Reference

AI (Adobe Illustrator)

AI is Adobe Illustrator’s native vector format for logos, icons, and illustrations. It stores artwork as editable paths and layers rather than pixels, so it scales to any size without quality loss. File size depends on complexity, not output resolution.

Files & formatsGeneral

AI (Adobe Illustrator)

Also known as: .ai file, Adobe Illustrator file, Illustrator artwork

Adobe Illustrator’s native vector format
Scales to any size with no quality loss
Opens fully only in Illustrator; export to SVG or PDF to share

Why AI is a vector format

An AI file describes shapes with math — points, curves, and fills — instead of a fixed grid of pixels. That means a logo saved as AI stays crisp whether it is a favicon or a billboard, which is why design source files are kept in vector formats like AI, EPS, and SVG.

Because there is no resolution to store, file size tracks how intricate the artwork is rather than how large it prints. Heavy gradient meshes, embedded raster images, and many layers grow the file; simple line art stays small.

Opening and converting AI

AI is a proprietary Adobe format, so it opens fully only in Illustrator. To use the artwork elsewhere, export to SVG for the web, PDF for printing, or PNG/JPEG for a flattened image.

If you only need to view or share the final design and not edit it, exporting and keeping a lightweight PNG or PDF avoids holding onto large layered source files.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Files & formatsSVGSVG (.svg) is a vector image format that stores shapes as math rather than pixels, so it scales to any size without losing sharpness. For logos and icons it is usually tiny, but it is unsuited to photographs, which it cannot represent efficiently.General Files & formatsEPSEPS (Encapsulated PostScript) is a vector graphics format used mainly for logos, illustrations, and print artwork. Like other vector files, it stores shapes as math rather than pixels, so it scales to any size — though it is an older format now often replaced by SVG and PDF.General Files & formatsPSD (Photoshop document)PSD (Photoshop Document) is Adobe Photoshop’s native file format. It preserves a full editable project — layers, masks, text, smart objects, and effects — which makes it powerful for editing but much larger than a flattened JPEG or PNG export.General Files & formatsPDFPDF (Portable Document Format) is a fixed-layout document format that looks the same on any device. Most PDFs are small, but scanned documents and image-heavy files can grow large, and they accumulate quietly in Downloads and the Files app.General

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