Opening illustror 9 eps files with illustrator 8

[fogman007]

I have been sent a large number of illustrator 9 eps files and I need to access their vectors. I've tried to open the files using illustrator 8, freehand , and fireworks. The results are disappointing.

Does anyone know a work around solution, without having to find somebody with illustrator 9 to convert the files for me.

Cheers

 

[Eggles]

Illustrator can only open files in their own version or versions below them. What you are trying to accomplish cannot be done (open AI9 with AI8). Sorry, but you are going to have to ask the people who sent you AI9 files to resave them as AI8 if you wish to be able to open them.

 

[blueark]

It's sometimes possible to do this with. Open the files in a text editor, and manually change some of the references to Illustrator 9 to Illustrator 8 (it's best to use a copy of the file rather than the original). Sometimes, you have to guess what numbers to change, but they're usually near the start of the file, or within the first page of text - just look out for the number 9 and some code around it that suggests this is the version of Illustrator used to create it.

It doesn't always work, but you might strike lucky.