how to open Adobe Illustrator files in Affinity Designer?

[katrinrr]

How can I open or import my old Adobe Illustrator files?

[DWright]

To open AI files in Designer all you to do is File and open, multi-page AI files can be imported, with each page being placed on its own artboard

[katrinrr]

When I do this I get the following:

[MEB]

Hi katrinrr,
Welcome to Affinity Forums

That means the Ai file you tried to open doesn't contain any PDF stream which is the only data we are able to access from the Ai file (the rest is proprietary). To contain a PDF stream the Ai file must be saved with the option Create Compatible PDF File checked in Adobe Illustrator.

[momochan86]

So something like this wouldn't work?: https://creativemarket.com/dailydesignables/106447-Gold-Foil-TexturesStyles-Ai-Bundle

(The .ai files)

[Groggy]

On 12/15/2017 at 12:24 AM, momochan86 said:

So something like this wouldn't work?: https://creativemarket.com/dailydesignables/106447-Gold-Foil-TexturesStyles-Ai-Bundle

(The .ai files)

I actually need to know the answer to that very question as well. Anyone knows?

[MEB]

Hi Groggy,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
No, it will not work. Although Affinity can open regular Ai files (if they include a PDF stream), it's not able to make use of any Illustrator styles, brushes or other specific Illustrator features/assets designed for it specifically.

[boydw]

Also don't forget to place each item in its own layer in the  Ai file so that you can edit them in Affinity when imported.

[ArthurV]

Importing the PDF will mean the text will be chopped up. Words into separate (groups of) characters. This is not good.

[Fixx]

4 hours ago, ArthurV said:

Importing the PDF will mean the text will be chopped up. Words into separate (groups of) characters. This is not good.

No, that is an Illustrator feature. Opening a PDF in Designer tends to keep text as fully normal text boxes.

[Xophre]

I was able to import an old AI project perfectly. Although everything transferred over, homemade brushes and textures I was using on it don't seem to appear in any of the studios (ie. brush studio). Would those have ended up in a separate file somewhere?

Update: Just now noticing they've imported as curves. So will need to change them to brush strokes.

 

Edited January 17, 2021 by Xophre
update

[Michael Lloyd]

On 10/2/2020 at 4:33 AM, ArthurV said:

Importing the PDF will mean the text will be chopped up. Words into separate (groups of) characters. This is not good.

That depends on the tool that created the PDF. Some PDF 'printers' tend to separate chunks of text, sometimes in relatively random ways.

[KubasCZE]

Soooo, AI files without PDF streams are a NO-GO for Affinity Designer? Ain't there any online app that could convert AI without PDF stream into PDF/AI with stream? I don't mind, if it mess up, don't have many of such files, but would be very appreciated... 

[ashf]

Correct, NO-GO.
Actually NO-GO with any vector graphic apps except CorelDraw.
Corel has been reverse engineering AI format more than 20 years.
Still CorelDraw is not perfect at all. I often see broken layout when I open AI in CorelDraw.

Most of apps including online converters that claim AI compatibility can open only PDF compatible AI or ancient AI(AI9 or older)

 

[loukash]

13 hours ago, ashf said:

or ancient AI(AI9 or older)

… which were based on PostScript.

15 hours ago, KubasCZE said:

Ain't there any online app that could convert AI without PDF stream into PDF/AI with stream?

There is. It's called Adobe Illustrator CC and is available as a free trial for 7 days. So make sure to collect all files you need to convert first before you start the trial.

[lacerto]

(...)

[ashf]

On 4/20/2021 at 12:25 PM, Lagarto said:

Here is a more or less random test on AI (non-PDF based) features imported in a selection of graphic design apps:

Would you provide the sample file?
Or would you test the file in Adobe XD?

I noticed XD has improved ai compatibility compared to a old version.
I can open an ai file with proper layout that was kinda broken in old version.

[lacerto]

(...)

[lacerto]

(...)

[ashf]

This is the documentation about ai compatibility.
https://helpx.adobe.com/xd/user-guide.html/xd/kb/open-illustrator-files-in-xd.ug.html

I created a request for better ai compatibility. please vote if you like it.
https://adobexd.uservoice.com/forums/353007-adobe-xd-feature-requests/suggestions/43477989-better-ai-file-compatibility

[lacerto]

(...)

[SebKaine]

https://moi3d.com/

Moi3D do a great job to read illustrator vector path and to convert them to svg, but it is not good enough for pro users who need a 100% parity with Fill/Stroke/Colors.