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Affinity Designer and Abode Illustrator are two powerful computer programs used for vector graphic design. Affinity Designer is the newer program of the two, and while it has many features that are comparable to Illustrator, there are some key differences between the two.
Affinity Designer is a powerful vector graphic design tool that can open and edit AI files. Make sure the AI file was saved as a compatible PDF file to work properly. Affinity Designer cannot convert AI files to other formats. To convert an AI file to another format, use a different program.
In this post, we will show you how to open your AI files with Affinity Designer and what makes Affinity Designer so unique. Keep reading to learn how to use AI files with Affinity Designer.
Can Affinity Designer Open AI Files?
Affinity Designer can open and edit Adobe Illustrator files. Affinity Designer is a powerful vector graphic design tool that is compatible with many different file types, including AI files.
The following file types can be opened when using Affinity Designer:
- AI
- EPS
- GIF
- PNG
- PSD
- TIFF
However, it is important to note that you can’t save AI files in Affinity Designer. You will need to save them as a different file extension, like PSD perhaps.
How to Edit AI Files in Affinity Designer
Editing files in Affinity Designer is straightforward. You will be asked a series of questions via a pop-up once you choose to open an AI file.
You should select the following settings in Affinity Designer:
- Group lines of text into text frames
- Replace missing fonts
Artboards in Adobe Illustrator will open as “pages” in Affinity Designer. You can then edit the pages as you see fit with all that Affinity Designer has to offer.
Are You Experiencing Issues with Importing an AI File?
To edit your AI files in Affinity Designer they must have been saved with the following setting “Create Compatible PDF File.” If you do not have that setting checked when saving your AI files, then you will not be able to open the AI file in Affinity Designer.
This is one drawback to importing AI files into Affinity Designer. And if you are running into an error this setting is probably causing the problem.
How to Convert AI Files in Affinity Designer
Once you open an AI file in Affinity Designer, you can then save it as another file type. To do this, go to File > Export As.
In the dropdown menu, select the file type you want to convert your AI file to. Affinity Designer supports many different file types, so you should be able to find one that is compatible with your needs.
From Affinity Designer you can export the following file types:
- Affinity template
- ESP
- GIF
- JPEG
- OpenEXR
- PNG
- PSD
- Radiance HDR
- SVG
- TGA
- TIFF
Click on the Export button and choose a location to save the converted file. That is all there is to it!
As you can see, Affinity Designer is a great tool for working with AI files. It is easy to open and edit them, and you can even convert them to other file types if needed. So, if you are looking for a vector graphic design tool that is compatible with AI files, Affinity Designer is a great start.
Be mindful, however, that you can’t export a file from Affinity Designer as an AI file type. You can however save it as a PDF which uploads nicely to Adobe Illustrator.
Is Affinity Designer Compatible with Illustrator?
Affinity Designer is a great Illustrator alternative. It offers many of the same features and file compatibilities as Adobe’s design tool but at a fraction of the price. Affinity Designer can open AI files, as well as PDFs, EPSs, and SVGs. You can also export your work as an AI file type if needed.
Why Choose Affinity Designer Over Adobe Illustrator?
The Affinity Designer interface is also very similar to Illustrator’s, so the learning curve is not as steep. If you are looking for a budget-friendly alternative to Illustrator, Affinity Designer is worth considering.
Affinity Designer also is great because you will only pay the price once, there is no subscription needed. And even though the prices are in British Pounds (GBP) the conversion rate to US dollars is reasonable. Even still you can’t be the one-time price over the subscriptions Adobe offers.
Another great thing about Affinity Designer is it runs noticeably faster than Adobe Illustrator and you can hit undo up to 8,000 times. That is A LOT if you did not know!
Additionally, Affinity Designer’s parent company Serif also offers a low-cost Photoshop alternative called Affinity Photo. With these two programs, you can switch back and forth without any file issues. So, if you need a low-budget alternative check out the Affinity suite of programs.
Key Differences Between Affinity Designer and Adobe Illustrator
There are some major differences between Affinity Designer and Adobe Illustrator. The biggest difference is the price. Oftentimes, users will choose Affinity Designer over Adobe products simply because they offer a better price with almost all the same capabilities.
But it is important to note that Affinity Designer works great for opening AI files and editing them. All you need to do is save it as an AFDESIGN file going forward and you can continue editing with ease. The Affinity Designer software is compatible with AI files, and you will most likely not run into any problems.
Affinity Designer also offers a “pixel perfect” zoom, meaning that you can view your design at an actual size no matter how large or small it is. This is great for getting those tiny details just right.
In Summary: Affinity Designer Can Open AI Files
You can easily use Affinity Designer to open Adobe Illustrator files. Many times, the software will have no issues opening the AI file in the Affinity Designer interface. Then you can use any number of Affinity Designer’s tools to edit your work.
