Every once in a while I need to import an Illustrator file that a customer sends me. I don't recall that this was ever a problem before upgrading to X4, but every time I've tried to open or import an Illustrator file in X4 it tells me that the Illustrator file is corrupted. I doubt if these files are actually corrupted, since I don't recall ever having problems before X4 and it seems very unlikely that suddenly every Illustrator file I get from different sources is corrupted. I conclude that the problem is most likely with Corel. Any suggestions?
Foster is right, but there is one thing you can try; Rename the AI to PDF and use the specific PDF filter to open or import the file.With a little luck the file is saved with PDF compatibility (think that's default when saving in Illustrator) and it will open in Draw.
I didn't have any luck with Mr. Axelsson's suggestion of trying to open a re-named copy of the Illustrator file with a pdf extension. Perhaps it wasn't saved with pdf compatibility.
I installed a trial of Illustrator CS4 which I had downloaded some months ago and it had no difficulty opening the Illustrator file which I could then save as an earlier (CS1, I believe) version and then open it in Corel. Out of curiosity, I went back the other way, opening Corel files in Illustrator. That sorta works, except Illustrator can not open more than the first page of a multi-page Corel file. Illustrator uses "art boards" instead of pages and evidently can't place different Corel pages on different art boards.
Mr. Coburn, are you saying that X5 will open all versions of Illustrator files? Even compressed files?
And will X5 rectify a problem I've had with X4 ever since installing it, where it will not recognize Type 1 fonts used in drawings made for customers in the past and attempts to make substitutions that don't come close to matching what was done earlier? I wonder how Adobe deals with this, since I believe they no longer have Adobe Type Manager. I just purchased InDesign but haven't had an opportunity to work with it yet. Do they install fonts on-the-fly and in-the-background as an application calls for them?
***Mr. Coburn, are you saying that X5 will open all versions of Illustrator files? Even compressed files?
It will not open Illustrator CS5 files as that was released after CorelDRAW X5. But it will open earlier versions, including compressed files.
As for Type 1 fonts, I use quite a few of them (in X4 or X5) without issue. If you install and configure the included Bitstream Font Navigator, it can install missing fonts if they are available on your system.
FosterCoburn said:It will not open Illustrator CS5 files as that was released after CorelDRAW X5. But it will open earlier versions, including compressed files.
A caveat for those following: an AI, PDF, EPS, PS may open in Draw without errors or warnings, but the artwork might only slightly resemble what the Illustrator user created. The same goes for Illustrator opening Corel files.
Both CorelDRAW and Illustrator can create a range of files from very simple to massively complex.
IMO it's best to have the customer approve all converted versions and either: