How to create a pdf from multiple jpg files within Illustrator using javascript?

Question

I have an Illustrator script that opens a number of illustrator files and exports them as jpgs. I now want to add them into a single pdf file - preferably from within the same illutrator script.

So e.g. add fish1.jpg and fish2.jpg into one two page pdf called fish.pdf

Many thanks

c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted Answer

Hi - the script does a whole load of things like opening multiple illustrator files, hiding layers and exporting a number of jpegs that need to be rotated (new Illustrator functionality! now allows this so the jpegs are the right way up) and combined into a pdf for customer approval.   So the final step would be easy I guess in acrobat but can it be done from the Illustrator scripting engine?  Haven't used BridgeTalk - is this the way to go?ThanksThis should create a PDF Presentation in Photoshop via BridgeTalk, thePath and theFiles need to be amended naturally: var thePath = "~/Desktop/aPdfPresentation.pdf";var theFiles = ["~/Desktop/gradient01.jpg", "~/Desktop/gradient02.jpg"];saveAsPdfPresentationFromIllustrator (theFiles, thePath);////// save pdf presentation //////function saveAsPdfPresentationFromIllustrator (theFiles, thePath) {// the bridgetalk;var bt = new BridgeTalk;bt.target = 'photoshop';var myScript = 'app.bringToFront();
';var theString = "[""+String(theFiles.join("",""))+""]";myScript += 'var theFiles = '+String(theString)+';
';myScript += 'var thePath = "'+String(thePath)+'";
';myScript += '    var idPDFExport = stringIDToTypeID( "PDFExport" );
';myScript += '        var desc1 = new ActionDescriptor();
';myScript += '        var idflst = charIDToTypeID( "flst" );
';myScript += '            var list1 = new ActionList();
';myScript += '    for (var m = 0; m < theFiles.length; m++) {
';myScript += '            list1.putPath( new File( theFiles[m] ) );
';myScript += '            };
';myScript += '        desc1.putList( idflst, list1 );
';myScript += '        var idT = charIDToTypeID( "T   " );
';myScript += '        desc1.putPath( idT, new File( thePath ) );
';myScript += '        var idincludeAnnotations = stringIDToTypeID( "includeAnnotations" );
';myScript += '        desc1.putBoolean( idincludeAnnotations, true );
';myScript += '        var idBckC = charIDToTypeID( "BckC" );
';myScript += '        var idBckC = charIDToTypeID( "BckC" );
';myScript += '        var idWht = charIDToTypeID( "Wht " );
';myScript += '        desc1.putEnumerated( idBckC, idBckC, idWht );
';myScript += '        var idAs = charIDToTypeID( "As  " );
';myScript += '            var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
';myScript += '            var idpdfPresetFilename = stringIDToTypeID( "pdfPresetFilename" );
';myScript += '            desc2.putString( idpdfPresetFilename, "High Quality Print" );
';myScript += '            var idpdfPreserveEditing = stringIDToTypeID( "pdfPreserveEditing" );
';myScript += '            desc2.putBoolean( idpdfPreserveEditing, false );
';myScript += '            var idpdfDownSample = stringIDToTypeID( "pdfDownSample" );
';myScript += '            var idpdfDownSample = stringIDToTypeID( "pdfDownSample" );
';myScript += '            var idNone = charIDToTypeID( "None" );
';myScript += '            desc2.putEnumerated( idpdfDownSample, idpdfDownSample, idNone );
';myScript += '            var idpdfCompressionType = stringIDToTypeID( "pdfCompressionType" );
';myScript += '            desc2.putInteger( idpdfCompressionType, 7 );
';myScript += '        var idPhtP = charIDToTypeID( "PhtP" );
';myScript += '        desc1.putObject( idAs, idPhtP, desc2 );
';myScript += '    executeAction( idPDFExport, desc1, DialogModes.NO );
';bt.body = myScript;bt.send(10);};

femkeblanco · Answer

A multi-artboard document can be saved as a multipage PDF. So you can try placing your JPGs in a document, each on an artboard. The following is a basic idea. (Put the paths of your JPGs into the array "a".)

var a = ["fish1.jpg", "fish2.jpg", "fish3.jpg" /*et cetera*/]

var file1 = new File("~/Desktop/" + a[0]);
var pic1 = app.activeDocument.placedItems.add();
pic1.file = file1;
app.activeDocument.artboards[0].artboardRect = pic1.geometricBounds;

for (var i = 1; i < a.length; i++) {
    var file2 = new File("~/Desktop/" + a[i]);
    var b = app.activeDocument.artboards[i - 1].artboardRect;
    var AB = app.activeDocument.artboards.add([b[2], b[1], b[2] + (b[2] - b[0]), b[3]]);
    var pic2 = app.activeDocument.placedItems.add();
    pic2.file = file2;
    pic2.position = [b[2], b[1]];
    AB.artboardRect = pic2.geometricBounds;
}

var file3 = new File("~/Desktop/fish");
var PDF = new PDFSaveOptions();
app.activeDocument.saveAs(file3, PDF);

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