'file could not be written due to an error' when exporting jpg

[pavel33]

I'm working with an Illustrator file in CS2 and after a certain point it has started saying 'the file could not be written due to an error' when exporting to a jpg.

i've tried a couple things like deleting layers and although the file is much smaller, it still says the same error when exporting.

at its highest it was 130mb as an illustrator file and jpgs were 2-5mb.

i''ve tried copying some of the layers into a new file but the error report still comes when i'm exporting.

i have vector and raster based data in the file and tried turning off/deleting either of the layers and there is no difference.

i don't understand why it's started doing this because before it had no problem at all exporting before.

ANY IDEAS ANYONE?  I'm trying not to have to reproduce days of work to remake the file.

many thanks,

P

[Mylenium]

Different color spaces/ profiles in the embedded/ linked bitmap files? Could well cause notable memory and other issues when exporting. Would be my best guess... Or perhaps meta data in one of the linked files?

Mylenium

[pavel33]

Thanks for your reply Mylenium.

By different color spaces/profiles, are you talking about RGB/CMYK?  The file worked for a good length of time and then suddenly started getting the errors.  Don't know if there may be a shortcut to changing color spaces/profiles and I mistakenly did this when trying to hit a different shortcut...  I did paste in a new jpg and although I don't remember exactly, I may have started getting the problems after then.  Even so, after deleting this new layer, I still get the problems.

The jpg file is pasted into the drawing on a separate layer.  Not sure, if this means it's embedded?

By 'linked' do you mean aka indesign links?

Sorry, I guess I'm not very up on some of the capabilities of Illustrator.  I'll try these things when I'm back in the office Monday.

[Mylenium]

Pasted files are embedded and get assigned the current working profile. That almost 100% precludes color conversion issues here, but the file might have gotten damaged when pasting, so there is still a tiny chance that something might happen. AI's file format integrity is just awful and goes belly up with even seemingly simple stuff. Therefore definitely investigate problems with clipboard handling and possible interference e.g. from Office programs. Linked files that you inserted via the Place command in the file menu are a different story. Those may get converted if they have different color profiles assigned. That's not just CMYK vs. RGB, but also dfifferent RGB profiles being mixed. You can set these options in your color management settings. I doubt you randomly turned something on or off, but what might happen is that you in fact changed color handling elsewhere and that now makes AI act funky, e.g. by changing your monitor color profile. This might affect proof preview and in turn also color profiel conversions when you output to bitmap formats...

Mylenium

[pavel33]

Mylenium,

Sounds like you know a good deal about this product.  Is there any way to restore a color profile/setting to an earlier point?

I don't recall changing it and to tell you the truth, wouldn't be able to say which it may have been set to before - if different.

Thanks,

Paul

[panfried]

Illustrator won't allow a file to be exported if a document is already open with the same title and extension. You'll have to close the image first.

That's the only time I've ever seen this error. It's simple, but drove me nuts for a few days until I figured it out. I frequently open a jpg after exporting to check it visually, and often go back and make changes. If I forget to close the jpg, I get this error message.

Hope that helps.

[pavel33]

Panfried,

Don't think it's as you suggest.  If I have a copy of the file I'm trying to export saved and go to re-export it with updates, the saved file automatically deletes such that after this error I have no file left.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Paul

[Larry G. Schneider]

Have you done a recent Save As of the file and overwritten the existing file? It sounds as though you have junk in the PDF portion of the file that needs to be stripped out with a Save As.

[Vinod5CCD]

Thank you for such a nice problem solving suggestion.

[grosner1111 · Accepted solution]

file could not be written due to an error' when exporting jpg

Adobe Illustrator CS6 - 

For me, the issue was the file path and name was too long. Illustrator appended the artboard name during the export hence causing the file path and file name to grow beyond the Windows 8 file pathname limit. I solved this errory by shortening your export file name.

[Nas5EF8]

thank you for sharing, it helps me, tried many solutions, and this one seems to work

[pratikmevada]

Best way to solve it....

1. Create a new file. In "New document" dialog box, under "Advanced" submenu select "Preview Mode" as "Pixel".
    click "Ok:

2. Once the new document is created, copy your art from your old Ai file and paste it in your new document.

3. Now, export.

[maham222389629k9w]

Not working? 

[PAVEU]

reduce the resolution.

[Giulia_G]

My problem was that I needed an A4 size (21x29,7cm) but by mistake I was working on a 210x297cm...

[tee3327]

Here is the solution.   I had assests placed into a document...some were placed png's and some were created with the pen tool in the document.  I figured out that one of the assets was corrupting the file. So you will need to find that asset.  I opened a new document and placed each asset in one at a time.  After each one, I attempted to export the jpg.....didn't have a problem until I got to the asset...the one created with the pen tool.  I had used a pattern fill for those images and then put a stylized inner glow on them......that inner glow was corrupting my file.  Problem solved!

[Rúben25788018a3hm · Accepted solution]

I arrived to this post in August 2022. Had the same problem and the solution to this problem was that the antivurus decided by it self to not allow Illustrator to write on the hard disk. Had to go to the antivirus and allow illustrator to write in the disk.

Hope it helps somebody.

[Curt007]

Worked for me as well.