PDF Export > Better compatibility importing into Illustrator CS_

[jclements]

One on the nice features of the .AI/.EPS export function is that Xara's Layering is recognized by Illustrator. The EPS format was native to Illustrator 9 and earlier.

Now Illustrator has adopted the PDF as its native format (enabling to them apply a variety of appearance parameters to a single object among other things). However, when exporting to PDF from Xara (even when enabling layers), the layer info in the PDF is not be read by Illustrator.

I hope there could be away of tweeking Xara's PDF export structure such that the PFD layers would be recognized by Illustrator. Editing in Illustrator, in my opinion, really needs those layers, particularly with complex drawings.

A rebuttal to this request may be just to use the .AI/EPS export option, but this leads to other issues with recognizing open type fonts used in Xara, even when the .Ai/EPS file is opened on the same system that the Xara export was created from.

[mwenz]

I think that Illy doesn't actually save as PDF as its sole internal format. There is an option to save a PDF version within the .AI file. This has benefits for applications that cannot directly access the internal AI format as the import then switches to the PDF version (I believe PS CS5 and InDesign actually does this).

PDF actually has less ability for certain Illy (and other apps) clipping, transparency, etc.

Illy can also have issues importing some Adobe files and recognizing fonts, btw.

Take care, Mike

[zaphodeist]

Illustrators native file format is now PDF, has been since CS3 or 4, not sure. But that's the way it is now. Open an ai file in Notepad and you can see this.



You can also rename them to .PDF and they will open in your PDF reader just fine

[mwenz]

I understand what one can do with AI files. I believe that screen shot is the result of having the PDF option checked. I think, but I can get easily confused.

I have CS3, but I just ran over to Adobe's web site to check on the CS5 to see if it has changed:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/illustra...c5f-655fa.html

If you drop down into an AI file, you'll see the EPS/AI data stream definitions as well.

But back onto the layers issue. I think it is the PDF limitation itself for the layers. As far as I know--and am probably wrong--PDFs can have distinct layers for image, text, and vector. but I cannot recall multi-vector layers inherent int he current released spec. I do know that Adobe is working on vers. 2 PDF spec.

Take care, Mike

[zaphodeist]

I just saved the file from Illy as .ai :-)

[handrawn]

from wiki:

The AI file format was originally a native format called PGF. PDF compatibility is achieved by embedding a complete copy of the PGF data within the saved PDF format file. The same “dual path” approach is used when saving EPS-compatible files in recent versions of Illustrator.

[mwenz]

I think to achieve the objective, the AI format is what is needed to change.

For instance, layers are preserved intact. What is not preserved is font naming. Using Arial in font choices results in the AI file export from XDP calling out Helvetica. Other similar font swapping occurs in the export.

I believe that calling the explicit font in the AI export as used in the file achieves the original intent--moving files from XDP to Illy.

Take care, Mike

[MarcT]

Yes, that would be nice.

In general Pdf export works fine, but in more complex artworks sometimes several formats are needed to recombine elements in illustrator:

-PDF (For stroke profiles and general compatibility)
-SVG (Some types group transparencies and other stuff get through)
-AI (Layers and some other stuff.)

When I need alpha channels and custom resolution I use PNG or PSD with page size.

But I've heard that the Pdf format is a somewhat of a pain to work with for coders.

Thanks,

Marc