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Saving Illustrator CS4 files for users of older versions can present some issues in addition to
text. Live Effects, such as 3D objects, Live Trace objects, and Live Color objects, are converted
to expanded, literal vector objects (rather than editable Live Effects) when saved for versions of
Illustrator before CS2, and thus lose much of their editability. Warped shapes (including text),
drop shadows, and glows become raster content if saved for versions prior to Illustrator 9. When
you save Illustrator files containing such effects, an alert warns you that type may be converted
to point text and that the editability of some features may be lost. This applies when the file is
opened in an older version of Illustrator or reopened in Illustrator CS4, because the content in
the outgoing file has been permanently altered to meet the limitations of the older version. For
this reason, you should save a duplicate copy of the file in the CS4 format in case further edits are
required.
Note that saving an Illustrator CS4 file containing multiple artboards in an older format will
retain all artwork, but will contain only a single artboard, which takes on the dimensions of the
largest artboard in the original document. You are given the option to save each Artboard to a
separate Illustrator file. Whichever option you choose, the original multiple Artboards are not
automatically restored if the backsaved file is reopened in Illustrator CS4. However, the loca-
tion and dimensions of artboards are retained as guides through a "round trip." To restore the
artboards, select a guide (or multiple guides), and then choose Object > Convert to Artboards.
Document Color Modes
When creating a new document, an artist can choose from multiple document presets, intended
for a variety of output options, including Print, Web, Video, Mobile and Devices, Basic RGB,
and Basic CMYK. Encourage your customers to start with the Print document setting, which
automatically sets the document color mode to CMYK, and establishes a Raster Effects setting of
300 ppi. This preset creates a letter-sized document by default, but the artist can set the docu-
ment dimensions to any value, up to 227.4 x 227.4 inches. The document color can be changed at
any point, but this may result in some unwanted changes. For example, drop shadows become
four-color shadows when a document is started in RGB, but changed to CMYK after the shadows
are created.
When a user chooses File > New to begin creating an Illustrator file, the option to choose a color
mode may not be obvious; you must click the Advanced triangle to reveal options for document
Older Format Alert
When you save an Illustrator file containing live
effects to an older format, you are warned that such
content won't be editable in the older version of
the program . Also, the content won't be editable if
reopened in Illustrator CS4 .
Saving to Older Formats
Because of the text composition engine in
Illustrator CS was changed from previous versions,
saving documents with text to be opened in older
versions of Illustrator can result in text being
converted to outlines (left) or point text (right) .
Always keep a current version of the file with live
text so that text can be edited if necessary .
Saving Multiple Artboards to Older Formats
Note that multiple Artboards will be lost when saving
files to older formats; you have the option to save
each Artboard to a separate Illustrator file .
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Printing Guide
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