Saving/Exporting Multiple Artboards to Separate PDFs in CS5

[jarman672000]

In Adobe Illustrator CS5, you now have the capability give a name to each artboard in your illustrator file.

I understand that you can easily save each artboard as separate AI files but I would like to save them as separate PDFs instead.

Does anyone have a good workaround, script, or know the actual method of doing so?

All I can possibly theorize is to save the artboards as separate PDFs and then have Acrobat convert those artboards to PDFs.

Any suggestions?

[Scott Falkner]

You can save Illustrator files, then open them in Acrobat Pro (since they are also PDF files) and resave as PDF.

[sanjaysingh82]

yes Scott is correct.

as long as you are saving files as AI with " Create PDF compatibility on" the AI files are as good as PDF files (saved with default settings).

so unless you need to modify the pdf settings while creating artboard specificPDF files from a Multiple Artboard file saving to AI file with "Save each artboard to seprate file should suffice"

but if you need to modify the PDF settings then the following links could be useful :

http://forums.adobe.com/message/2568820

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1254589#1254589

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

You can save as individual ai files then do a batch action saving as a pdf.

[BoyZestUK]

Or you could save as one large PDF then extract pages as individual PDF files.

[tambourinenoir]

Here is the simplest way to save each artboard to individual PDFs:

In Illustrator, when you click "Save As...", the first window that pops up (where you enter the file name and choose the location to save the file in) has an option at the bottom where you can indicate the range of artboards you want to save. For example: "Range: 1-2". If you were to put "1" it would only save Artboard 1 to the file.

[schroef]

Problem is save using artboards is very buggy, works half of the time. You need to pay attention you go over all inputs each time otherwise it will still save all artboards in a single file.

The script is nice but export illustrator basic PDF setting, which not includes color profile. SO thats not handy    

[wrynk36486680874b]

Very helpful many years later... ❤️

[alanomaly]

There's a script that does this: Matthew Ericson's Multiexporter.jsx script.

It's a very good script.

• Article on Mr Ericson's home site
• Direct link to script

By default it's set to export each artboard as a PNG, but you can change this in the drop-down at the bottom to PDF (or EPS or JPG).

It uses the artboard names for the filenames, and you can add your own filename prefixes and suffixes.

It takes PDF export options from the last time you saved a PDF. If there are hundreds of artboards, you might want to check you didn't have "View PDF after saving" ticked...

It also has the option to export layers as seperate PDFs or PNGs, or both layers and artboards.

[g101]

Just tried this script, and it is the easiest solution, IMO (certainly easier than exporting one artboard at a time if you have a lot of artboards, and nice that you don't have to open a second application to do this).

However, I miss the ability to specify PDF settings, as I usually do have specific specs I'm trying to adhere to.

[wojciechw44124794]

save illustrator files  (EPS) and then convert them to pdf's using destiller - in destiller create setting that You like, problem solved

[Monika Gause]

wojciechw44124794 schrieb:

save illustrator files  (EPS) and then convert them to pdf's using destiller - in destiller create setting that You like, problem solved

EPS and distiler aren't part of the solution, rather they are part of the problem.

Separate files can be created with Acrobat.

But the problem most likely has been solved 6 years ago.

[gabrieljorby]

You can use the Illustrator CC feature called "Export / Export for Screens..."

Then pick the PDF format to choose the artboards you want to export.

Note that the PDF file will use RGB space and not CMYK any longer.

[edw81271908]

You can use the Illustrator CC feature called "Export / Export for Screens..."

Then pick the PDF format to choose the artboards you want to export.

Note that the PDF file will use RGB space and not CMYK any longer.

If you have a PDF preset for CMYK files (whether it is a custom preset, or a standard like PDF/X-4:2008) then you export separate Illustrator artboards as separate CMYK print-ready PDFs.

Export for Screens… > Select 'PDF' as your format > Click the little cog called 'Advanced settings for exported file types >  Select your preferred PDF preset.

PDF file names will be based on the names of your artboards.