The Secret Lives of Illustrator Files: 5 Tips to Clean Up
4 minute readEver wonder what’s going on with your Illustrator files after you close them? You hit Save, shut down your machine and move on, but those paths, anchor points, and layers still matter. The truth is, Illustrator files can get messy behind the scenes. And when they do, you'll notice it in your workflow.
Welcome to the secret lives of your vectors and how to keep them happy, healthy, and ready to create at lightning speed.
1. “I’m Feeling Bloated!” Your File’s Cry for Help
That logo you made in 2020? It has gained a few megabytes since. Maybe it's been passed between teams, copied into new documents, and loaded with unused symbols, swatches, and effects.
What it’s really saying: “Please clean up my duplicate paths, unwanted anchor points and delete those 23 unused graphic styles!”
Quick Fix: Use VectorFirstAid to scan and clean your document with a single click. It’s like giving your file a spa day.
2. “Stop Embedding Everything!” Asset Hoarding
Every time you drag in a high-res image and hit "Embed", a little part of your file weeps. Images don’t want to live inside the file, they want a nice, tidy external home.
What it’s really saying: “I’m lugging around a 45MB TIFF and it’s slowing me down.”
Quick Fix: Use linked images when possible and if you must embed, compress the image first. Try Rasterino for smarter image handling in Illustrator.
3. “Why So Many Points?!” The Path Drama Unfolds
Maybe you traced a hand-drawn sketch, used too many effects, or duplicated outlines. Now your vector paths have hundreds of points and no sense of direction.
What it’s really saying: “I could be a clean, crisp curve - but I’m just chaos right now.”
Quick Fix: Hit the Super Smart Remove Points on a Path button from VectorFirstAid. It keeps your curves smooth and your file size trim, without changing the design. Or for finer control, brush away your unneeded anchor points with the Smart Remove Brush Tool from VectorScribe.
4. “Symbols, Man... Just Use Symbols”
Copying and pasting the same icon 37 times across an artboard? Your file is holding back tears.
What it’s really saying: “I could be a lean, mean, repeated machine… but now I’m just bloated.”
Quick Fix: Convert repeated elements into symbols to reduce redundancy and speed up performance. Need symbol variants? Stipplism offers a quick menu option to convert multiple pieces of artwork into symbol variants.
5. “Flatten Me, Maybe?” Transparency Issues
Your artwork looks great, but transparency effects can complicate things—especially when prepping for print.
What it’s really saying: “These drop shadows are gorgeous, but the RIP (Raster Image Processor) can’t handle me like this.”
Quick Fix: Use Object > Flatten Transparency (but always save a copy first). For smarter results, try Remove Zero Opacities from the VectorFirstAid flyout menu.
The Takeaway: Keep Your Files Happy, and They’ll Work Harder for You
Designers often think of tools like VectorFirstAid, VectorScribe, and Rasterino as performance enhancers. But they’re really caretakers, nurturing your artwork, streamlining your files, and unlocking the speed and clarity your projects deserve.
Treat your Illustrator files with care, and they’ll reward you with better performance, smaller file sizes, and happier handovers to printers, clients, and collaborators!
Bonus: Try our free trial and see how much better Illustrator can be with a little help from your friends at Astute Graphics.
