Adobe Illustrator stores documents in AI format, per the standard. This is excellent when completing projects or storing a backup file of your work. But you will be required to save it in various formats, such as JPEG, PNG, or SVG, when printing or publishing the completed output, uploading it online, or importing it into other applications. So, how do you save an Illustrator file as a JPEG?

You can use one of two ways to save an Illustrator file as a JPEG: the Save for Web option or the Screens Export option. It must be mentioned that you will have more control over the quality when using the Save for Web option.

Keep reading below for more information.

Saving Artboards in Adobe Illustrator

It’s crucial to understand how Adobe Illustrator processes artboards and how you can save them as independent files when we look at how to save files in certain formats.

Inside an Illustrator file, artboards resemble separate pages. You may save them as individual photos or merge them into a single artwork. Normally, you are prompted with an artboard handling question when you save an Illustrator file. Your choice will have an impact on the appearance of your exported image.

Most of the time, you choose using the File > Export > Export As menu option. What you should do in such situations is as follows:

1. Check the Use Artboards option if you wish to save several artboards as independent files. After that, you can either choose All to save all of the artboards or input a Range (such as 2-4) to save only a certain set of artboards.
2. Check the Use Artboards option if you have items extending beyond an artboard (for example, if they overlap the border). This will make sure that the remainder of the image is cropped off and that your resulting image just has the contents of the artboard.
3. Simply uncheck the Use Artboards option if all of the content is contained within the artboard and you only have just one. This will result in an image with all white space eliminated and cropped to the boundaries of the objects included inside it. This is very useful for producing objects that are square or rectangular in shape.

How To Save Illustrator File As JPEG

You can do this in two ways. We have covered both of these methods in this section.

For more information on how to save an Illustrator file as a JPEG, watch this video below:

Method 1: Save for Web

You are limited to saving one artboard at a time with this option. The photo’s resolution will be more in your hands, though.

1. Choose the artboard you want to save by clicking on the image on that artboard.
2. Select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy)
3. You’ll see a dialogue window. Choose JPEG and set the quality to 60%. Make sure “Progressive” is ticked in the checkbox.

(Progressive implies that when you initially access your website, it will display a pixel-dense thumbnail of the entire image, gradually getting sharper as the page runs. If not, the image will load in full quality but one bar of data at a time.)

1. Whenever you save an image, make sure its size is approximately 100K or less. You may be required to reduce the quality to 50% if it is too large.
2. Select “Save.” After selecting a location to store the image, click Save once again.

Method 2: Screens Export

The desktop/mobile versions of banners or numerous icons may be saved more quickly with this option since it enables you to save more than one artboard at once. The quality of your images will be less within your control.

1. Navigate to the “File” menu and click on “Export” > “Export for Screens”
2. You’ll see a dialogue window. By clicking on the preview of the artboards on the left, you may deselect any that you do not wish to keep from your work.
3. By selecting the folder icon, you can choose the location where you want to save the photographs. Go to format and choose JPG 50. After that, click the settings button.
4. The settings button will open a new dialogue box once you click on it. To switch the compression method to progressive, once more choose JPG 50 from the selection on the left. Click the Save Settings button.
5. The directory where you stored your photos will immediately open when you click Export Artboard to save. Your settings and save location will be retained for future uses of Export for Screens.

Conclusion

It’s really simple and quick to save an Adobe Illustrator file as a jpeg. You may test out the two approaches to determine which works best for you. We hope this post was able to help you with your image-saving issue.