AI file: what an Adobe Illustrator file is, how to open and convert it

What it is

Adobe describes AI as one of Illustrator's native formats, because it preserves all Illustrator data, including multiple artboards. When the Create PDF Compatible File option is on, Illustrator also saves a PDF representation of the document in the file, so that other Adobe applications can use it. Adobe's XMP specification describes AI files generated by Illustrator as PDF files.

Property	AI
Image type	Vector, with embedded or linked raster images
Pages	One or more artboards
Colour	RGB or CMYK, with an optional embedded ICC profile
Transparency	Yes
Text	Live, editable text
Readable outside Illustrator	Through the embedded PDF, when Create PDF Compatible File was on
Metadata	XMP, embedded as in a PDF

AI files are typically the editable masters of logos, illustrations, icons and packaging artwork, from which SVG, PDF and PNG copies are exported for everyone else.

Sources: Adobe, Save artwork in Illustrator (updated 12 February 2025), XMP Specification Part 3 (January 2020), Adobe explains it all: Illustrator (23 March 2015); InDesign supported file formats. Read 27 October 2026.

Which apps open it

Platform or app	Opens AI	Notes
Illustrator	Yes, open and save	Also saves AIT templates
Photoshop	Places AI files as Smart Objects	Keeps the vectors editable in Illustrator; multi-page files open through the Place PDF dialog
InDesign	Places AI files with live links	Choose the artboard and crop box
Google Drive	Previews AI files
Inkscape	Imports AI from version 9.0	Reads the PDF part of the file
Affinity 2	Opens and imports AI	Each artboard becomes a page in Affinity Photo or an artboard in Affinity Designer
GIMP	Opens AI through its PDF importer	Rasterises the artwork; native AI is not supported
Canva	Uploads AI files up to 300 MB	Only files saved as PDF compatible; some layers may be flattened
Figma	Not in its import formats
Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android	No vendor statement found for the built-in apps

Sources: Adobe, Supported file formats in Illustrator (updated 27 October 2025), Place Illustrator files or PDF in Photoshop (updated 10 October 2026), InDesign supported file formats (updated 2 June 2026); Google, Drive file types; Inkscape, command-line manual; Affinity Photo 2 and Affinity Designer 2 file formats; GIMP, image standards; Canva, Check file upload formats and requirements; Figma, Import files to the file browser. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it

Route	How	What the conversion loses
Illustrator	File > Export > Export for Screens, choose SVG, PDF, PNG, JPEG or WebP; or File > Save As PDF or EPS	PNG, JPEG and WebP turn the vectors into pixels; SVG and PDF keep them
Inkscape	`inkscape artwork.ai --export-type=svg --export-filename=artwork.svg`	Illustrator-only editing data; check effects and text after import
Ghostscript	`gs -dSAFER -sDEVICE=pngalpha -r300 -o artwork-%d.png artwork.ai` writes one PNG per page	Vectors become pixels at 300 dpi; needs a PDF-compatible file
ImageMagick	`magick -density 300 'artwork.ai[0]' artwork.png`	Vectors become pixels; the default density is 72 dpi
Freedam	Download a WebP rendition, or use an image URL that delivers AVIF, WebP or JPEG	Vectors become pixels, from a preview of up to 2,048 pixels; the AI file stays in the library

Sources: Adobe, Supported file formats in Illustrator; Inkscape, command-line manual; Ghostscript, Using Ghostscript and Devices; ImageMagick, formats and command-line options. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it with AI

An AI assistant that can run commands on your computer, such as a coding agent in a terminal, can install Inkscape, an open-source vector editor and run the conversion for you. Paste a prompt like this one, change the folder names, and read each command the assistant proposes before you approve it: it runs with your permissions on your files.

Install Inkscape 1.x on this computer (Homebrew on macOS, apt on Debian or Ubuntu, winget on Windows) and check that `inkscape --version` works from the terminal.

Then convert every .ai file in the folder ~/Artwork to SVG, for example:
inkscape artwork.ai --export-type=svg --export-filename=artwork.svg

Write the SVG files to a new folder ~/Artwork/svg and keep the originals unchanged. When you have finished, list any file that failed, with the error. Files saved without "Create PDF Compatible File" cannot be read outside Illustrator, so report those separately.

AI in Freedam

Freedam accepts .ai files in the asset library, recognises them by their extension (some tools report them as PDF), and stores the original unchanged.

Preview: Freedam renders the artwork with Ghostscript, which reads PDF-compatible AI files and older PostScript-based ones, into a transparent PNG and then a WebP preview of up to 2,048 pixels on the long side.
Renditions: WebP copies 128, 256, 512 and 1,024 pixels wide are made at upload, and larger sizes up to 5,120 pixels are made from the same preview on first request. Freedam image URLs deliver the artwork as AVIF, WebP or JPEG, depending on what the browser accepts.
Downloads: people with download rights choose between the AI file and a WebP rendition. The download dialog marks the original as a file for editing and suggests the 2,048-pixel WebP.
Metadata: on upload Freedam reads the width and height, the bounding box, and the PostScript header comments when present: title, creating application, creation date, author and number of pages. XMP fields are not imported.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open an AI file without Illustrator?

If the file was saved with Create PDF Compatible File, applications that read PDF can open it: Inkscape imports AI files from version 9.0, Affinity opens them, Canva accepts them, and GIMP opens them through its PDF importer. Google Drive previews AI files.

What is the difference between AI and EPS?

An AI file is Illustrator's native format, with a PDF version of the artwork inside, and keeps multiple artboards and transparency. An EPS file is a single-page PostScript program with an optional low-resolution preview and no transparency. Adobe says EPS is not suitable for modern workflows.

Can I convert an AI file to SVG?

Yes. In Illustrator, use File > Export > Export for Screens and choose SVG. Without Illustrator, Inkscape imports the AI file and exports SVG with --export-type=svg.

AI file