In today's digital age, graphic designers often find themselves working with multiple artboards within a single project. Whether you're creating a series of infographics, designing UI/UX elements, or developing a branding kit, each artboard may need to be exported as a standalone file for various reasons. One of the most common formats for exporting individual artboards is PDF.
PDF, short for Portable Document Format, is a widely-used file format that preserves the layout and design elements of a document accurately, regardless of the software, hardware, or operating system used. It's ideal for graphics-intensive files like those created in programs like Adobe Illustrator or Sketch. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of saving each artboard as a separate PDF file.
Preparing Your Artboards for Export
Before exporting your artboards, ensure your document is set up correctly. Each artboard should contain the final artwork you want to export. This includes any text, images, shapes, or other design elements.
Also, consider the trim size and margins for each artboard. These settings determine the final dimensions of your PDF file. You can adjust these in your design software before exporting.
Adobe Illustrator: Saving Each Artboard as a Separate PDF
Illustrator, a popular vector graphics editor, natively supports saving artboards as separate PDF files. Here's how:
1. Select all your artboards by going to Select > All. Then, go to File > Save As.
2. In the 'Save As' dialog box, select PDF from the 'Format' dropdown menu.
3. In the 'Save Options' section, ensure that Artboards is selected. A new 'Artboards' section will appear, allowing you to specify the options for how you want to save each artboard.
4. Choose Use Artboard Settings to save each artboard as a separate PDF file. You can also customize the filename pattern for each PDF using the 'Filename' field.
5. Click Save to export your artboards as separate PDF files.
Sketch: Exporting Each Artboard as a Separate PDF
Sketch, another powerful design tool, also allows you to export each artboard as a separate PDF. However, it requires a plugin called 'Artboard Manager' to do so. Here's how:
1. First, install the Artboard Manager plugin. You can download it from their official website.
2. With your Sketch file open, select all your artboards. Then, go to Plugins > Artboard Manager > Export Artboards.
3. In the export dialog box, select PDF from the 'Format' dropdown menu. You can also customize the filename pattern for each PDF using the 'Name' field.
4. Click Export to save each artboard as a separate PDF file.
Optimizing Your PDF Files
After exporting, you might want to optimize your PDF files, especially if they're intended for web use. Tools like Adobe Acrobat or online converters can help reduce the file size without compromising quality.
Remember to always preview your PDFs to ensure the artwork has been preserved accurately. You can do this using any PDF viewer or your design software.
By learning to save each artboard as a separate PDF file, you can streamline your workflow and make it easier to share, print, or use your designs in various contexts. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, mastering this skill can significantly boost your efficiency. Happy designing!