Exporting, Saving, and Printing from Adobe Illustrator

You can export, save, and print several kinds of objects in Adobe Illustrator CC: an entire document; one, some, or all artboards in a document; selected objects; and assets. You share Illustrator files for a wide range of print and screen output options by exporting them to one of a long list of file formats. Exported files can't be edited in Illustrator.

You save Illustrator files when you need to edit them in the future.

edit them.

How to save Illustrator files

You can save Illustrator files in any of these formats:

Saving projects as EPS, PDF or SVG files gives you the option of retaining the ability to edit the files in Illustrator.

Each of the options for saving Illustrator files has distinct options. If you are handing off a file in any of them, check with the team you are handing off to, to find out if there are specific settings they require.

The following steps apply to saving files as AI, EPS, and PDF formats:

If you're simply saving an Illustrator project to access it, to edit it, or to share it with someone who has Illustrator, save the file as an Illustrator file.

How to export files from Illustrator

Illustrator files (as well as artboards, assets, and selections) can be exported to a variety of print- and web-compatible file formats. These files can't be edited in Illustrator, so you will almost always want to save as well as export projects as Illustrator files.

Web designers may ask you for SVG files, which retain Illustrator editing capability. More likely, web designers will ask you for web-compatible PNG or JPG files.

Print designers may be able to work with your Illustrator files. Or they might require TIF or other print-only raster images. In those instances, get the specs for the exported files from your print partner.

You export files by choosing File→Export→Export for Screens or File→Export→Export for As (for print). Options vary depending on the output format. And, again, I’ll repeat a mantra that runs through this chapter and any discussion of output in this book: Ask the person to whom you are handing off the file what options he or she prefer.

How to use artboards and assets for Illustrator output

When you save or export Illustrator documents with multiple artboards, you can choose to export or save any set of artboards.

For example, if you're exporting a document to PNG output for screens, the Use Artboards check box allows you to define which artboards to export.

Exporting selected artboards.

Communicating with your printer

Today, print shops can turn Illustrator artwork into anything, from a poster to a coffee mug, a t-shirt to a message printed on glass. Each project has its own requirements, and the trick is to communicate effectively with your printer from the beginning.

I asked Lydia Ochavo from UPrinting.com, a widely used online print service, to share advice applicable to just about any print project in Illustrator. Here are some of her tips. Refer to the beginning of this chapter for notes on how to define documents to meet these specs:

• Print shops provide templates for frequently used output. Download and use them before you begin your project. UPrinting has templates.
• Although Illustrator vector files are scalable, it’s safest to submit files to the printer sized to the actual output size.
• Most printers require a 1/8" bleed around your artwork. Make sure that all printable content is inside the bleed.
• Set raster resolution to at least 300dpi.
• Use CMYK color mode because professional print shops print only in CMYK.
• Many print shops prefer PDF format to Illustrator AI files.
• When you need an exact color match and your printer supports the use of Pantone color, use Pantone colors. Pantone colors are available from Swatch panels in Illustrator. You can use a Pantone color books to preview how a color will print. Those color books are available from your printer.