Saving as SVG, DXF, DST and CDR in Illustrator

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Illustrator has several Save As options that give you limitless ways to access the file. In this article, we look at whether you can save files as SVG, DXF, DST and CDR in Illustrator.

Can Illustrator save as SVG?

Yes, Illustrator can save as SVG. To save a file as SVG in Illustrator:

  1. Create or open your file in Illustrator
  2. Select file> Save As 
  3. From the Save As popup window, choose the SVG file format from the Format drop-down menu and click the Save button

Alternatively, you can export the illustrator file as SVG. 

To export as SVG:

  1. Open the Illustrator project file
  2. Select File > Export > Export As
  3. Choose Save As SVG and click Export
  4. You can make a few changes in SVG Options and click OK to export your SVG file.

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A Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) is a unique image format that uses vector data and does not rely on pixels to make images. SVG files are becoming more popular for use around the web and are good to save your artworks directly to an editable SVG file.

Can Illustrator save as DXF?

Adobe Illustrator does not have the option to save as DXF files. Instead, you can export your artwork as DXF. Here is how to export as DXF in Illustrator:

  1. Open your file in Illustrator
  2. Choose Export > Export As 
  3. Select Save As DXF in the drop-down menu and click Export
  4. You can make a few settings in the DXF/DWG Export Options section and click OK to export as a DXF file.

Drawing Exchange Format (DXF), also known as Drawing Interchange Format, is an open-source vector file created with AutoCAD. DFX is a 2D and 3D format drawing developed by Autodesk in a way that multiple programs can open it. 

Can Illustrator save as DST?

Adobe Illustrator does not have the option to save or Export as a DST file format. However, you can export your Illustrator FIle to SVG which most embroidery machines can read.

Data Stitch Tajima (DST) is a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) embroidery file format. DST file stores the embroidery commands that instruct the embroidery machine. DST files are created and opened with AutoCAD’s built-in Sheet Set Manager tool. 

Can Illustrator save as CDR?

Illustrator does not have the option to save or Export as CDR files. If you want to open CDR files in Illustrator, you must convert them to AI file formats. Corel Draw can export to AI file format, but you cannot convert Illustrator to CDR formats.

You can open the CDR files in CorelDraw and Export them to an AI file to access the file with Illustrator.

CorelDraw (CDR) files are created and designated for use with the CorelDraw applications. CDR files are the vector graphics file that stores digital image format encoded and compressed so that they can be opened and edited by vector editing programs.

Conclusion

Illustrator has limited Save As options, including AI, EPS, SVG, and PDF files. But with the Export command, you can access up to fifteen different file formats to save your file. Saving files in different formats serve different purposes, including opening different programs. As a vector-based graphics tool, you can use Illustrator to save files in formats that are accessible and editable by other programs.

Find out if you can save your required file format in Photoshop.