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Opening files


    When you open a file created by another application, it becomes a new Adobe Illustrator file. Vector artwork in the file you open is converted to Illustrator paths, which can be modified using any Illustrator tool; bitmap images can be modified using transformation tools, such as scale and rotate, and using image filters from the Illustrator Filter menu. (See About vector graphics and bitmap images.) For information about opening shared files from a server, see Managing files with WebDAV.

    Files that have been saved in Portable Document Format (PDF) can be opened as Adobe Illustrator documents, without losing the ability to edit artwork with Illustrator tools and commands. Artwork stored in PDF format can also be placed into Illustrator files, as described in Importing EPS and PDF files into Illustrator.

To open a file created by another application:

  1. Choose File > Open.
  2. Locate and select the file you want to open. If you don't see the name of the file you want, the file is stored in a format that Illustrator can't read. See About imported artwork for a complete list of all the file formats you can open.
  3. Click Open.
  4. Note: If you open an EPS file that contains fonts not installed on your system, font substitution will occur when you open and print.

To open a file that has recently been used:

    Choose File > Open Recent Files, and select the filename from the list.