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Asterixx
Known Participant
August 10, 2024
Answered

object with only filling change to open path after PDF export

  • August 10, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 1559 views

hello,

I use a version before CC so perhaps this has been corrected, but: when I create some shapes that are just fillings (like circles or painted fillings) and save as PDF (not matter which), and open this PDF in some other vector software (Affinity Designer, Inkscape) this object is then an open path because the start/end node is not one single node anymore but TWO :). Is this a known issue and does it matter for printing?

Also the other way around by the way: if I create such a shape  in Designer or also in CorelDraw and open it in Illustrator, then Illustrator says the path is open and finds two anchors instead of one.

First I thought this is because of my old version of Illustrator, but it's also the case from some newer software to each other.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Ton Frederiks

This is very interesting, thank you very much. Just to know: so you used the Illustrator CC and reproduced a circle and exported as PDF (e.g. PDF/X) and then the path is open?

Yes, the additional point is because the start/end point becomes two points over each other.

And another question to you: how did you get then the information about the path after export, in Illustrator or is there any way to read this from a PDF elsewhere (like in Acrobat or any preflight)?

 

(yes Monika, also a little bit a Acrobat question but I would like to keep the context here together, and as Ton Frederiks showed it's perhaps even more an Illustrator topic)


Yes, I saved the circle as PDF and unchecked Illustrator Editing Capabilities to make sure that the PDF part was used during opening.

I closed the file and opened the PDF.

Using Window > Document Info with Selection Only and Objects, you can see the number of points and if the path is open or closed.

I also created a circle in InDesign, saved as PDF, opened in Illustrator and got 5 points and an open path (although the opening was at the bottom instead of to the right).

1 reply

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 10, 2024

Please save such a PDF and share it on the forum.

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AsterixxAuthor
Known Participant
August 10, 2024

thank you, I will do - but actually my goal is not really to defend my old CS4 usage, because it's really old :). But it would be more interesting, probably also for other users, to know if this is still the case today with the newest CC version.

 

As mentioned it's not about a large complicated drawing but only about 1 object, a simple circle without outline but only filling. Perhaps somebody with the new CC version could confirm that a circle saved as PDF can be opened by other software like Inkscape and Designer normally or also as open paths with double anchors.

 

Also the other way I can't really test here as there is no Illustrator CC trial version (without signing a contract). So it would also be interesting if a PDF with the circle from CorelDraw e.g. can be opened in Illustrator normally.

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AsterixxAuthor
Known Participant
August 11, 2024
@Asterixx  schrieb:

I asked here in the Illustrator forum and appreciate if it is dicussed here.

 

Sure. But some of the people with more in-depth knowledge of the PDF file format and all the available pre-press tools might just not frequent this forum.


Yes, for questions about prepress and PDF specification that's a good idea.

So to continue here with the Illustrator issue :). Most of the time when delivering to a customer, probably a PDF version is chosen which does not allow too much editing. At least me, mostly I deliver X-1a. When more editing is needed, also *.ai.

When a customer absolutely needs closed paths, I can't deliver a non-editing PDF from Adobe (InDesign, Illustrator). So then I would have to deliver e.g. *.ai. When he does not know anything or need anything about the paths and it's only about printing, then I could deliver a non-editing PDF.

Is this change of the path and creation of a hidden additional anchor in the PDF export really a new issue to Illustrator users? I did not find any information on Adobe sites or discussions by search engine. And if so: seems to be a good sign that all those many PDFs created the last decades with open paths have not made any problems in printing :).

(By the way I also asked the Corel community and there this also seemed to be new, and the export of PDF from CorelDraw should work fine though, while it's not intented for editing anyway.)

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