- Microsoft® Word for Windows 97, 98, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007
- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Create documents
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Image Trace
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measure and plot dimensions
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Create 3D text effect
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Learn how to import and export text in Adobe Illustrator.
You can import text into your artwork from a file created in another application and vice versa. You can also export text files to other applications.
Importing text
One advantage of importing text from a file, rather than copying and pasting it, is that imported text retains its character and paragraph formatting. For example, text from an RTF file retains its font and style specifications in Illustrator. You can also set encoding and formatting options when importing text from a plain text file.
Illustrator supports the following formats for importing text:
|
|
|
|
When importing text from Microsoft Word and RTF files, make sure that the fonts used in the file are available on your system. Missing fonts and font styles—including fonts that have the same name but different formats (TrueType, or CID)—may cause unexpected results. On Japanese systems, differences in character sets may prevent text that was entered in Windows from appearing on-screen in macOS.
Import text into a new file
-
Choose File > Open.
-
Select the text file you want to open and select Open.
-
You can customize the settings given in the Text Import Options dialog and select OK.
Import text into an existing file
-
Choose File > Place.
-
If you're placing a plain text (.txt) file, customize the settings given in the Text Import Options dialog and select OK.
Specify the Character Set and Language that was used to create the file.
Select Extra Carriage Returns to determine how Illustrator processes extra carriage returns in the file.
Select Extra Spaces if you want Illustrator to replace strings of spaces in the file with tabs. Enter the number of spaces to be replaced by a tab.
You can export text from Illustrator as a text file and retain all its attributes. Follow the given steps:
-
Use a Type tool to select the text you want to export.
-
Choose File > Export > Export As and select a location for the file and enter a filename.
-
Choose Text Format (.TXT) as the file format.
-
Enter the name of the new text file in the name box, and select Save (Windows) or Export (macOS).
-
Choose a Platform and an Encoding method, and select Export.
Related resources
Talk to us
If you've a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in Adobe Illustrator Community. We would love to hear from you.