How do I create aspect ratio based rectangles
I am relatively new to Illustrator. I am a professional photographer using illustrator to prepare exhibition templates. These exhibitions will all be multiple matted images in a single frame. The current frames will all be A1 (European standard) 59.4 cm x 84.1 cm hung vertically. The reason I am using illustrator is that I have a vender who cuts the mats using a computerized matt cutter that cuts the holes based on an Illustrator layout.
Each template will have three layers:
- Guides Layer
- This layer has the outside matt guides set (3 cm outsied matt"
- Matt Cutter Layer
- This layer contains the holes for the matt cutter
- The image layer
- This layer has all the images two mm larger than the matt holes (provides a 1mm overlay around each image.
I am trying to automate the layout of rectangles to keep the aspect rations. Once the matt layers is defined I then copy the layer to the images layer retaining the hole locations making the images 2mm larger than each hole
My workflow is:
- Determint the number of images per frame.
- Select an approximate matt layout based on my templates
- Copy the matt layer to an images layer increasing the size of each rectangle by 2 mm centered on the matt holes. providing a 1mm matt overlay for each image.
My known starting point is the width or height of each hole and the aspect ration I need to keep. This way I can presize the output of my images to maintain the highest quality and place them into the image layer for my client to view before sending the layout to the matt cutting vendor and the image printing vendor.
My question:
Is there a way that I can:
- provide either the width or height as one measurement and the aspect ration as the second and automatically create a locked, perfect aspect ratio rectangle.
- Copy all the rectangles on a layer to a second layer increasing their size by 2 mm.
If I can automate the above task, I can save hours of defining potential layouts.
I look forward to your answers.
Jim
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