What is a AI file?
AI — Adobe Illustrator
Use the format AI
A concrete example
Prepare an SVG of a drawing intended for an interface.
Useful checks
Effects and fonts may change. Illustrator versions and save options affect playback.
Choose a conversion
Keep the original and open the result in the software or on the device that will need to use it.
Your questions about this format
How to convert a HEIC photo from iPhone for free?
Choose your HEIC file in Images, then JPEG to share it widely or PNG if your usage requires it. Proceed to preparation, check the output, and start the conversion. Download and open the result. HEIC remains free; size limits and daily quota apply.
JPEG, PNG or WEBP: how to choose?
For a photo to send, start with JPEG. For a logo with transparency or sharp text, prefer PNG. For a web publication, WEBP can be interesting: compare the size and the rendering before publication. Converting a JPEG to PNG does not restore details lost earlier.
Why does my transparent background become opaque?
JPEG does not preserve transparency. Choose PNG or WEBP when the background must remain transparent and the proposed conversion allows it. If the background is already flattened in the original file, changing the format will not remove it.
Will my Photoshop layers or my vector drawing be preserved?
A JPEG or PNG output is a flattened image. It does not retain PSD layers or the editable objects of an SVG or an Illustrator file. Keep your working file and use the exported copy for sharing. Specialized creation formats are indicated by NoLimit.
What is it?
AI is the native working format of Illustrator, Adobe's vector drawing application. Like SVG, it describes shapes through equations rather than pixels: a logo saved as AI can be scaled up indefinitely without ever losing sharpness.
It also preserves everything that makes a file editable: layers, multiple artboards, editable text, gradients, effects.
History & origin
Illustrator launched in 1987, and its format originally relied on the PostScript language. Since version 9, an AI file is actually a PDF enriched with data specific to Illustrator.
This is why an AI file sometimes opens in a PDF viewer — you'll see the preview, but none of what makes it editable.
Why it is useful
Vector quality remains intact at any scale: this is the format a professional will use to deliver you a logo.
It preserves the entire editing history, something an exported SVG only does imperfectly.
Limits & drawbacks
Proprietary, and truly usable only within Illustrator. Competing software can open it, but only at the cost of losses, particularly with effects.
It has no place on the web, where no browser can display it.
Practical tips
Always ask your designer for the AI file: it's the source of your logo, and without it you're stuck with a static image.
To use that logo elsewhere, convert it to SVG for the web, PNG for everyday use with transparency, or PDF for printing.
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