Quickly remove a gradient mesh (Illustrator CS2/CS3/CS4/CS5)

If you discover that you need your vector art back without the mesh grid in Illustrator, use the Selection tool to select the object that contains a mesh and choose Object > Path > Offset Path and enter 0 in the Offset Value text box. Click OK to exit the dialog box. You’ll still see your original mesh, but select the object and delete it and you’ll find a copy of just the path remains underneath. You’ll need to repeat the process with each individual mesh piece if your object contains more than one mesh.