other users also encountered this problem.

while waiting I tried the following:

I saved the file as a .eps via Illustrator and not when it opens in Affinity Designer it show the complete canvas. This workaround may of course already be out there

Only problem is that if you have Lots of .ai files and don't have a working copy of Adobe Illustrator you wil never be able to save your files as .eps. Or is there a workaround for that 'little' problem?

 

[MEB]

Hi @Boskabouter,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
EPS files are quite old and do not support quite a few modern features (transparency, blend modes etc). It's preferable you export files from Illustrator as AI with Create PDF Compatible File ticked - which is the only data we can load from the AI file, or as PDF.

[Boskabouter]

Thanks MEB,

but if you want te see the complete canvas you still need a working copy of Illustrator to do this (AI with Create PDF Compatible File ticked), without it you can't open archived .ai-files in Affinity Designer if saved as simple AI.

Do I need to convert all my Ai-files to AI with Create PDF Compatible File ticked while I still have acces to Adobe Illustrator?

Kind regards.

[MEB]

7 minutes ago, Boskabouter said:

Thanks MEB,

but if you want te see the complete canvas you still need a working copy of Illustrator to do this (AI with Create PDF Compatible File ticked), without it you can't open archived .ai-files in Affinity Designer if saved as simple AI.

You have to place any objects you have in the pasteboard area over a (new?) artboard so they can be imported as well.

 

 

9 minutes ago, Boskabouter said:

Do I need to convert all my Ai-files to AI with Create PDF Compatible File ticked while I still have acces to Adobe Illustrator?

Kind regards.

Yes, otherwise you won't be able to import anything. Affinity apps are not able to load AI proprietary data, only the PDF stream that's included in the AI file when that option (Create PDF Compatible File) is ticked.

[joe_l]

13 hours ago, MEB said:

You have to place any objects you have in the pasteboard area over a (new?) artboard so they can be imported as well.

A clumsy workaround would be, that all the off-canvas elements would be in a massive bleed area. Unfortunately Illustrator CS6 (Win) only allows 25,4 mm bleed, newer versions seem to not have this restriction.