Export your Affinity Designer file as PDF, EPS, or SVG to open it in Illustrator

Affinity Designer on iPad does not save files in Adobe Illustrator's native format (.ai), but you can export your work in formats that Illustrator reads. The most reliable route is PDF for finished artwork you want to keep as-is, EPS if you need editable vector paths, or SVG if you are moving to web design. Each format preserves different amounts of your original work — PDF keeps everything visual but locks it down, while EPS and SVG let you edit shapes and text in Illustrator afterward.

The export process takes the same steps regardless of format. Open your finished file in Affinity Designer, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select Share, then choose Export. A dialog appears asking which format you want. Pick your format, name the file, and tap Export again. The file lands in your iPad's Files app, from where you can move it to cloud storage, email it to yourself, or send it directly to your Mac or PC.

Key Takeaways

  • PDF export preserves all visual elements but creates a locked file you cannot edit in Illustrator — use this for finished work you want to keep exactly as designed.
  • EPS export keeps vector shapes editable in Illustrator, though some Affinity effects may flatten to raster images during the conversion.
  • SVG export works best for web graphics and lets you edit text and paths in Illustrator, but complex effects may not translate perfectly.
  • Files export to your iPad's Files app first; you then move them to cloud storage, email, or your computer using whatever method suits your workflow.

When to use PDF, EPS, or SVG

PDF is the safest choice if you are sending your design to someone else or archiving it. Everything looks exactly as you made it — colors, text, images, effects — and Illustrator opens it without any conversion guessing. The trade-off is that you cannot edit individual elements in Illustrator. If a client asks you to change the blue circle to red, you have to go back to Affinity Designer, make the change, and export again.

EPS is the right choice if you plan to edit the file further in Illustrator. Vector shapes stay editable, and text remains text. However, any effects you used in Affinity Designer that Illustrator does not support — like certain blend modes or live filters — will flatten to raster images (pixels). This means you lose the ability to adjust those effects in Illustrator, but the overall structure of your design stays intact.

SVG works best if your design is heading to the web or if you need the smallest possible file size. Illustrator handles SVG well, and you can edit paths and text afterward. SVG also scales to any size without losing quality. The downside is that some Affinity-specific effects may not survive the export, and complex gradients or transparency sometimes render differently in Illustrator than they did in Affinity Designer.

Step-by-step export from Affinity Designer iPad

Open the file you want to export in Affinity Designer. Make sure you have finished all edits, because you cannot go back and change the original file once you export — Affinity Designer keeps the .afdesign file separate from the exported version.

Tap the menu icon in the top left (three horizontal lines stacked). Scroll down and tap Share. A new menu appears with options including Export. Tap Export.

A dialog box opens asking you to choose a file format. Tap the dropdown that says Format and select PDF, EPS, or SVG depending on what you need. If you are unsure, PDF is the safest default.

Name your file in the text field. Affinity Designer suggests a name based on your original file, but you can change it to anything. Do not add the file extension (.pdf, .eps, or .svg) — Affinity Designer adds it automatically.

Tap Export. The file saves to your iPad's Files app in the location you choose (usually iCloud Drive or On My iPad). You can now move it to your computer, email it, or upload it to cloud storage.

Moving the exported file to your computer

After export, your file sits in the Files app. The fastest way to get it to Illustrator depends on what you have set up. If you use iCloud Drive, the file syncs automatically to your Mac or PC — just open Illustrator, go to File > Open, and navigate to iCloud Drive. If you use Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, save the exported file to that folder in the Files app instead, and it syncs the same way.

If you do not use cloud storage, email the file to yourself. Open the Files app, find your exported file, tap and hold it, and select Share. Choose Mail, address it to yourself, and send. Open the email on your computer and read the attachment.

Once the file is on your computer, open Illustrator, go to File > Open, and select your exported file. Illustrator opens it when ready. If you exported as EPS or SVG, you can now edit text, move shapes, and adjust colors. If you exported as PDF, you can view and print it, but editing requires going back to Affinity Designer.

What happens to effects and layers during export

Affinity Designer's layer structure does not carry over to any export format — Illustrator flattens all layers into a single image. If you need to preserve layers for editing in Illustrator, you have to recreate them manually or export each layer separately as its own file. This is a limitation of the export formats themselves, not Affinity Designer.

Effects like shadows, glows, and blur flatten to raster images in EPS and SVG exports. This means they look correct in Illustrator, but you cannot adjust them as effects anymore — they become pixels. PDF preserves the visual appearance but locks everything, so you cannot edit them at all. If you think you might need to adjust effects later, keep your original Affinity Designer file (.afdesign) and only export when you are completely finished.

Text stays editable in EPS and SVG exports, but only if you used standard fonts. If you used a font that Illustrator does not have installed on your computer, Illustrator substitutes the closest match, which can change the look of your design. To avoid this, use common fonts like Helvetica, Arial, or Times New Roman, or convert text to outlines in Affinity Designer before exporting.

Troubleshooting common export problems

If Illustrator opens your file and colors look wrong, the issue is usually color profile mismatch. Affinity Designer uses RGB by default, while some Illustrator workflows expect CMYK. Before exporting, go to View > Proof Setup in Affinity Designer to see how your colors will look in different color spaces. If you need CMYK, export as PDF and let Illustrator handle the conversion, or ask your printer what color space they need.

If text appears as outlines or shapes instead of editable text in Illustrator, you either exported as PDF or your text was already converted to outlines in Affinity Designer. Check your Affinity Designer file — if the text layer shows a lock icon or says "Curves", it is already outlined. To fix this, undo the conversion in Affinity Designer, export again, and choose EPS or SVG.

If your file is much larger than expected, you may have included high-resolution images. Affinity Designer embeds images in the export by default. If file size matters, export as SVG instead of PDF or EPS — SVG compresses better for vector-heavy designs. Alternatively, remove images before exporting and add them in Illustrator instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open an Affinity Designer file directly in Illustrator without exporting?

No. Illustrator does not read Affinity Designer's native .afdesign format. You must export to PDF, EPS, or SVG first. This is a limitation of how the two programs work — they use different file structures and cannot read each other's native formats.

Will my design look exactly the same in Illustrator as it did in Affinity Designer?

PDF exports look identical because everything is locked down. EPS and SVG exports usually look very similar, but some effects may flatten or render slightly differently. The best way to check is to export a test file and open it in Illustrator on your computer before you export your final version.

What if I need to edit the file again after opening it in Illustrator?

If you exported as EPS or SVG, you can edit shapes and text in Illustrator. If you exported as PDF, you cannot edit anything in Illustrator — you have to go back to your original Affinity Designer file, make changes, and export again. Always keep your .afdesign file as a backup.

Can I export multiple artboards at once?

Affinity Designer exports all artboards in a single file by default. If you need each artboard as a separate file, export once, then open the file in Illustrator and save each artboard separately. Alternatively, export each artboard individually from Affinity Designer by selecting it before you export.

Does exporting to SVG work for print designs?

SVG is designed for web and screen use, not print. If your design is going to a printer, export as PDF or EPS instead. SVG uses RGB color and does not support CMYK, which most printers require. Ask your printer which format they prefer before you export.