PDF for Illustrator Layers

[wesley]

I bet the last word in the title of this subject got someones attention. Okay, who has a workaround for getting my CS2 to recognize layers in the PDF file from Backstage 2 made with the "PDF for Illustrator" out in export to PDF? We have recently upgraded to Backstage2 and have deskpack on 5 Macs where we "launch task" from within CS2 into workflow hotfolders we have built in Backstage. Extremely cool stuff. I m getting spoiled already. Problem is the layers in my GRS that I may want to keep are, of course flattened when going out to "PDF for Illustrator". As it turns out, they are actually there, but CS2 will not recognize them. I can import the file (PDF) into Artpro and they are all there (But good Gawd, why would you want to do that?). Esko claims they are "working" on finding a solution, but of course the problem is apparently Adobe keeping tight lipped about their code. I really want to find a solution, as the path from CS2 to the workflow (EPF out via "Launch Task") to GRS to PDF is really clean. Most transparencies, and even ct to linework trapping back to PDF is gold. (hard to pass that up!). I suppose I will keep banging my head against the wall for the next week or so to find a solution unless someone out there can help out. Thanks!!

[seetomtype]

I'm not familiar with Backstage, but is it possible to print to
a PDF (Virtual Printer) using the Adobe PPD and have that
maitain your layers? I'm not sure if it would force flattening
or not, but mabey there's something in the Print Dialog
box that would allow you to maintain your layers.

Just a shot in the dark :roll:

[Mojo1]

Originally Posted by wesley

I bet the last word in the title of this subject got someones attention. Okay, who has a workaround for getting my CS2 to recognize layers in the PDF file from Backstage 2 made with the "PDF for Illustrator" out in export to PDF? We have recently upgraded to Backstage2 and have deskpack on 5 Macs where we "launch task" from within CS2 into workflow hotfolders we have built in Backstage. Extremely cool stuff. I m getting spoiled already. Problem is the layers in my GRS that I may want to keep are, of course flattened when going out to "PDF for Illustrator". As it turns out, they are actually there, but CS2 will not recognize them. I can import the file (PDF) into Artpro and they are all there (But good Gawd, why would you want to do that?). Esko claims they are "working" on finding a solution, but of course the problem is apparently Adobe keeping tight lipped about their code. I really want to find a solution, as the path from CS2 to the workflow (EPF out via "Launch Task") to GRS to PDF is really clean. Most transparencies, and even ct to linework trapping back to PDF is gold. (hard to pass that up!). I suppose I will keep banging my head against the wall for the next week or so to find a solution unless someone out there can help out. Thanks!!

I'm confused, are you trying to go from CS2 to GRS or GRS to CS2. Or Both? We do a lot of CS2 to GRS and maintan layers, However you must export out of CS2 as an EPF file and then "normalize" that into the a GRS using Backstage?

[David]

a workaround for getting my CS2 to recognize layers in the PDF file from Backstage 2 made with the "PDF for Illustrator" out in export to PDF

I don't think you can get the layers out of Backstage, regardless of the Ticket.
How 'bout if you delete all but one layer in your .grs file (save it as Layer 1), export that, then delete all but another layer (save this as layer 2) and export that and so on and so on. You could then merge the files together in Illy via a copy/paste or place command.

What would be nice if there was a backwards .epf file, one that would go from Esko to illustrator.

[wesley]

We are going through a workflow built in Backstage that is native grs. We start in CS2 and "launch task" directly from within Illustrator. During the workflow it is normalized to a grs and worked via tasks we set up in Backstage. One of the output tasks is "PDF for illustrator" which I have found is the format most of our clients request after tasting the various flavors we can offer. It is in fact going from CS2 to GRS to PDF/Illustrator (with operator intervention tasks you can include in the process which allow you to work the file in Packedge). The layering issue is not really too tragic as we prefer to ship flattened files. I would like to have the flexibility to keep layers, because you then have in effect a killer workflow built within Illustrator with all the tools (packedge) that illustrator doesn't have. It becomes S U P E R I L L U S T R A T O R !!!!
I suppose I could do 1 layer at a time and then reassemble, but that would really be a last resort.

[David]

yeah, the one layer at a time thing would be a "last resort" here as well...
some of our files have a butt-load of layers!

cheers,
David

[bobbyc]

Yeah, this is something we've struggled with, too. As far as I've tested, you can't make a PDF that maintains Esko layers that open in Illustrator.

For what its worth, Adobe PDF layers don't translate to Adobe Illustrator layers. That may actually be the problem.

[Blasky]

The problem does indeed lie with Illustrator's inability to read PDF layers, Artwork Systems have a plug-in for Illustrator that upgrades Illustrator's PDF Reading/Writing capability so that layers, image links and object groups are all retained from the PDF into Illustrator. 8)

[Mojo1]

I've checked with ESKO on this. Export to PDF task does not support Illustrator layers. I put it on the wish list for the upcoming user group. You can do a save as PDF out of illustrator with "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" checked, and this will let you reopen that PDF in Illustrator with layers. We have a designer that is making PDFs with Deskpack but we cant get a good PDF workflow going because their PDFs have no layers.

[Blasky]

Originally Posted by wesley

I can import the file (PDF) into Artpro and they are all there (But good Gawd, why would you want to do that?).

Because it works!? :lol: :lol: