Generating print files from layouts in Illustrator

You can create print files from layouts in Illustrator. In the layout, the integration places artworks in the same way as they appear on the 1up.

To generate print files from Illustrator-opened structural files

Preparing the layout file

  1. With your structural file opened in Illustrator, click Edit in Package Designer in the upper right corner on any integration panel.

EngView starts and opens the file.

  1. In EngView, create the layout you need.

TIP: While creating the layout, you can apply articles to the parts of the layout. Later, when you switch to Illustrator, the articles will appear exactly as you have applied them in EngView.

  1. After you have created the layout, close it.

Back in Illustrator, a row has appeared in the EngView Step and Repeat panel. This is the file or layer that you use for generating print-ready files.

  1. In the EngView Step and Repeat panel, select the layout row.

Generating the print-ready files

When generating print-ready files, the integration creates two Illustrator files — one for the front side and one for the rear side. The example below walks you through one such scenario.

Creating layout from Illustrator-opened structural designs

The use case follows a basic scenario of how the Illustrator/EngView integration generates files for printing from a resizable structure fitted with articles. As a final result, the scenario generates two files: one for the front side, and one for the rear side.

NOTE: The scenario skips the creation of the layout and follows work in Illustrator.

In the scenario, the integration uses bleed set in EngView.

  1. With the structure open in Illustrator, switch to editing in EngView.
  1. In EngView, create the layout and apply the articles you want to the parts.

NOTE ON USING IDENTICAL ARTWORKS COMBINING RASTER IMAGES AND TEXT. If your layout file will consist of multiple parts featuring identical artworks combining raster images and text, you need to tell Illustrator how you want it to place the images. Because placing multiple raster images on a layout file makes the file size larger than what you may be comfortable with, you can tell Illustrator to link the images, rather than embed them into the layout parts. This image-linking, however, may affect the rendering of the text. Learn more about how to make the decsion that will work for you.

  1. Save the file and close it.
  2. In the message that asks you whether you want to save the changes, click Yes.

EngView takes you back to Illustrator, where a row has appeared in the EngView Step and Repeat panel, indicating the existent layout.

We now move to generate the layout. We generate the front side and rear side one by one.

  1. In the Step and Repeat tab, click generate the Step and Repeat button.

The Generate Step and Repeat dialog box appears.

Side Indicates the side (Front or Rear) that integration will use for creating the layout.
 
Bleed Options Options about the application of the bleed
Use artwork in its current state Use bleed that you create in Illustrator. If you have added the bleed using Illustrator, the integration will use it for printing the file.
Use bleed from Package Designer Use the bleed that you create in the 1up in Package Designer.
Generate bleed by offset Generate bleed in Illustrator by setting a specific offset. Here you enter an offset value for the bleed that the integration will later apply for generating the print-ready files. The offset value must be greater than 0.
 
Merge overlapping die-lines Select to merge overlapping objects that indicate die-lines and are in the same style. As a result, the merged object will then be processed by a single pass of the cutting instrument.

The bleed application method must then be selected. In this case, we use the bleed generated in EngView.

  1. To generate a layout for the front side, select the Front Side option. To use the bleed as defined in EngView, select the Use Bleed by Package Designer option.
  1. Click OK.

The integration creates a new Illustrator file for the front side that features two layers: die lines and Artwork (pictured).

We then proceed by generating the rear side layout.

  1. In the Step and Repeat tab, click again the Step and Repeat button.

The Generate Step and Repeat dialog box appears.

  1. Select the Rear Side option.

The integration creates a second Illustrator file for the rear side that features two layers: die lines and Artwork (pictured).