Exit
  • Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
  • 한국 커뮤니티
0

Create pdf compatible file check box not available in version 29.7.1

Explorer ,
Aug 05, 2025 Aug 05, 2025

Back to AI after a long time.  I am saving files both locally and in the cloud.  In an attempt to be able to see a preview of the file locally, googling says check the "Create Pdf Compatible File" box when you save it as a PDF....

 

I don't see that check box anywhere....ideas?

Dilly_Dally_0-1754432893729.png

 

TOPICS
How-to , Sync and storage
556
Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines

correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Aug 06, 2025 Aug 06, 2025

After you click on Save you should get an Illustrator Options dialog as shown in the screenshot below. It is there that you will get the option to Create PDF Compatible File. Then you can click on Okay to finish the Save.

Screenshot 2025-08-06 at 2.06.48 PM.png

Translate
Adobe
Community Expert ,
Aug 05, 2025 Aug 05, 2025

If you save as PDF, it is a PDF.

If you want to open that PDF later in Illustrator, check the Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities option

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Aug 05, 2025 Aug 05, 2025

If you save the File as .ai check the "Create PDF Compatible File" option (yes, that will give you a Preview).

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Aug 06, 2025 Aug 06, 2025
What I am saying is that neither of the save screens I have (one to the
cloud, the other to my local computer) any options like that.
Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Aug 06, 2025 Aug 06, 2025

When you save to the cloud there is no such option. If you save to a local folder using Save As… you will get a dialog with options to save as PDF compatible. So it is when you save as an AI locally that you can choose to be PDF compatible. 

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Aug 06, 2025 Aug 06, 2025

Right, but my version doesn't have those options in either save screen (one for the computer, one for the cloud).

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Aug 06, 2025 Aug 06, 2025

After you click on Save you should get an Illustrator Options dialog as shown in the screenshot below. It is there that you will get the option to Create PDF Compatible File. Then you can click on Okay to finish the Save.

Screenshot 2025-08-06 at 2.06.48 PM.png

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Aug 07, 2025 Aug 07, 2025

I was able to follow Bill's advice.  However, the preview doesn't appear in Windows explorer except in the Preview Pane.  (rather than just the regular file view)  Should I report this as a bug?

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Aug 09, 2025 Aug 09, 2025

Windows explorer dosn't read native illustrator files, it's not a bug. If you want a preview you can use Adobe Bridge as file browser.

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Aug 06, 2025 Aug 06, 2025

As Bill suggested, click further to get to the options. 

Save local, the Cloud version does not have that option.

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Aug 08, 2025 Aug 08, 2025

Got that.  I was asking about reporting a bug.  I can only see a preview of files saved this way when I click the preview pane in Windows Explorer.  Otherwise they just have an Illustrator logo.

 

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Sep 02, 2025 Sep 02, 2025

I am also having this issue and have not been able to solve it..... what steps did you follow exactly?

 

 

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Sep 02, 2025 Sep 02, 2025

pdfcompatibleissue.png

For context, I have checked and unchecked all the options to get it to offer me the needed check box. And I am saving to the computer in this case

 

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Sep 02, 2025 Sep 02, 2025

@Nancy21791207pkc0  schrieb:

pdfcompatibleissue.png

For context, I have checked and unchecked all the options to get it to offer me the needed check box. And I am saving to the computer in this case

 


 

You are saving a PDF already.

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Sep 02, 2025 Sep 02, 2025
I am aware of that however when I try to open the saved PDF in another
software I am getting the message to save it and check "create PDF
compatible file"


--
Nancy Jean
Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Sep 03, 2025 Sep 03, 2025

@Nancy21791207pkc0  schrieb:
I am aware of that however when I try to open the saved PDF in another
software I am getting the message to save it and check "create PDF
compatible file"


--
Nancy Jean

 

Which other software tells you that?

And what exactly are you doing in it?

 

Can you check your PDF in Acrobat? Does it work? If it does, then the issue is with the other software.

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Sep 03, 2025 Sep 03, 2025
LATEST

Nancy, not that it helps, but I never solved this issue.  For awhile Microsoft Power Toys allowed me to preview the file as long as I opened the preview pane.  (Now it doesn't seem to work)   Here is anothe work around:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWXWdRW4e0E  Here you have to use a short cut (Cntrl Space) to view the file.  I am about to download Adobe Bridge (as was suggested by someone else)...(I hated this software before, but haven't used it for years...so I am going to give it another whirl.)  Seems like someone should be able to fix this issue without separate software.  

 

Edit:  I reinstalled powertoys...still not working.  Adobe Bridge however is free and now that I have used it for a few minutes, I may just use it instead of Windows file explorer.  It has lots of great tools that were not there a long time ago.

 

Translate
Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines