Inspiring

Question

Please add Export to PDF function like InDesign has.

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
February 2, 2024
3 replies
673 views

I would love to be able to export to PDF presets similar to InDesign for Illustrator rather than "saving as" PDF. I work in a multi service shop and often we use different settings for our press vs digital printing and again different settings for our sign shop. By having export to PDF preset I can export the files for each function without possibly saving over my AI file or having to do another "Save As" to make sure the AI file is current. InDesign's Adobe PDF Preset feature is simple and effective.

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B

Bobby Henderson

Community Expert

Saving files in PDF from Illustrator as well as InDesign can be a tricky thing. Technically speaking, PDF files are only supposed to be used for document viewing and printing. A bunch of our customers send us PDF files, expecting us to do further edits. Very often that can be a VERY BAD thing. Just this past week I was wanting to tear my hair out dealing with PDF-based artwork a client saved out of InDesign. I'd had enough and demanded she send me the original .INDD file instead.

The default Adobe Illustrator behavior when saving files in PDF has the "preserve Illustrator editing capability" setting enabled. Adobe Illustrator AI data is bundled with the file so when the PDF is opened in Illustrator on another computer it's as if the file was a native AI file rather than a PDF. That is the default we roll with at my workplace when generating PDF files out of Illustrator for large format print work. Our RIP applications do better with that than any other preset.

When I have to open PDF files generated by non-Adobe applications and harvest artwork out of them I often have to use Astute Graphics' Vector First Aid plugin to clean up a whole lot of trash (and save a lot of time). That can be broken open paths as well as lots and lots of unpainted, unstroked objects -some of which serve as unnecessary clipping masks/groups.

Anyway, the point of all this is Illustrator can use more choices for PDF presets -as long as they do not mess with the default preset that enables Illustrator editing in a PDF. One thing Adobe could please do is make PDF files generated by InDesign more edit-friendly in applications like Illustrator. I'm only requesting that because it's like pulling teeth to get a client to just send the freaking original INDD file instead of a junked up PDF.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

@Bobby Henderson schrieb:

One thing Adobe could please do is make PDF files generated by InDesign more edit-friendly in applications like Illustrator.

I don't think that is about saving the file. It's rather about importing it. When you import a PDF in Affinity Designer, you can for instance keep the text as a paragraph (you lose most of the formatting that way though). The same file will behave very differently in Illustrator.

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

It's a valid and popular request:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/32841790-save-as-pdf-and-pdf-export

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

Absolutely, it's a valid request, Doug.

Just a side note: Can't remember exactly when it was, but in one of the early CS versions of Illustrator, the .pdf export had been resettled to the File > Export command.

But due to vehement protests of long-time Illustrator veterans, Adobe withdrew the change.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

In Illustrator you can create PDF presets in the Edit menu.

Would that help?

D

Dianne at AllegraAuthor

Inspiring

Hi Kurt,

I have the same PDF presets in Illustrator as I do for Indesign. But exporting in INDD is much quicker and leaves my original file as it is. In Illustrator doing a Save As it changing my file from AI to PDF and if I make any edits or alterations I have to remember to Save As again to resave as an AI file. I do this currently, but would like the simplicity of INDD function.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

I see.

In the meantime, as a workaround you may use the Save as Copy command or even File > Export > Export for Screens that also allows to choose PDF presets.

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