Not enough memory to save file.

I fixed this same problem by clicking USE ARTBOARDS - after you click export, change to PSD and then the box use artboards is under it, and that did it for me.

I know this is an old thread, but anyone trying to export large files out of Illustrator CS5 (maybe even CS6 and CC) still face this "not enough memory" challenge.

To summarize the above comments, this is what worked for me...

1. Using Windows 7 or Windows 8, and Illustrator CS5

2. Close Illustrator (if open)

3. Right click the Illustrator application > Properties > Compatibility (tab)

4. "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" > Windows XP (Service Pack 3)

5. "Run this program as an administrator" (optional, but recommended)

6. Apply (or "OK")

7. Open Illustrator > Open your Illustrator file

8. File > Export > (DO NOT CLICK SAVE YET...)

9. (File Save Dialog Box) > At the bottom of the dialog box, tick to select "Use Artboards" > Range "1"

10. (name your file) > "Save"

11. (Photoshop Export Options) > Select color mode > Select Resolution > Select "Flat Image" > Select "Anti-Alias

12. Click "OK"

Doing everything above allowed me to save a very large Illustrator file as a 300ppi RGB Photoshop file and avoid the "Not enough memory..." problem.

I hope this helps, but as usual: your mileage may vary... Shalom!

One of the most annoying things about Adobe. "Not enough memory." Nonsense. The service pack "fix" works, but you'd be well advised to go back and untick the box for compatibility mode after you're done exporting, or you may find that AI suddenly won't open files at all. I'm still stuck on CS5 for the time being, maybe this has been addressed in CC, but I tend to doubt it - annoying things like this seem to survive versions like the undead.

I too am now having this problem since Upgrading to Windows 7.

Hi,

I had the exact problem last night. I couldn't export my Ai file to PSD at 300dpi, it kept saying i didn't have enough memory. I tried anti-aliasing, which worked, but all the lines were jagged and pixelated. I ended up having to export it at 150dpi.

However, i done a bit more research into it today and someone suggested (for Windows 7, 64 bit... not sure if it'll work with other operating systems) to go to the illusrator.exe file via the programs folder on your pc. Right click the illustrator.exe file and click properties. Go to the 'Compatibility' and tick the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select 'Windows XP (Service Pack 3)' from the drop down menu. Apply and click ok.

Once i done the above, i opended up illustrator and tried to export the Ai file again and it worked!

Hope that helps!

Kind Regards,

Marie

Saving a PDF is a good solution; however, it doesn't include layers so you'll have a flat file much like rasterising an EPS file.

(I might be missing something with the import options though so if anyone knows how to import a layered PDF let me know)

carny_'s copy and paste solution is also a great workaround that seems to be working (although tedious with lots of layers )

with the only caveats being everything should be constrained to the working artboard and centered...when you paste in

Photoshop it wants to center that paste on the current document so if you have some asymmetrically balanced objects

(like objects in one corner) or something larger then the artboard but again unbalanced (hanging off one side) those layers

may not be in position in photoshop. A workaround is to include a "crop box" layer...a bottom most layer with just a stroked

box (no fill color) that is large enough to encompass your entire image...just have to remember to select that box with

every copy/paste . It does work though and worth the trouble for files too "large" to export normally...my biggest file

tested so far was a 15"x15" piece.

This still doesn't often work for me exporting from CS5 to psd and I want antialiased layers. I have 12GB ram so that shouldn't be a problem, I think adobe need to sort this out.

Anyhow my current workaround is to copy each layer individually and paste as a smart object in photoshop, the bonus being they are still vector objects and can be scaled. Unfortunately you need to reposition the layers so not much good if you have many layers going on, but it works in lots of situations.

They really should be an option to export to psd with layers as smart objects for photoshop, come on Adobe!

I'm glad I check here. I was trying to export an illustration to photoshop, and definitely uncheck anti-alias.Worked perfectly, although it didn't include my layers, so I'll try something else.

I'm having same problem trying to export AI to PSD with CS4.

Want to write layers at 300ppi, using artboards, unchecked 'anti-alias', AI file is only 1MB, just simple vectors with fill.

I have about 260GB free on scratch disk (partitioned) and 3GB of RAM.

Overall size of artwork is 1194mm x 2286 mm, but surely it can handle that size?!?!

I create much bigger PSD files, with more effects, and sure it is a bit slow but no problem really.

Eventually got it to work, but had to drop resolution to 150ppi (not happy about this, not enough for what I need to produce. Will have to resample in PS) and PSD file only ended up being 19MB!

How come Illustrator is so "space hungry"?

from what I can tell when saving a PSD from Illustrator it starts at the very outer edge of the master artboard and sometimes gets tripped up and tries to save a file larger then the actual artboard you're working on...files that normally didn't save before have a better chance of saving if I used the "use artboards" checkbox in the first export dialog box, then choose the artboard number or all if it's just 1. The Anti-aliasing uses a higher memory requirement for the PSD export so the upper limit gets reached faster, but try to force the artboard to export option and see if that helps