Best free AI to PDF converter software for Windows PC

The files with AI extension represent the vector images created in Adobe Illustrator software. Graphic designers use Adobe Illustrator to create different types of images, like banners, logos, posters, etc., with the AI file extension. To open the files with the AI extension, you need a dedicated program. A normal user does not have a dedicated program for opening AI files. Hence, if you want to share your project with normal users, say your clients, you need to convert the AI files to some other format that your clients can easily open and view on their systems. One such format is the PDF. If you want to convert an AI file into a PDF file, this article will be beneficial for you. In this article, we will see some best free AI to PDF converter software.

Best free AI to PDF converter software for Windows PC

The following software will let you convert an AI file into a PDF file in Windows 11/10.

GIMP
Inkscape
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Sumatra PDF Reader
Pixillion Image Converter Software

Let’s see how to use these freeware and what features they offer.

Convert AI file to PDF file

1] GIMP

GIMP is a free image editing software for Windows 11/10 devices. It supports many image formats, including Alias Pix, DDS, DICOM, HEIC and AI. You can use GIMP to save an AI image as a PDF file. You can also edit an AI image before converting it into PDF format. All the image editing tools are available on the Menu bar of the software, including, color tools, paint tools, color picker, etc. In addition to this, you can also apply filters to your AI image file before converting it into PDF.

How to convert an AI file into a PDF file using GIMP

The steps to convert an AI file into a PDF file are as follows:

Go to “File > Open” to open the AI file in GIMP. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut keys Ctrl + O.
Edit the AI file if you want to make some changes to it.
Go to “File > Export.”
Click on the Select File Type (By Extension) option. You will find it on the bottom left side. After that, GIMP will show you all the supported file extensions.
Now, scroll down the list of file extensions and select Portable Document Format.
Click Export and select the location of the file to save it as a PDF.

Apart from the Export option, you can also use the Print option in GIMP to save the AI file as a PDF.

2] Inkscape

Inkscape is another free image editing software that lets you convert AI files into PDF files. Like GIMP, it also features image editing tools. Using these tools, you can edit an AI file before converting it into PDF format. If we talk about the image formats, Inkscape supports a number of image formats, including vectors, bitmaps, SVG, PDF, AI, GIMP Gradient, COREL DRAW files, etc. You will find the different types of filters and image-editing tools on the software’s Menu bar.

How to use Inkscape to convert AI to PDF

To convert an AI file into a PDF file using Inkscape, follow the instructions written below.

Open the AI file in Inkscape by pressing the Ctrl + O keys.
If you want to edit the AI file, you can do it by using the tools provided in the software. After editing the AI image, go to “File > Save As” and select the Portable Document Format option from the file extensions.
Select a location on your computer to save the converted file.
Give a name to your file and click Save.

A Print option is also available in the software. You can also use it to save your AI files as PDF files.

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3] Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a popular PDF reader software. Most of us use this free software to open and view PDF files. You probably do not know that Adobe Acrobat Reader DC also supports AI file extensions. To open an AI file in Adobe PDF Reader, go to “File > Open” or simply press the Ctrl + O keys. After that, click on the drop-down and select All Files. Now, select the AI files from your system and click Open.

How to convert an AI file into a PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

The following instructions will help you convert AI to PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

Open Adobe PDF Reader software.
Open the AI file by following the instructions explained above.
Go to “File > Save As” and select a location to save the PDF file.

You can also save the AI file as a PDF by using the Print option in the software.

To download Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you have to visit its official website – get.adobe.com/reader.

4] Sumatra PDF Reader

Sumatra PDF Reader is another free PDF viewer software that supports multiple file formats, including PDF, XPS, DjVu, EPUB, and more. It is a simple PDF Viewer software with no advanced features. Using it, you can only do basic tasks with your files, like changing the view mode, rotating left and right, zooming in and out, etc.

Steps to convert AI into PDF using Sumatra PDF Reader

Using Sumatra PDF Reader, you can easily convert the files with AI extension into PDF files. The steps are as follows:

Open Sumatra PDF Reader software.
Press Ctrl + O keys. By default, it does not show the AI files in File Explorer.
To open an AI file, select All Files in the drop-down. Now, select an AI file and click Open.
Click on the three horizontal lines on the top left side and go to “File > Save As” and select PDF documents in the drop-down.
Name your PDF file and click Save.

Sumatra PDF Reader is available on its official website for download.

Read: How to Edit PSD Files without using Photoshop using free online tools.

5] Pixillion Image Converter Software

Pixillion Image Converter Software is free for personal use. Using this freeware, you can perform batch conversion of image files from one format into another format. After launching the software, you will see two options, Add Files and Add Folder. If you have kept all your AI files in one folder, you can add all of them with a single click by selecting the Add Folder option.

Apart from converting the image files from one format to another, you can edit them, like resizing, cropping, flipping, rotating, etc. You can also add image and text watermarks to your images.

Steps to convert AI into PDF using Pixillion Image Converter Software

Follow the instructions below to convert AI to PDF.

Open Pixillion Image Converter Software.
Click on the Home tab.
Click Add File(s) or Add Folder option under the Home tab.
If you are carrying our batch conversion, click on the Select All option.
The default output folder is the C drive. To change the output folder location, click Select Output Folder.
Select PDF as output format by clicking on the drop-down menu.
Now, click on the Convert button.

You can download Pixillion Image Converter Software from the NCH website, nchsoftware.com.

That’s it.

TIP: Take a look at these free Software Downloads for Windows PC. There are over 200 categories listed!

How do I convert an AI file to a PDF?

There are a lot of online converter tools that let you convert an AI file into different formats, including PG, JPG, BMP, GIF, PDF, etc. Using these free online tools, you can convert AI files to PDF with a single click. Apart from this, you can also use free AI-to-PDF converter software. We have mentioned some free software for converting AI files to PDF in this article.

Does Microsoft have a free PDF converter?

The Microsoft Store offers a wide range of free and paid apps across different categories. If you are looking for a free PDF converter, you can search for one in the Microsoft Store and install the one that suits your needs.