AIX File

What are AIX files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AIX file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your AIX files.

What is an AIX file?

An .AIX file is an Adobe Illustrator Exchange file.

Adobe Illustrator Exchange is a file format used by ArcGIS Pro and Map Viewer to export maps or layouts so that they can be opened in Adobe Illustrator via the ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension. It preserves the structure of geographic content - such as vector and raster layers, feature geometries, labels, and layout elements - so designers can perform detailed graphic finishing in Illustrator.

Files are produced when you export a project from ArcGIS Pro or Map Viewer as "AIX". Once opened in Illustrator with the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension, the artwork maintains naming, grouping, and layer hierarchy from the original map. After edits and styling in Illustrator you typically save the result in Illustrator's native file format. This is a one-way flow: changes made in Illustrator do not go back into the original ArcGIS project.

Certain visual properties may be rasterized during export if not supported by Illustrator (for example, blend modes like Linear Burn or Linear Dodge), and all raster content is preserved as image layers. Fonts, colors, symbols, legends, and layout elements are converted into Illustrator-editable objects as long as they meet compatibility criteria.

Files begin with a specific ASCII header: the first six bytes are "%AIX-" in ASCII, and byte 6 is 0x2E.

How to open AIX files

Important: Different programs may use files with the AIX file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your AIX file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested three different AIX openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 17, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of AIX files. Remember, different programs may use AIX files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about AIX file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.