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Streamlining PDF Proof Process

Forum Index > PDF Creation > Streamlining PDF Proof Process
2010-06-03 14:11:15
oohtruck
Registered: Jun 3 2010
Posts: 2

i work with an apparel printing production house that sends out digital e-proofs showing a customers design on an appropriate garment template. currently, i have a template i created in illustrator, which i then put into acrobat and added fields for the sales reps to fill in with the customer and design information. then i will edit the pdf in illustrator, paste the garment template into the document, and then paste the artwork in and resize it accordingly.

one of the problems i'm running into are that when opening a illustrator pdf document back into illustrator, it does not retain any of the grouping or layer information, and seemingly mixes and matches it. this is not that confusing to work through for me, but for the illustrator-challenged it's a little confusing and overcomplicates the process for them.

one thing that might not only streamline this whole process and alleviate my ai > pdf > ai issues is if i could create a separate document that has my appropriate apparel template in it, which is dynamically linked within the e-proof template. when that apparel template has the artwork put into it and is saved, the e-proof template automatically updates to show the current apparel template/artwork. is something like this possible?

the end-goal is ultimately to allow someone who isn't super proficient in Illustrator to edit this so we can streamline this entire process. Right now, only 2 people are able to do e-proofing since they're the most familiar with Illustrator and Acrobat. I dont' know if my idea is even feasible, so i'm open to any other suggestions if anyone has any.

thanks
truck

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.3.1, Macintosh
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2010-06-04 01:33:29
#1
UVSAR
Expert
Registered: Oct 29 2008
Posts: 1357
Assuming the template and the artwork are in a predictable place on the page, I'd use layers. Keep the empty template and the form fields as-is for the sames reps, and when you're ready, export your artwork on its own into a second PDF.

In Acrobat, you can use the tool icon in the layers sidebar to add a layer from a file, and import the artwork PDF over the top of the template - that way you never actually need to open the template in AI. You can also add several alternative designs, in layers of their own, so the client can toggle between them - even mixing more than one layer together, if they want.

Imported layers in a PDF retain their transparency; the only thing you can't do is use blending modes (screen/burn/etc).

Important note though - you can't delete a PDF layer, only create it, so keep copies of the original template file.
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