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A
areml
Participant
June 3, 2022
Answered

Using a PDF only workflow in Adobe Illustrator for Print Templates

  • June 3, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 171 views

Hello there, we are using Adobe Illustrator in a production environment for packaging. 

 

There has been a suggestion to only use PDF in our workflow. We currently save as .ai format and make PDF for proofing. We are a print packaging workflow and we have a large library of templates. 

 

There is an intention to save as PDF and only keep and use the PDF format going forward. It would ostensibly save a step in our process. 

 

My concern is backwards compatibility and the loss of any special features that are version dependent in Ai. Also it may be hard to control how PDFs are saved and if saved as flattened it would make it hard to rework artwork. 

 

There's just a worry we haven't worked that way before and I'm apprehensive about unknown issues arising. 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Personal opinion:

Not the best idea in the world, but not impossible.

You CAN save only PDFs going fowards as long as you save them with Preserve Illustrator Editing Abilities selected. This essentially "packages" the working Illustrator elements along with the PDF. This is the ONLY way to maintain full editing fidelity in the future.

There are issues of course: Firstly (and the most confusing) is there's no easy way to tell from merely looking at a a PDF file on your computer if it has been saved this way. Second, piggy-backing the Illustrator side can create a large file, depending on what's in it (e.g. if you had large images in an uncompressed format, your PDF will be huge) so if you were looking for a slim proof to email quickly, this is not for you.

As someone who has been in the print industry for a long time, I would never give up saving working files in their native format, so I would always save my .AI files and export PDFs tailored for the end purpose on demand, be it print or proof. Besides, I don't want our working files going to the clients so they can bypass us in the future. 😉

1 reply

Brad @ Roaring Mouse
Community Expert
Brad @ Roaring MouseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
June 3, 2022

Personal opinion:

Not the best idea in the world, but not impossible.

You CAN save only PDFs going fowards as long as you save them with Preserve Illustrator Editing Abilities selected. This essentially "packages" the working Illustrator elements along with the PDF. This is the ONLY way to maintain full editing fidelity in the future.

There are issues of course: Firstly (and the most confusing) is there's no easy way to tell from merely looking at a a PDF file on your computer if it has been saved this way. Second, piggy-backing the Illustrator side can create a large file, depending on what's in it (e.g. if you had large images in an uncompressed format, your PDF will be huge) so if you were looking for a slim proof to email quickly, this is not for you.

As someone who has been in the print industry for a long time, I would never give up saving working files in their native format, so I would always save my .AI files and export PDFs tailored for the end purpose on demand, be it print or proof. Besides, I don't want our working files going to the clients so they can bypass us in the future. 😉

    A
    aremlAuthor
    Participant
    June 9, 2022

    Thanks for the input Brad. You align with my reservations about the idea. 

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