Vector conversion
Convert AI to HEIF
Updated Jul 2026
AI files are a vector format built from paths and shapes, so artwork stays sharp at any size. HEIF is a compact raster format built for photos on Apple devices. Converting AI to HEIF turns the vector artwork into a fixed pixel image, which can be done on your own computer without uploading the file anywhere.
- Extension
- .ai
- Type
- Vector
- Typically
- Illustrator files
- Transparency
- None
- Extension
- .heif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Apple devices
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert AI to HEIF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert AI to HEIF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the AI file, or a whole folder of vector files, to convert several at once.
- Choose HEIF as the output format.
- Convert. The HEIF image is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
AI vs HEIF: what actually changes
| AI | HEIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Format type | Vector, built from paths and shapes | Raster, a fixed grid of pixels |
| Editable later | Yes, reopen and edit the paths, text, and layers | No, the artwork is flattened into an image |
| Scales without quality loss | Yes, to any size | No, fixed to the resolution you export at |
| Opens on | Vector design software | iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple devices |
| Quality | Lossless, exact paths every time | Lossy, a small compression loss on export |
| Metadata | Document info like fonts and color profiles | Carries EXIF-style metadata like date and device |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert AI to HEIF when you need a compact, photo-style image of your artwork to view or share on an iPhone or Mac, or to use anywhere that expects a picture instead of a vector design file.
Keep the original AI file if you'll ever need to edit the artwork again, since HEIF is a flattened image and none of the paths, layers, or text can be recovered from it.
Why not just use an online converter?
Vector artwork files often hold unreleased logos, client work, or product designs you're not ready to share. Uploading one to convert it means sending that artwork to a server you don't control, run by people you've never met. Converting on your own computer keeps the file, and whatever it shows, on the machine you already trust.
Questions
Does converting AI to HEIF lose quality?
The vector paths themselves are lossless right up until export. HEIF, though, is a lossy raster format, so once the artwork is rasterized there's a small compression loss, and the image is now locked to whatever pixel size you exported at.
Can I still edit the artwork after converting to HEIF?
No. HEIF stores a flat grid of pixels rather than paths or layers, so text, shapes, and colors can no longer be edited the way they could in the original AI file. Keep the AI file if you might need to change the design later.
Will a HEIF file open on Windows?
Support is inconsistent outside Apple devices. Some recent versions of Windows can open HEIF with the right extension installed, but plenty of software still can't read it, so check before sending one to someone on a PC.
Does the HEIF keep any of the AI file's information?
Not the design data like layers or fonts, since converting rasterizes the artwork. What it does carry is basic image metadata, similar to a photo's EXIF data, such as when it was created.
Can I convert AI to HEIF without uploading the file?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so the artwork never travels over the internet. You can do it with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts AI, HEIF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.