Author Topic: AI Issue  (Read 3172 times)

August 16, 2017, 08:01:58 AM
Read 3172 times

cyndiann07

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Hello,

Let me begin by saying I am a novice at best at Inkscape. I am relatively familiar with GIMP, but this is new to me. Here's my issue:

I have recently paid to have a logo for my company made on Fiverr.com. I liked the image the artist created, and paid for the source file, so I assumed I'd easily be able to make some customizations and changes. I was given an .ai file.

Since I don't have Adobe Illustrator, I've been researching ways to open this file type in way so I can manipulate the layers in GIMP. It seemed like I could open it in Inkscape, and then export it to GIMP.

Well, whenever I try to open my file in Inkscape, the file is blank:blank import.JPG
*blank import.JPG
(56.05 kB . 611x515)
(viewed 1673 times)


What am I doing wrong? What do I need to be doing?

The file itself and a cut of the blank open doc inkscape dialogue box are both attached to this message.


Someone please help! Explain it to me like I'm five!

Thanks!


August 16, 2017, 04:23:50 PM
Reply #1

Lazur

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Welcome aboard!

Ai is a native file format of illustrator. Adobe produces and sells the program, hence it's not open source, nor is the file format -proprietary being the jargon.
Adobe created postscript format, which is used by the priners. Along .ps, came .eps and .pdf to share files in an easier manner with printers.

Illustrator's .ai format is the "twin brother" of pdf-s. They target .ai for editing, and pdf for sharing. For that purpose, pdf is standardised and the standards are available for other vendors. Inkscape uses ghostscript to open pdf files and cairo for saving as pdf.
Generally speaking, pdf is not an editing format and is not what inkscape was designed in first place -however still a very good free choice to use.

Illustrator had "generalized" their .ai format somewhere around illustrator 7 (?-can't recall, I haven't used illustrator.), and by saving to .ai format, a pdf equivalent is embedded in the document, for "just in case". At least, that's the default settings.
If you try to open an .ai file in inkscape, only the pdf part is taken into account (by third party ghostscript). The proprietary data is converted to a code only illustrator can understand. There is no specification given out for that by adobe.

So it seems your file was either drawn in a ten year old copy of illustrator or the pdf data was discarded from the file saving on purpose as far as I understand. While it being an "edit" format, assuming the designer you wanted to work with it later, he gave you only the "necessary" part. With smaller file size and unfortunately without the only part you could open without illustrator.

So either contact the author for a format you can use, or try to get someone saving your ai file to a reasonable format.

That would be svg the best if you want to use inkscape on it -which was developed with browser orientation, open and which is xml based.
Illustrator can save to svg as well, only a few parts are out the svg specs -like, cmyk support, gradient meshes and maybe some blend modes; also filters can end up rasterized in the process.
As it is a logo, probably it could be saved to svg without any trouble.

Worst case scenario, get an illustrator trial version for this 1 minute job.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2017, 05:57:12 AM by Lazur, Reason: proprietary=/=embroidery >should\'ve sleep before writing this »

August 17, 2017, 07:49:26 PM
Reply #2

brynn

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It seems to me (as a consumer) you should be able to request and receive the file in a different format.

One thing you might want to be sure of.  Theoretically, it would be possible for you to purchase artwork, but not purchase the copyright.  So you might want to make sure you're legally allowed to edit the logo.

Hhmm, what kind of file is this?  Illustrator can create and edit both raster and vector contents, and the AI format can contain contain both.  (PDF too.)

If the logo is raster contents, then opening (technically importing) into Inkscape will put all the layers into one layer.  So you won't be able to edit the layers as you mentioned.

If it's vector contents, then I'm not sure if you'll be able to edit in GIMP.  GIMP does have some simple vector abilities.  But I don't think it can save a vector file.  I don't know for sure though.

What kind of editing did you have in mind?  Maybe it can be done in Inkscape?
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