How to organize your layer structure for the script
This is a great script for Illustrator: it automates the export of layers into individual JPG files.
I found this at the hicksdesign blog when I was looking for a smart way to export all 87 layers of a design explorations file to make a web presentation. The standard way of dealing with this (the ‘Save for Web’ option) would have taken me ages, but after some minor adjustments (and a bit of trial and error), this is has become most favorite tool at the moment. It just saves so much time!
Before you go, you need a clean file set-up — the script executes an export of each top-level layer, including all its sub-layers. I added a feature that adds any layers named ‘ALWAYS’ as visible on top of each export. This is good for keeping a browser window visible all the time in the background or a logo, or any other elements that never change throughout your layers.
The size of the export area is defined by a cropping mask, so make sure you have one in place — otherwise the image will be cropped to the size of all visible elements on a layer.
Just throw the script in the folder Apps/Illustrator/Presets/Scripts and execute it will show up under File/Scripts.
(thanks Pete for helping me with the ALWAYS feature in javaScript!)
Download the jsx file for the script here as ZIP
Comments ( 6 )
ha ah wooo ha! thanks your a fucking star.
i dont know how much time iv spent manually exporting. and i always new there must be a easier way.
Thank you very much.
it worked a treat
Ewan added these pithy words on
Feb 19 09 at
10:03 am
Great script thanks!
Making the ALWAYS layer a white background helped me saving the jpg(s) to the artboard rather than tight around artwork itself.
ymo added these pithy words on
Dec 14 09 at
10:45 pm
Hi. I’m getting the layers to split out but I want the master background, slug and some info that applies to each layer on all layers. How do I achieve this? Thanks a million!
chrissy added these pithy words on
Jan 29 10 at
12:21 pm
anything you want to show up on all JPG’s needs to be on a visible layer called “ALWAYS”. I usually have two of those master layers, one as the top-most, and one on the bottom for things to show up on top and below the layers I want to export.
hope that helps…
Marco added these pithy words on
Feb 08 10 at
9:22 am
Millions of thanks. working here for a german sports company as a production artist and I always have files with many many layers and I always have to send out lowres files for approval…
Thanks to you and the author Niels Bosma!!
VIELEN DANK!
joe added these pithy words on
Apr 12 10 at
8:01 am
i try do it this way but i cant get the cropping mask done
is there a way we can include the script to save into artboard size?
jeff added these pithy words on
Aug 17 10 at
2:07 am
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