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jocelyng87284714
Participant
February 8, 2017
Question

Can't open, import or place SVG files exported from Sketch

  • February 8, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 7522 views

I can't import an .svg file that's been exported from Sketch to Illustrator CC 2017. I can import other kinds of .svg files, downloaded from open source sites for example, but not from Sketch. When I import an .svg item exported from Sketch, Illustrator 2017 freezes and crashes every time. I don't think this is some kind of UI issue I can solve on my own, I think it's a bug. I'm trying to streamline my Sketch to Illustrator to After Effects workflow, and .EPS and .PDF files break in a variety of ways when imported to Illustrator from Sketch. When Illustrator supported .svg imports from Sketch that used to be the best workflow, so I don't know what happened there. Please update this bug with a fix.

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4 replies

Cashworth
Cashworth
Participant
August 3, 2017

Sketch 46 seems to have alleviated some of the issues surrounding opening Sketch svg's in Illustrator.

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dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
Participating Frequently
August 4, 2017

Just tried Sketch 46 and it still crashes AI for me. Only when I simplify the SVG heavily will it open. I think the more complex ones cause Illustrator to buckle. Are you working with more simple vector shapes?

Cashworth
Cashworth
Participant
August 6, 2017

This was one of the icons I tested and how it changed between exporting from Sketch and opening in Illustrator.  The paths of the file opened in illustrator were all there but they weren't applied correctly to the shape hence the big black blocks.

Dan Rodney
Community Expert
Dan RodneyCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 28, 2017

SVG is a coded file format (XML-based) and Sketch could be coding something in a way Illustrator doesn't like. You could try using an SVG Optimizer (like SVGOMG - SVGO's Missing GUI) to see if it can clean up the code so Illustrator doesn't choke on it. I just tried it on an SVG that Illustrator had problems importing (it didn't crash, but gave an error and then looked wrong), and after running the SVG through that SVGOMG website, it imported without error and looked correct.

— Adobe Certified Expert & Instructor at Noble Desktop | Web Developer, Designer, InDesign Scriptor
    dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
    dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
    Participating Frequently
    July 28, 2017

    Great tip. Will give that a try and report back. Appreciate it!

    dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
    dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
    Participating Frequently
    July 25, 2017

    Also having this issue. Can't open any exported SVG files from Sketch in Illustrator. I can only imagine that a lot of people are dealing with this issue. Hopefully Adobe can address it soon!

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 25, 2017

    Does the SVG validate?

    Does Inkscape open the SVG?

    dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
    dfasfsadfasdfsadf15s
    Participating Frequently
    July 28, 2017

    Appreciate the suggestion, but I figured out a little workaround specific to this job. It won't help anyone else, sadly, and I'm hoping to not be in this position (receiving complex Sketch files and needing to animate them in AE). Thanks!

    H
    hlr68552332
    Participating Frequently
    April 26, 2017

    I am having the exact same issue. Most of my coworkers use Macs, and therefore use Sketch. I work on a Windows PC, so need to convert Sketch files to then be able to work with them in Illustrator. At the moment, the best option is to export the Sketch file as a PDF, then import in to Illustrator. However, there are often issues with borders, shading, etc. The .svg export option is supposed to be able to help with this, but right now I am not able to import .svg files that were exported from Sketch. I am using Adobe CC 2017, and a Windows 10 PC. Illustrator freezes and crashes every time I try to open an .svg file that was exported from Sketch ("Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 has stopped working. A problem cause the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program to notify you if a solution is available.") This only seems to happen with .svg files that were created/exported from Sketch. I will also note that the same thing happens if I try to open that .svg file on a Mac (I have access to one if needed, though I do all my work on a PC). Illustrator CC 2017 on a Mac (using Sierra or El Capitan) also crashes when trying to open an .svg file from Sketch. It would be great to find a solution to this.

    H
    hlr68552332
    Participating Frequently
    April 26, 2017

    One more note. I have a coworker who uses a Mac (macOS Sierra and Adobe CC 2017). He never used to have any issues opening .svg files exported from Sketch in to Illustrator. He reports that he is now experiencing the same issues with Illustrator crashing. It looks like this is a bug. It would be great if a fix was found for this soon.

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