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Can You Open AI Files in Photoshop?

Last updated on September 23, 2022 @ 10:59 pm

The short answer is yes, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files are vector files, meaning they’re built from points, lines, and shapes.

Photoshop (.psd) files are raster files, meaning they’re made up of pixels. Second, Photoshop can open AI files by default, but you’ll need to have the most recent version of Illustrator installed on your computer in order for the file to open correctly.

When you open an AI file in Photoshop, you’ll see a dialog box with a few options. The important thing to note here is the Conversion Options.

By default, Photoshop will convert your AI file into a PSD. This is usually what you want, but there are times when you might want to keep the file as a Smart Object (more on that later).

Once you click OK, your AI file will open in Photoshop and you can begin working with it just like any other PSD file. You’ll notice that your layers panel looks a bit different than usual.

That’s because each layer in an AI file is represented by a parent layer and one or more child layers. Parent layers are typically used for organizational purposes, while child layers contain the actual content.

If you double-click on a parent layer, you’ll see all of the child layers that make up that particular element. From here, you can turn individual child layers on and off, change their opacity, and so on.

You can also add new child layers or delete existing ones. Keep in mind that any changes you make to a parent layer will be applied to all of its child layers.

PRO TIP: Using Photoshop to open and edit AI files is not recommended as it can lead to file corruption and data loss.

So why would you want to keep an AI file as a Smart Object Well, Smart Objects preserve an image’s original quality and size.

That means if you scale or rotate a Smart Object, the image won’t become pixelated or distorted like it would if it were a regular raster image. This is especially useful when working with complex graphics or high-resolution images.

Conclusion:

While Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files are vector files and Photoshop (.psd) files are raster files, Photoshop can open AI files by default with the most recent version of Illustrator installed.

When opening an AI file in Photoshop, there is a dialog box with Conversion Options where Adobe will try to convert the AI into PSD format.

It is possible to keep the file as a Smart Object which means that any changes made will not affect the quality or size of the image.

Morgan Bash

Morgan Bash

Technology enthusiast and Co-Founder of Women Coders SF.