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#1 2008-08-17 10:12 pm
- M Alan
- Member
- From: Chicago - Far North
- Registered: 2008-08-17
- Posts: 5
Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
I have some old Illustrator 7 artwork files on a old Mac Performa circa 1998. Today I tried moving some via diskette to my iMac and they are appearing as text files. Back on the old Performa they appear as Illustrator 7 files.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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#2 2008-08-17 11:03 pm
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
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- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16888
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
Did you rename them with ".ai" extension so OS X knows what to do with them?
(I'm assuming you have OS X)
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#3 2008-08-18 9:20 am
- albloom
- Retired Professor
- From: Blacksburg, VA USA
- Registered: 2008-04-28
- Posts: 25
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
What graphics software do you have in the new Mac? If you don't have Illustrator,
the correct filename extension doesn't matter. You might be better off saving in a
more general graphics format (in the old Mac) before transferring.
Al Bloom
G4 867DP, OSX 10.4.11
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#4 2008-08-18 9:27 pm
- M Alan
- Member
- From: Chicago - Far North
- Registered: 2008-08-17
- Posts: 5
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
I renamed some files with ".ai" extension and now they appear as white rectangles labeled PDF but will not open as a PDF or open at all. I still have the old Illustrator 7 CD that is installed on the Mac Performa. The lamp style iMac has OS 10.4.11.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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#5 2008-08-19 7:15 am
- macforme
- The Terror of Zombies Far & Wide
- From: Malton, Zombie Central
- Registered: 2001-08-04
- Posts: 349
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
You need to have Illustrator on the new mac otherwise the system software won't know what to do with it. The files will show up with a generic icon if you don't have the software installed. Acrobat won't open native Illustrator files, you can only open them in Illustrator.
albloom is right about the extension, if you don't install Illustrator on the newer mac, it won't matter how you rename the files, you won't be able to open them.
"You are coming to a sad realization, cancel or allow?"
...sigh.. "Allow."
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#6 2008-08-19 10:59 am
- zoees
- Member
- From: Maryland
- Registered: 2001-08-14
- Posts: 2561
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
Open the Illy files on the old mac and export or save them out as PDF's and/or generic EPS for printing. At least then "Preview" on the new Mac will be able to view them. You also may run into font issues among other things.
A lot has changed since version 7 and when you do finally open them with a new version of Illustrator they may come out a little wonky- depending on the "design" style.
Good luck.
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. It is simply too painful to acknowledge even to ourselves that we've been so credulous. -Carl Sagan
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#7 2008-08-20 9:43 pm
- M Alan
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- From: Chicago - Far North
- Registered: 2008-08-17
- Posts: 5
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
Yes, the Illustrator 7 files opened fine on the iMac in Illustrator 7 with OS9 running. The iMac displays Illustrator 7 files with a ".ai" extension as as PDF icons.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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#8 2008-08-20 9:58 pm
- macforme
- The Terror of Zombies Far & Wide
- From: Malton, Zombie Central
- Registered: 2001-08-04
- Posts: 349
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
Do you have Illustrator loaded on the new iMac? You have to have it installed on that machine on order to open, and use those files on the new iMac.
"You are coming to a sad realization, cancel or allow?"
...sigh.. "Allow."
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#9 2008-08-21 10:27 am
- zoees
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- From: Maryland
- Registered: 2001-08-14
- Posts: 2561
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
M Alan wrote:
Yes, the Illustrator 7 files opened fine on the iMac in Illustrator 7 with OS9 running. The iMac displays Illustrator 7 files with a ".ai" extension as as PDF icons.
The files are still Illustrator files. Regardless.
As other people have pointed out, you will need a newer version of Illustrator to run in the OS X environment and edit them.
Photoshop will rasterize them.
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. It is simply too painful to acknowledge even to ourselves that we've been so credulous. -Carl Sagan
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#10 2008-08-23 2:27 pm
- M Alan
- Member
- From: Chicago - Far North
- Registered: 2008-08-17
- Posts: 5
Re: Moving old Illustrator artwork files from old Mac to newer iMac.
Thank-you. The MacLife Forum members are so smart and helpful.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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