PDF-ing Illustrator images

[rossisaacs]

I just illustrated a children's book in Illustrator. Page size is 8.5 x 11" (about 610 x 790 px).  I have allowed for a slight bleed area around the edges.

The pages are full color with LOTS of layers.  VERY heavy files.  The company printing my book wants it in PDF form.

I'm attempting to create PDFs from each page:

Save A Copy

Saved as Press Quality

I selected crop marks and bleed

When I export it, I get a pop-up saying:  The dimensions of this page are out-of-range.

The PDF never gets created.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for any advice you could give me!!!!

[Grant H]

You may have something outside of the actual page, artwork or a stray object. try select all and find it.

[rossisaacs]

Hi Grant -  Yes - it was paths outside the artboard.  I re-sized/double-checked/clipped all the pages and I'm good to go!  Thaks for your help!- Marilyn

[Monika Gause]

Can you please show us screenshots of your settings? The PDF settings when exporting? The artboard settings with page size.

[rossisaacs · Accepted solution]

Hi Monika - I managed to figure out how to successfully PDF the files.  I've attached the PDF settings.  My artboards are 630 x 810 px.  All the pages were designed at 8.5 x 11, but I added a 0.125" bleed areas on all sides - making it 630 x 810 px.  I need Press Quality, since the 52 pages will be in a full-color book.  Also - I'm not sure how to proceed with PDF-ing the book.  I seem to have 2 options:

1. PDF each page and then make a new PDF of all the PDF-ed files....or

2.  I found I could drag my Illustrator files into Adobe Acrobat and then PDF them.

My concern is...is there a difference in the clarity doing it one way or the other?

I appreciate your help!!!! -  Thanks, Marilyn

[Ton Frederiks]

Has each page a single artboard? Check in the Artboards panel if there is maybe a large artboard in the background?

[rossisaacs]

Yes -  each page is a single artboard.  I realized that the menu for the PDF format sometimes had Range 1-2...not realizing that I only needed ONE!  There are about 52 full-color pages for the book, and I really want clarity!

I'm not sure how to proceed with PDF-ing the book.  I seem to have 2 options:

1. PDF each page and then make a new PDF of all the PDF-ed files....or

2.  I found I could drag my Illustrator files into Adobe Acrobat and then PDF them.

My concern is...is there a difference in the clarity doing it one way or the other?

I appreciate your help!!!! -  Thanks, Marilyn

[Monika Gause]

Are your images vector images?

What kind of PDF file does the printer want? Just set it up the way they tell you.

[rossisaacs]

Yes- everything is in vector.  I followed their guidelines for bleed-area, and at the moment, I'm trying to PDF my Illustrator files.  I appreciate your help -  thanks!

[Monika Gause]

Bleed area is all they gave you?

I would just change the service.

They should tell you a lot more.

And also I don't get why you are thinking about making the PDF in Acrobat. You are just adding a possible source of errors there.

[rossisaacs]

No -  the did have more information.  But what I was focusing on was their size and PDF specs.  They're a good company. My husband is a writer, and they printed hard copies of one of his books...and did a fabulous job!  That's why we're going with them again.

[Monika Gause]

So then what you need to do is just set up the PDF options in the way they told you and export the file.

Don't worry about file size. If it gets too big for e-mail, send it to them via wetransfer or dropbox or the like.

[rossisaacs]

Great minds think alike -  WeTransfer is uploading them as we speak!!!!!  I'm very excited about this book.  During Covid, I taught myself Illustrator - been using Photoshop for over 20 years, and always hated Illustrator.  But, being home with not a lot to do, I decided to learn something new -  and Illustrator was it.  I kinda groove on it now!