TechNote

Fireworks Illustrator integration issues

Adobe Fireworks CS3 has an improved importer for Adobe Illustrator files (for opening and importing Illustrator files). Though many of the Illustrator file graphics and attributes are carried over into Fireworks, the process is still not perfect. The following TechNote describes common issues encountered with Adobe Fireworks-Adobe Illustrator integration.

Strokes lost on text
Pattern positions
Patterns with lines
Missing linked files
Linked Fireworks PNG files
Opacity masks
Color variations

Strokes lost on text

Strokes applied to text in an Illustrator file are not retained when you open the file in in Fireworks.

If you do not need the text to be editable, you can use a vector version of the text in Illustrator that will be rendered as paths in Fireworks. This will retain the stroke when you open the file in Fireworks. Otherwise need to reapply the stroke when you open the file in Fireworks.

Pattern Positions

Pattern positions are not always correct when you open an Illustrator file in Fireworks.

This is a known issue with no known workaround.

Patterns with lines

Sometimes patterns from an Illustrator file are rendered in Fireworks with additional lines. This is a result of the rasterization process used by Fireworks to generate a Fireworks-compatible pattern. When the boundaries of a pattern in Illustrator do not rest on whole numeric values, the rasterization can cause additional lines to appear at the pattern's seam in Fireworks.

You should be able to minimize or prevent this in Illustrator by slightly adjusting the position or size of the pattern.

Missing linked files

When you open an Illustrator file in Fireworks that references linked files that no longer exist or have been moved from their linked location, Fireworks displays an error.

For best results, always be sure in Illustrator that linked files are correctly linked. Fireworks will not allow you to locate the source of the linked file if it is not correct in the Illustrator file.

Linked Fireworks PNG files

When you open an Illustrator file in Fireworks that links to a PNG file that is a Fireworks source PNG, and not a flattened PNG, the source contents of the linked Fireworks file is opened in Fireworks, rather than a flattened version of that file. This may allow for graphics extending beyond the borders of the linked image to be seen.

When you link files in Illustrator, you should link to a flattened version of your Fireworks source PNG file to prevent this from happening, especially if the Illustrator file you're working on might be opened in or imported into Fireworks.

Opacity masks

Illustrator opacity masks are not fully supported by Fireworks. Avoid using them if you can when the file is going to be opened in Fireworks.

Color variations

Sometimes when you open or import an Illustrator or EPS file into Fireworks, colors of your vector objects may shift.

This may be a result of the source document being in CMYK when Fireworks only supports RGB. If you convert to RGB prior to opening in Fireworks, then your colors should be more consistent.