Description of best practices to follow when you import Adobe Illustrator files into Expression Design 2

This article describes best practices to follow when you import Adobe Illustrator files into Microsoft Expression Design 2.

Before you import Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files into Expression Design 2, you should become familiar with Adobe Illustrator files. To do this, see the "Working with Adobe Illustrator files" section in the "Microsoft Expression Design Readme" topic. To view this topic, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Additionally, make sure that the pixel size translation from Adobe Illustrator to Expression Design 2 is as close to the native .ai file as possible. When you do this, be aware of the following items:

• Make sure that the .ai file is saved in a PDF-compatible format so that Expression Design 2 can read it.
• Use the Open command on the File menu to open an Adobe Illustrator file in Expression Design 2. When you do this, the resolution is automatically set to 72 pixels per inch (PPI) to match the native Adobe Illustrator file format.
  
  When you use the Import command on the File menu to import an .ai file, the resolution is not set to 72 PPI. Instead, the imported item uses the resolution of the document that is being imported.
• If you plan to use your Expression Design 2 assets in Microsoft Expression Blend 2, you should always use a resolution of 96 PPI in Expression Design 2.

To use an Adobe Illustrator file in Expression Design 2 when the dimensions are the same, follow these steps:

1. Open Expression Design 2.
2. On the File menu, click New.
3. In the New Document dialog box, type 72 in the Resolution field, and then click OK.
4. On the File menu, click Document Size.
5. In the Document Size dialog box, note the width and height of your document in pixels.
6. In the Resolution field, type 96, and then click OK. Notice that the width and height are automatically updated in the document.
7. Open the Document Size dialog box again, manually reset the width and height to what they were in step 5, and then click OK.

The imported Adobe Illustrator file is now open in Expression Design 2 at 96 PPI. The file has the same pixel dimensions that Adobe Illustrator set for the file.