Illustrator 2020 files won't open...HELP!!!

[Geoff Kruse]

I use Adobe Illustrator for all of my design work. It recently updated itself to 2020 version. Now RDWorks can't open the .ai files anymore. I cannot get Adobe to help, and we all know trying to contact anyone about the RDWorks software is an exercise in futility. Just hoping someone out there has found a solution to this.

[Gene Uselman]

Can you save it to an earlier version? I have been in computer graphics for 25 years and have weathered a lot of problems with versions. I don't use [or like] AI but a lot of the files we get are built in AI of course. Any Graphics grad will want to use AI, so I have a long history of graphic interventions . I am in the sign industry and FlexiSignPro works better for what we do.

If you were automatically upgraded you might ask to downgrade if that is possible, also using .DFX is a possibility- that will preserve layer colors.

[Steve Strassburg]

I have nothing against RDWorks, but since I started using LightBurn, I haven't even installed LB since I last formatted my Harddrive. I think LB is a year or two behind and as you said, they don't care since it is free software. And I bet LightBurn supports the new AI format.

[Hank Morgan]

Oz from Lightburn has comments about this on the LB forum. Have a look at this URL and scroll down near the bottom of the thread for Oz's comments.
It sounds like you can turn off the compression when you export AI files and that "fixes" the problem, at least in LightBurn.

https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/i ... ic/8215/14

[Geoff Kruse]

Thank you all for your help! Saving as an older version of .ai was the answer. I am back up and running!!

[Gene Uselman]

Steve- I think you may want to revise your Testimony? I think you meant RDw instead of LB?