Please fix export SVG, Adobe illustrator, AI ruins vector graphics
I used AI to create vector graphics for a game for around 3 months, until now, I moved to Affinity designer until AI fix their SVG export
In AI a problem was always present:
The SVG export.
Adobe Illustrator ruins SVG graphic files:
- Gaps between shapes
- Gradient color unwanted alterations
- Layers might overlay incorrectly
- Wrong transparency percentage
(All the above only after exporting in SVG format)
(I only work using vector graphics, so the issues are all for vector graphics)
Please, fix vector graphic exporting in SVG format
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- Windows 10 home / Adobe Illustrator CC
- Exporting SVG vector files only
- I expected to keep the same appearance/quality than in the .AI format
- I got the issues posted above, meaning in a low quality and broken SVG graphic file
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Dave Lawrence commented
Hi Tom, I recommend using Affinity Designer. I'm a font designer. i can move hundreds of letters from my font editor, FontLab, and then I put it in Affinity to generate hundreds of slices. You can then export SVG, PNG, JPG, whatever. So you could make hundreds of assets, maybe even thousands of sellable assets in five or so minutes.
So it's a possible easy workflow to import your stuff from Illustrator into Affinity Designer, and export that.
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Tom M commented
This is currently a huge problem for me with using the "Asset Export" panel. I have a document with all our company icons on it in one place, this enables me to work with them very simply in on project, and when I create new ones I can check they visually are consistent with the other icons.
I've always used the Asset Export panel to export all the icons individually as SVG files, but now however I'm having issues that weren't there before. It's as though the decimal place is set to a high setting (this setting isn't available using the Asset Export panel) and therefore the SVG exports are inaccurate and can't be used.
I literally can't export our company icons any more, I can't use the File > Export > SVG menu because this export the whole document and not individual icons. Absolute shambles.
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Dave Lawrence commented
TG, right on. I was just telling my wife the other day, "You can't expect to keep sucking money out of people's bank accounts and expect them not to resent it." Especially when stuff like this doesn't get fixed.
I was fortunate enough to be on a FontLab closed beta, and they could fix something like this within a week. And sometimes within days.
Admittedly, I haven't tried it in the AI 2023 version. But I'm sort of tired of checking Adobe's products for them when they don't even fix bugs in a timely manner.
My workflow for making vector assets has become FontLab→Affinity. Or sometimes Affinity→ FontLab→ Affinity.
It's no secret that I'm a big supporter of FontLab, having volunteered some video tutorials for them. Their node tools are many times more advanced than either Illustrator or Affinity: like tunni lines for adjusting all curve tension (like changing the corners of all icons), curvature combs like those used in CAD, nodes that automatically adjust to remain smooth, delta filter for adjust parts of a shape without distortion, good selective transforms... And you can even make like a logo for small sizes and a logo for large sizes, then mix the two to get something in between or even extrapolated.
Also, now that Affinity exports DWG/DXF there's really no reason to export with Illustrator.
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TG commented
THANK YOU for posting this. I thought I was the only one noticing this; it seems to have only started happening with more recent versions of AI, and why it's suddenly happening AND why Adobe hasn't addressed this in all this time are both mysteries to me. It's pure aggravation.
Example: I can create a perfect 10x10 grid of squares, with the edge points perfectly overlapping one another, save it as an SVG, then RE-open it in AI or elsewhere and discover that the squares have shifted up/down/left/right, such that they're no longer aligned as they were originally placed. Also note in my screenshots that the actual dimensions of the object have changed as a result.
This is driving me to Affinity Designer. I use my designs for use on a vinyl cutter and in Blender, and I need precision that Adobe's SVG export is no longer providing. Can someone please fix this?
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Dave Lawrence commented
I hate export.
One problem, we in font design call the problems "kinks". Handles from nodes are flying all over the place, pinching the outline sharply, where it should be smooth.
Ridiculous.
THE DECIMAL SETTINGS ARE BROKEN. CHECK IT OUT.
Save as works ok, with the same decimal settings.
I always have to do a "save a"s instead, but if you have multiple artboard, the svg is cluttered with all these empty layers.
How can this not be fixed by now?
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MJL in Australia commented
I'd also like to find out why I cannot select above 5 for the 'Decimal' setting. Choosing 6 or 7 returns an error and the setting reverts to 5.
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jv commented
IT SO ******* PAINFUL!!!!
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Anonymous commented
Here is other topic of the same issue, I previously made:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/please-fix-export-svg-adobe-illustrator-ai-ruins-vector-graphics/m-p/10745011#M154871