Thanks for all of your suggestions. I need to work with this Illustrator file in Fireworks in a vector format. But, no matter how I try saving or exporting it always comes into Fireworks as a pixel-based file. The non-pdf didn't work. The export as legacy (both .eps and .ai) works fine when I pull it up in 9 -- it's not great from an editing-in-v.9 standpoint, but it's basically workable as an editable vector file. But, when I save in 8 from either CS or 9, so that I can open or import into Fireworks (has to be converted to 8 according to a Fireworks prompt), it always comes into Fireworks in pixel format. However, I've taken a graphic that was created in 9, saved it as an 8, and it opens as a vector file in Fireworks. So I know it can be done. I've tried different combinations of settings, tried fooling the programs, everything I can think of to open an Illustrator CS file in vector format in Fireworks MX. Can you think of anything else? thanks again.