Ai files to jpeg

[sabspaint]

This might be a stupid question, but I have been asked to make a skyscraper ad for a website and they want it sent in jpeg format.
I designed the ad in illustrator and saved it as an ai file. Since I have no coverter to change ai to jpeg I saved it as a high quality pdf and saved that as a jpeg.

My problem: when I created the document the ai file was 300px X 250px but the jpeg turned out to be 834 x 695
I don't know what happened? How would the size of the document change?

[Sky Captain]

I'd like to know this too. Using save for web in AI usually gives me the wrong document size or shape, even after I think I've changed it.

I usually end up making my JPGs in Photoshop.

[3DGrunge]

When using Illustrator and choosing the save for web option you can click image size, and it should save as the size you entered. I just tested this and it works for cs3 anyway.
Now for the OP's issue, when you are using Illustrator most images have a resolution of 200dpi. This is far greater than the 72dpi used in standard web graphics.

So when you convert your 300px wide image from 72dpi to 200 dpi the image will now be 834 pixels wide. Or something like that I think I am saying this incorrectly.



Again there should be an option in the Save for Web & Devices menu to change image size when you select JPEG preset.
This should save to the correct size as listed there.

[sabspaint]

I had been going over it and over it, of course it's something nice and simple though, this makes complete sense. Thank you 3DGrunge!

[Sky Captain]

My problem is usually the cropping. Save for web often gives me extra blank space around the image or crops it wrong.

[3DGrunge]

That is odd, I have never had that happen.
Are you using live trace? If so try click expand after tracing, and make sure ignore white is checked in the tracing options.. If white is the background color.
Expand should then shrink the image to the exact size of the real object.

you can also set where to crop with the crop tool.
close to the bottom, above the eraser, same button as slice.... shift O


And this is why.
I generally use Photoshop for all web graphics.

[Sky Captain]

I've never used a crop tool in AI. I'll have to take a look for it.

What I have done is set clipping masks to isolate image areas. But the Save For Web includes the area I've masked out anyway.

[weegillis]

Take the extra step and jump on Fireworks superior optimizing skills.

1) Save as .eps with layers
2) Open with Fireworks > File > Export

a. Image size to set 72 dpi and dimensions
b. Canvas size if cropping
c. Save as PNG8 for 8 bit graphics or JPG for photographs
d. Optimize to suit.

[ThurstyToad]

You can do a "save as" direct to jpeg in Illustrator, but as pointed out above, you can get extra white space if you have other elements. I like to "save as" a tif, and then open the tif in photoshop, and then crop it and size the pixels to what I want, and then save as a jpeg. I think photoshop also have better compression for jpegs. It's an extra step, but that's what I do...

[weegillis]

Try both and compare. I think Fireworks will win on the 'make for the web' scale. It's one of the intellectual properties that Adobe wanted from macromedia, apart from DW and Flash.