Exporting SVGs from Adobe Illustrator is easy. With just a few clicks, you can save your design as a high-quality vector graphic that is both scalable and versatile in its compatibility. To make the process even smoother, this simple guide provides five steps to help you export your SVG in as little as 5 minutes.
It’s a fairly quick step to export an svg from Illustrator. You need to save all parts of the design in an svg file format, but there are some important tips and tricks to know before you get started.
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SVG Files? What are Those?
First, let’s talk about SVG files. An SVG file is a vector file which means it can be scaled to any size without losing quality. SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. This makes them perfect for crafting projects where you need to create a design that can be enlarged or reduced without sacrificing any of the details.
SVG files are also lightweight and can be easily edited and resized.
Now that you know what an SVG is, let’s talk about how to export one from Illustrator. There are a few different ways you can do this.
Steps to Export an SVG from Illustrator
Once you’ve created your design in Illustrator, it’s time to export it as an SVG file. Not sure how to do that? Well, I’ll get into that below.
1. Set Up an Artboard
Before you export an SVG, the first step is to set up your artboard. To do this, select Artboard from the top toolbar and press “S” for square. This will create a default artboard that shows the entire canvas area of your design.
Alternatively, if you don’t like to use artboards that are already made or you don’t know the size you need, you can create one based on the design. Click on Artboard in the sidebar’s Artboards section and select “Fit to Selected Art” or “Artwork Bounding Box”.
2. Draw, Edit, or Open the SVG File
After you’ve selected your artboard, the next step is to draw, paint or open the SVG in Adobe Illustrator. To do this, in your top toolbar select “File” and click “Open” to choose a file from your computer.
Alternatively, if you prefer to start from scratch with an empty canvas, simply use the drawing or painting tools available at the left toolbar to create your own design.
If you use other Adobe products such as Photoshop or InDesign, you can also save elements of these projects into Illustrator for easy editing. But, it’s best to keep things simple and avoid adding a photo or raster graphic. I’ll go more into detail about that later.
3. Check the Colors and Layers Panel
Once you have the file opened in Adobe Illustrator, take a moment to double-check the colors and layers panel. You want to make sure that all of your artwork is properly grouped and organized by layer.
All your artwork should fit onto one artboard, which you can find on the right side of your window. By clicking on it, a green outline will appear around the artboard itself.
4. Export Options
The next setting is the export options. Here you can choose which elements of your design you want to include in the SVG file.
For example, if you only want to include the vector shapes, you can uncheck the box for “Include Object IDs”. Then, you can also choose to include any inline styles and presentation attributes.
Once you’ve chosen all the settings, you’re ready to export your file. Click “Export” and your SVG file will be ready to use. You can stop here or go on to step 5 if you want to keep the artboards intact.
5. Export an Image as an SVG with Artboards Intact
In Adobe Illustrator, you can easily export a high-quality SVG image and keep the artboards intact.
First, go to File > Export > Export As, then choose SVG in the file format drop-down menu.
Next, select “Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities” in the “SVG Options” window that appears. Finally, click Save and there you have it — your illustrator file is now saved as real a scalable vector graphic (SVG) with the artboards intact.
Tips to Get an Illustrator SVG to Work in Cricut
Now that you know how to export an SVG from Illustrator, let’s talk about the best way to use it.
The Simple Way is the Best Way
If you’re using your svg as a cut file for a crafting project with a Cricut machine, you’ll want to make sure that it can be read by the machine.
This means that if your design includes a set of svg icons, objects, and several layers, they should all be compatible with Cricut.
Don’t try to mix vector shapes, raster images, and any web font all together in the same design. The pixel elements of a raster image can’t be converted into an svg.
They may look pretty in Illustrator but you run the risk of losing some of the design when you go to save it as an svg file. If you want to add extra detail to your design, then do it once you upload it to Cricut Design Space. You can even add more elements from Cricut Access.
File Size Tips
Another important factor is the file size. If you’re creating a complex design, you’ll want to make sure that the file size isn’t too large.
This is because big files will take longer to upload and can slow down the Cricut machine. To make sure your file size is optimal, you can use the “Export as” option in the SVG Options window. This will allow you to choose a smaller file size if needed.
File Name Ending
Finally, you’ll want to pay attention to the decimal points in the file name. The file type is determined by the suffix of your file name. The suffix is the three letters following the decimal point (or dot or period, whatever you want to call it).
If you delete the decimal places or forget to include them, it will change your file type. Basically, it won’t save as an svg file.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Now you know how to export an SVG from Adobe Illustrator and how to use it for your Cricut crafting projects. You don’t have to be a graphic designer to do it.
Just remember to pay attention to the file size, layer names, and export options to ensure that your exported svg is optimized for a Cricut machine. Happy crafting!
