Adobe Illustrator Saving and Exporting Artwork Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the difference between 'Save As' and 'Export As' in Illustrator?
- They are the same command with different names
- Save As preserves full Illustrator editability (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG formats); Export As converts to non-native formats (PNG, JPG, TIFF, PSD) that may lose editability (Correct answer)
- Export As is only for web formats
- Save As cannot create PDF files
Correct answer: Save As preserves full Illustrator editability (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG formats); Export As converts to non-native formats (PNG, JPG, TIFF, PSD) that may lose editability
Save As creates files in formats that preserve Illustrator data (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG), while Export As converts artwork to raster or other formats that may lose vector editability.
File > Save As offers formats that can round-trip back to Illustrator with full editability: AI (native), EPS (PostScript), PDF (with Illustrator data embedded), and SVG. These preserve layers, appearances, effects, and editable text. File > Export As offers formats like PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PSD, WebP that rasterize or convert the artwork.
Question 2: What does the 'Use Artboards' option do when saving or exporting?
- It saves only the active artboard
- It creates separate files for each artboard (or a range of artboards) instead of one combined file (Correct answer)
- It includes artboard dimensions in the filename
- It crops content to artboard boundaries
Correct answer: It creates separate files for each artboard (or a range of artboards) instead of one combined file
Checking 'Use Artboards' in the Save/Export dialog generates a separate file for each artboard, or you can specify a range.
When saving or exporting, the Use Artboards checkbox appears in the dialog. When checked, each artboard becomes a separate file. You can choose All artboards or enter a Range (e.g., 1-3). For PDF, checking Use Artboards creates a multi-page PDF with each artboard as a page. This is essential for icon sets, storyboards, and multi-page print designs.
Question 3: What is the purpose of the 'Asset Export' panel in Illustrator?
- It manages linked external assets
- It lets you drag objects in to define named export assets, then batch-export them in multiple formats and scales at once (Correct answer)
- It exports text as separate font files
- It only exports SVG files
Correct answer: It lets you drag objects in to define named export assets, then batch-export them in multiple formats and scales at once
The Asset Export panel (Window > Asset Export) lets you drag artwork into it, name assets, set multiple export formats and scale factors, and export everything in one click.
The Asset Export panel streamlines exporting multiple design assets. Drag objects directly into the panel to create named export entries. You can add multiple format/scale rows: export each asset as 1x PNG, 2x PNG, 3x PNG, and SVG simultaneously. This is essential for mobile/web design workflows where you need multiple resolutions.
Question 4: What settings are important when exporting artwork as SVG for the web?
- Only the file size matters
- Styling method (inline vs CSS), font handling (convert to outlines vs SVG font), decimal precision, and whether to minify or include editor data (Correct answer)
- SVG export has no configurable options
- Only the color mode matters
Correct answer: Styling method (inline vs CSS), font handling (convert to outlines vs SVG font), decimal precision, and whether to minify or include editor data
Key SVG export settings include Styling (Inline Styles, Internal CSS, or Presentation Attributes), Font (SVG or Convert to Outlines), Image Location (Embed or Link), decimal precision, and Minify option.
When exporting SVG, critical settings include: Styling determines how colors and attributes are written (Internal CSS, Inline Style, or Presentation Attributes). Font options: SVG font embeds glyph data; Convert to Outlines ensures text displays correctly everywhere. Image Location: Embed (base64, self-contained) or Link (separate files). Decimal places control coordinate precision. Minify removes whitespace. Responsive removes fixed width/height for fluid sizing.
Question 5: How do you create a press-ready PDF from Illustrator?
- Use File > Print and select PDF as the printer
- Use File > Save As, choose PDF, and select a press-quality preset like 'Press Quality' or 'PDF/X' standard (Correct answer)
- Export as JPEG and convert to PDF externally
- PDFs from Illustrator are always press-ready by default
Correct answer: Use File > Save As, choose PDF, and select a press-quality preset like 'Press Quality' or 'PDF/X' standard
File > Save As > Adobe PDF lets you choose from presets like Press Quality, PDF/X-1a, or PDF/X-4 that include appropriate settings for commercial printing.
For press-ready PDFs: File > Save As > Adobe PDF. Choose a preset: Press Quality (high-resolution), PDF/X-1a:2001 (flattened transparency, CMYK only), PDF/X-3:2002 (allows RGB and ICC profiles), or PDF/X-4:2008 (supports live transparency). Key settings include Compression (downsample to 300 PPI), Marks and Bleeds, Output (color conversion), and Advanced (font subset threshold).
Question 6: What does 'Package' do in Illustrator's File menu?
- It compresses the file into a ZIP archive
- It collects the Illustrator file, all linked images, and fonts into one folder for easy transfer or archival (Correct answer)
- It creates a web package for deployment
- It only works with InDesign files
Correct answer: It collects the Illustrator file, all linked images, and fonts into one folder for easy transfer or archival
File > Package creates a folder containing a copy of the AI file, all linked assets (images), used fonts, and a report, ensuring everything needed to open the file is in one location.
File > Package collects everything needed to work with or reproduce the Illustrator file. It creates a folder containing: the AI file copy, a Links subfolder with all placed/linked images, a Fonts subfolder with all fonts used, and a text report listing fonts, links, and document info. This is essential when sending files to print shops or other designers.
Adobe Illustrator Saving and Exporting Artwork Questions and Answers 2
What is the difference between 'Save As' and 'Export As' in Illustrator?