How to preview AI (Adobe Illustrator) files as thumbnails in Windows Explorer?

With the older versions of Adobe Illustrator before the Creative Suite 2(CS2), users were able to see thumbnail previews of AI files in theWindows Explorer automatically – without opening them. But the later versions of Adobe Illustrator don’t support this facility so far. If you want to quickly preview your AI files while using the latest version of Adobe Illustrator, you will need to use a third party program or a similar trick for it.

Following is the workaround for doing so:

Note: This method includes modifying the Windows registry, so you should make sure to create a back-up before proceeding.

1. Download aiicon.zip and extract it using WinRAR or WinZIP on your Computer.
2. Now, look for aiicon.dll in the extracted files. Copy and paste it in the following directory:
   X:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Shell
   If you don’t find the specific path, create a new one (Shell folder is found missing in some cases. In such condition, just go to X:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobeand create a folder “Shell”). Change X to your drive in which you installed Adobe Illustrator.
3. Look for aiicon.reg in the extracted files and edit it in notepad and change the following value:
   @="C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Adobe\\Shell\\aiicon.dll"to the path you just specified above in step 1 while copying aiicon.dll.
   
4. Save aiicon.reg and merge it in the Windows registry by double clicking it and choosing yes in the prompt.

After completing these steps, open a folder that contains Adobe Illustrator files and set the View mode to Thumbnails. You will surely be able to see the thumbnail preview of the AI files.

This trick is working fine in Windows XP and Windows 7 for me. If you don’t want to achieve this the geeky way i.e. by modifying the registry, you may also use Softfields Thumbnails Viewer trial or pro version for the same.

How to preview PSD files without opening Photoshop?

What do you do to sort your Photoshop (PSD) files on your Computer? Do you open them in Adobe Photoshop every other time to check whether they are important or not or which to delete and which not? That’s very time-consuming and boring, isn’t it? For those who have hundreds of PSD files on their disk, it’s nothing but a cumbersome process.

What if you can have a quick preview of your PSD files? I guess, it will solve the problem, in fact, it is the only solution.

Of course, you can name your PSD files descriptively to help yourself identify them later. But a preview is little more than that, which reminds your of the file in a click and helps in choosing quickly the desired one from many others files. Adobe Photoshop doesn’t provide the automatic thumbnail view of files in Windows explorer by default, which can be achieved through a small excutable program (EXE).

Here is a small utility called ThumbView Lite which allows you to preview your PSD files in the Windows Explorer without rushing to Photoshop. It also supports around 19 image formats other than PSD including CUT, DCX, DDS, MDL, MNG, PCD, PCX, PIC, PIX. After the installation, you just refresh the Windows and open a folder which contains some PSD files. You will be able to see the thumbnail preview of your files in the right sidebar under“Details” tab with the “Tiles” / “Icons” / “List” / “Details” file view. Or just change the fileview to “Thumbnails” (right-click, choose “View” » “Thumbnails”).

Download ThumbView Lite (Windows executable file)

Mac users have more alternatives, they can use Quick look or Preview for the same.