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How to Export Files

When you complete an illustration in the future, you will likely have to save the file in a format other than Adobe Illustrator (.ai) so other people can view your work without having to use the Adobe Illustrator program. Common formats that are used on the web are JPEG or PNG, though other formats are also used. For now, you will learn how to save illustrations as PNGs.

Go to File, Export, then Export as... in the Menu.

Screenshot of the location of the "Export as..." menu option.

The Export window will pop out, which gives you the opportunity to choose the new file's name, destination, and format. Check the "Use Artboards" box and leave "All" checked. These buttons are most useful when you have multiple artboards on a single file that you would like to export at the same time. Leave the name how it is and choose "PNG (*.PNG)" from the "Save as type" drop down menu ("Format" drop down menu on Mac). Choose a convenient location to save the image, then click Export.

Screenshot of details for the Export window. See information above.

In the PNG Options window that pops up next, change the background color to White if it is not that already. Do not change anything else. Click OK.

Screenshot of the PNG Options window. See information above.

Now you should have two versions of the character's business card in their respective locations, one as AI format and one as PNG format. The original AI file is still loaded in Illustrator's workspace, so any unsaved changes would need to be saved (Ctrl + S or Command + S on Mac) before closing the program.

Concluding Exporting Files

In this section you learned:

  • How to export illustrations as PNGs.

If you would like to see more tips on exporting files in different formats, watch the video tutorials listed below to learn more. These resources will also be listed at the end of the tutorial so there is no need to watch them immediately. Continue to the next page for the tutorial's conclusion and a full list of recommended resources.