Multiple-artboard AI file when saved as PDF, produced one repeat page.

[forebrain]

I have done a 157-artboard file in Illustrator and saved as PDF. However the PDF turns out to have 158 pages, the last being a repeat of page 13. I sent to client without checking and felt quite embarrassed with no explanation to offer when she pointed out the error.

Upon doing some typo corrections, I resubmitted the revised PDF and got a response from my client that page 158 had reappeared! Red faced again.

My workflow started with doing 36 dummy artboards as templates, all text no images for price stickers.

Upon approval, I cloned them 5 times by option dragging to produce 180 artboards. Deleted 23 so 157 remained. I then filled each template with the necessary text by copy-pasting from a list provided by the client. Then saved as PDF.

This is the first time a multi-artboard Illustrator file has produced this problem. Any ideas how it happened?

[try67]

I think this is more of a question for the Illustrator forum...

[forebrain]

On second thought you might be right. I'll try asking there. Thanks.

[Luke Jennings3]

Are you using layers in Illustrator? You may have layers that have the visibility set to none, which would look fine in Acrobat and Illustrator, but if your client is using some other pdf viewer, the invisible layers might be visible.

[forebrain]

@Luke Jennings3 Yes I have a layer with artboard numbers entered manually as these IDs are not visible unless I select the Artboard Tool. This layer helps me local each artboard faster than clicking on the Artboard Panel. This layer was turn off before saving AI to PDF.

I noticed that Artboard 13 is labelled "158 - Artboard 255" on the canvas, but shows as "13 Artboard 13" on the Artboard Panel. Might be a clue there. 

In the PDF, artboard 13 is rendered correctly in sequence, but the same content appears as pg 158 (the extra page after 157, last page). See attachment.

P.S. @try67 I have posted on AI community site a while ago.

[Luke Jennings3]

Are you using the .eps format in Illustrator? if so, try using .ai instead. Beyond that, I don't know what could be causing the issue. Have you tried copying the artboard 13 content to the paste board, deleting artboard 13, create a new artboard and paste in place?

[forebrain · Accepted solution]

@Luke Jennings3 Thanks Luke. I had also posted on Illustrator forum & received a similar reply which worked. So have marked as correct answer. Thanks also to @try67 

Link to thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/multiple-artboard-ai-file-when-saved-as-pdf-p...