Auto Visual Proof in AI?

[mikebrassi]

Hi There,

I was wondering if there was a particular script, skill, tip or plugin for Adobe Illustrator that could help Automate the Production of Print Cards/Proofs.

I am a Graphic Artist who creates 10-20 proofs a day based on new artwork. The way I do it currently is take the Artwork I've created and Copy and Paste it into a new A4 Sized Document. I scale down the artwork to fit here but above this is a title block or masthead which includes information such as the Customer, Size of Artwork, Colours Used, Description, Scale, Name of Artist, Version, Date etc.

Right now I enter all of this information manually in the title block with text. Is there a way where I can run something or use something that can generate some of this information for me? For example - If I am in my 100% Artwork File, can I run a script or use a known plugin to then create another ai file that takes that Artwork into an A4 and populates the Title Block with the Date, Scale %, Artist Name, Colours etc and I would have to just fill out the remaining things like Size and Customer Name manually?

I am unaware of something like this but in this day and age I can't believe that something like this doesn't exist and I just haven't found it yet! Any help would be appreciated I willing to hear any ideas or learn anything to find a solution to this!

Thank you!

[Cari Jansen]

Maybe look at the Step and Repeat PowerSript by O2 Creative?

https://o2creative.co.nz/Impose_Step_and_Repeat_Plugin_Extension_for_Adobe_Illustrator.php

[mikebrassi]

Looks pretty cool and useful but not what I'm looking for, it doesn't Automate any information for me.

Just looking to automate information into an A4 Printcard.

[Monika Gause]

Can you please show examples of the kind of artwork you get and then examples of what you want to do with it.

[Srishti Bali]

Hi Mike,

This could be best-answered on our scripting forum, hence moving the discussion to Illustrator Scripting

Regards,

Srishti

[CarlosCanto]

it will be hard to find a script that does exactly what you need. You'll probably need to get one written for your particular needs.

[Silly-V]

If you know all of the information before hand, such as you are able to put all of the information into a spreadsheet, then at the end of the batch you could process it as data-sets to produce your wanted results.

The native method for doing this is now available for Illustrator CC2018! https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/data-driven-graphics-templates-variables.html

Merge data to create data-driven graphics through templates and variables in Illustrator

For older versions, or if you want to use this feature a little faster & better, you can use the VariableImporter script!

Adobe-Illustrator/VariableImporter.jsx at master · Silly-V/Adobe-Illustrator · GitHub

In either case you can make a template with all your fields and then use the spreadsheet system to put all the data into columns and your artwork placed-file-image references. At the end you batch export all of the items using Illustrator Actions batch processing feature in the flyout menu.

Here's a video which is an overview of the variables feature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCBrK8tZAXQ

[q3player]

It could be done in 2 steps:

First you run a script that exports all AI files that shall be proofed to PDF.

After that you run a script that places all these PDF as images into a new AI file you can send to your proofer.

The first script is rather easy. In the second script you need to determine how many PDF/images will be place and create new artboards with format A4. Then you need to get the total size out of each PDF and scale it to fit into A4. In this script you will have to include Silly-V's tip.

[mikebrassi]

I think we're getting closer. Below is what I'm trying to Automate. Clearly not everything there could be Automated but I'm hoping using some sort of script or plug in, I could take 100% Artwork - Run or Use something and it would generate scaled down Artwork with the title block created, Customer Name filled in, Date filled in, Colours Used, etc.

I appreciate the answers and assistance so far, I know I am getting closer here!

[Silly-V]

Yea with a custom script you could make this, as it kind of goes beyond variable-data since some of these variables could be gotten from circumstances such as the date & colors used.

If you have your art files in a folder system categorized by the customer name and any other data items, you can have a script read the folder path of your art file to obtain those fields.

Regarding the colors used it also depends on what kind of colors you are wanting to show here. Are they spot plates, or just process colors used in the artwork, or are they patterns, gradients, etc.

I've done some things like that before, and what's really great about these things is that there's no one tool that everyone can go to because by the time they arrive at having this need, they're already quite deep with their custom workflow that they really need a custom slug with different features. Perhaps something could be done one day which could make a slug that is completely universal and could have fields where users can input a series of rules or even a script snippet to obtain just that field.

I've also heard of people using Triple Triangle plugins for this purpose, but it appears to be for InDesign only.

[q3player]

Automating export to PDF for multiple files is easy. I've done a script for that and posted it some time ago here.

The second script mentioned above would be some more work.

I'm just thinking about where to put in all the information you need to be printed in that table on the proof. If you do it in a separate excel file or .csv table that file can only be used once for every set of files you want to proof. So we better have that information directly connected or put into the .ai file. Either as meta data or you have to implement a new layer containing the texts which always !!! follows some rules about layer name etc.

[jasonhub]

Mike,

Did you ever find out how to do this auto fill for headers?

I am looking to do the same thing with size, name and colors.

Any help would be greatful!

Thanks

Jason

[O2 Creative NZ]

Hi

I've got a script which does this called Templator, Templator - Templates for Adobe Illustrator| O2 Creative

See the docs here templator [PowerScripts]  which explains the options better.

I personally use this daily in my Day Job.