Migrate from Adobe Illustrator to Automo

What moves across

• A .ai file saved with PDF compatibility: Automo reads the PDF stream inside it
• The vector paths, text and images that stream carries, as editable objects where the import can map them
• The first-page preview the teaser shows before you sign up

What does not

• Files saved without PDF compatibility. Illustrator keeps those closed and nothing on this page can read them
• Live Illustrator features: brushes, effects, symbols, appearance stacks and CC libraries
• Pixel-perfect fidelity on every file. Complex artwork can need touching up after import

Export from Adobe Illustrator

1. In Illustrator choose File, then Save As, and tick Create PDF Compatible File
2. Drop that .ai file in the bay on this page. It is read on your device, and the teaser tells you there if the file cannot be read
3. Create a free Automo account. The file opens in the design editor so you can keep working

Questions about moving from Adobe Illustrator

Which .ai files can Automo read?

Files saved with PDF compatibility only. In Illustrator that is the Create PDF Compatible File tick in Save As. A file saved without it cannot be read, and the drop bay tells you straight away.

Does the artwork stay editable?

Where the import can map it. The PDF stream brings vector paths, text and images in as editable objects, but Illustrator-only features such as brushes, effects and symbols do not survive, and complex artwork can need touching up.

Do I still need Illustrator?

Not for the file you bring across. Automo opens it in the design editor after sign-up. Anything you never exported stays in Illustrator.

Is the file uploaded before I sign up?

No. The teaser reads the file on your device. Nothing reaches Automo until you create an account and choose to open the file in the editor.

• Design migration guide