AI to PDF Converter
Get a PDF out of an .ai file with nothing re-rendered — the embedded PDF is extracted exactly as Illustrator saved it, every artboard a page.
Works with .ai files from Illustrator 9 or newer saved with “Create PDF Compatible File” (on by default). Illustrator 8 and older can’t be converted.
Everything runs locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server — close the tab and your files are gone.
How to convert .ai to PDF
Drop the .ai file
The file is read on your device, and the PDF data Illustrator stored inside it is found in a moment.
Confirm it is the right document
The large preview and the artboard thumbnails let you check the artwork before you save anything.
Export PDF
The embedded PDF is copied out of the .ai container byte for byte and saved as a .pdf. No re-rendering, no re-encoding, no quality loss.
Every artboard is already a page
There is nothing to select for PDF. Artboards map to pages one to one, in document order, so the whole file comes across.
AI to PDF — frequently asked questions
Does converting to PDF lose any quality?
No, and it is not really a conversion. Illustrator already stores a complete PDF inside every PDF-compatible .ai file, and this tool extracts that data unchanged. What you download is exactly what Illustrator wrote.
Why is the PDF instant when PNG takes a moment?
PNG has to be rendered pixel by pixel from the artwork. The PDF already exists inside the file, so saving it is a copy rather than a render.
Can I export just one artboard as a PDF?
Not as a PDF. The embedded PDF is one document holding every artboard as a page, and it is saved whole. To isolate a single artboard, export it as PNG or SVG, or split the saved PDF in a PDF reader afterwards.
Is the PDF ready to send to a print shop?
It carries the document’s original CMYK values and whatever fonts Illustrator embedded when the file was saved. What it does not carry is crop marks, bleed or a press-specific PDF/X profile — if your printer asked for those, export from Illustrator instead.
Why is the PDF the same size as the original .ai file?
Because nothing is removed. The file is handed over exactly as Illustrator saved it — including Illustrator’s own editing data, which PDF readers simply ignore. That byte-for-byte copy is what guarantees zero quality loss, and it means Illustrator can still open the PDF as a fully editable file.
Does the .ai file leave my computer to be converted?
No. The .ai file is opened and the PDF is extracted inside your browser. Nothing is sent to a server at any point.