Save to PDF Format

The Portable Document Format (PDF) file format is supported on the Web and in hardcopy printing. To view (and print) PDF files on the Web, visitors to a web site must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, but that software is available free from Adobe, and it s easy to download.

To save an Illustrator document as a PDF file, choose File Save as and choose Illustrator PDF as the file type. Enter a filename, navigate to the folder to which you ll save the PDF file, and click Save. The Adobe PDF Options dialog box opens and displays six categories, as shown in Figure 23-11.

Figure 23-11: Defining PDF export options

The General category has a Compatibility drop-down menu to set version compatibility. The check boxes allow you to select or deselect Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities, Embed Page Thumbnails (small icon- size versions of the illustration used in Acrobat Reader), Optimize for Fast Web View, and View PDF after Saving.

The Compression category has a Preset drop-down menu that allows you to assign optimal compression (reducing file size) for Press (print projects), Acrobat 6 (a format that preserves layers ), or Default. The options in this category allow you to micro-tune your compression settings.

The Marks & Bleeds category lets you define printer marks ” consult with your commercial printer to see if this is appropriate for your file.

The Advanced category defines how colors, fonts, overprinting, transparency, and layers are saved in the PDF file. The default settings embed fonts, which is almost always helpful and useful when documents are shared, so unless you have good reason to do otherwise , leave these default settings alone.

The Security category allows you to assign password protection for viewing and/or editing the file. The Summary category provides a report on your settings.