At One Place

.ai files

.ai file
Adobe Illustrator Artwork
Illustrator's vector working file, used for logos, icons and print artwork.

What opens a .ai file

Windows
Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Inkscape, CorelDRAW
macOS
Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Inkscape, Preview (built in — preview only)
Linux
Inkscape
In a browser
Photopea

What a .ai file is

AI is the native document of Adobe Illustrator. Modern versions are really a PDF with Illustrator-specific data attached, which is why renaming a "PDF Compatible" AI file to .pdf often previews fine — you lose all the editable structure. Inkscape and Affinity Designer import them; anything printed professionally usually wants the original AI or a PDF export.

Converting it

A .ai file is commonly converted to .pdf, .svg, .eps, .png or .jpg. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

Details

Extension
.ai
Full name
Adobe Illustrator Artwork
Category
Images
MIME type
application/postscript
Created by
Adobe
Format
Binary

Common questions

How do I open a .ai file?
On Windows use Adobe Illustrator; on macOS use Adobe Illustrator; on Linux use Inkscape. Illustrator's vector working file, used for logos, icons and print artwork.
What is a .ai file?
Adobe Illustrator Artwork. AI is the native document of Adobe Illustrator. Modern versions are really a PDF with Illustrator-specific data attached, which is why renaming a "PDF Compatible" AI file to .pdf often previews fine — you lose all the editable structure.
Can I convert a .ai file?
Yes. It is usually converted to .pdf, .svg, .eps, .png or .jpg, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Media Types Registry — IANA
  2. Official vendor product documentation — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked