Working on artwork on a PC and a MAC

[DeannaMarie]

I use AI10 on a MAC at work and a PC at home. I bring additional work home over the weekend and have had some problems opening my files. Can someone give me instruction on how to name my files when saving? Or is this possible to do with two different platforms? Do I need to convert files or just buy a MAC computer for my home? Thanks,

Deanna

 

[blueark]

Illustrator files are generally cross-platform compatible. However, you must put an extension onto the file name to open it on a PC. In other words, if your file is called "My Artwork", change it to "My Artwork.ai" (or .eps, or .pdf, depending on the format you save it in).

 

[jimoblak]

And for goodness sake, don't use wacky charaters in the filename like '/' (slash). Pre OSX allowed for a lot of characters that would not work on other platforms.

 

[DiamondLil]

When moving between mac & win it helps if -
as jimoblak said - you 'stay away from the wacky characters' but also no spaces, try to always name your files in lowercase and stick with the 8.3 nomenclature (no more than 8 letters for the filename and 3 for the extension.

 

[jimoblak]

If you are using an older Mac OS, do as DiamondLil says. Newer OSs may be able to support up to 32 characters in the file name. Experiment. Trying to relink filenames that have been chopped to 8 characters is a pain in Quark, PM, or Indesign.

Another tip:
If you are a Mac user that gets a PC CD with 8.3 filenames, try installing a 'joliet' filename CD system extension. You can find a free one or two at versiontracker.com. This extension will allow you to read the longer file names that were created on the PC.

 

[askIllustrator]

If you do run into a problem where you are not sure what format you saved it in and therfor dont know what extension to put on it you can always open it in a text editor and read the first few lines, it will usually tell you what format it is and what version of the software. You cant really hurt a file by using the wrong extension so experiment with the most likely ones. Also, if by chance you are emailing your files home, make sure you zip or stuff them. BEHOLD! As Steve Jobs introduces us the latest in desk-lamp technology!

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