5 Easy Ways To Save One Artboard In Illustrator

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to save one artboard in Illustrator.

There are times when you may have multiple artboards in one Illustrator file but you would like to save only one artboard instead of saving all in one file. There are different ways you can use to achieve this.

Ways To Save One Artboard In Illustrator?

The best way to save one artboard in Illustrator is to select File > Save As. Then, with the Format selected as Adobe Illustrator (.ai), click the Save button.

In the Illustrator Options dialog box that opens up, select Save each artboard to a separate file and select the Range option. Then, type in the artboard number you’d like to save and click the OK button.

If you don’t wish to save one artboard in Illustrator or .ai format, that can be done too. Here are the various ways and steps on how to save each artboard separately in Illustrator, or to save one artboard:

Method 1: Export Option

Step 1: Note THe Artboard Number

Once you’ve added your artboards to your file, you can see a list of all artboards in your project in the artboards panel.

Use the artboard tool to select the specific artboard that you wish to save. This is an efficient process if you know the numerical order of your artboards.

Step 2: Open the Export Panel From the Main Menu

First, go to File on the main menu, hover over the Export option in the drop-down menu, then select Export As. A new window, or dialogue box, will appear.

Step 3: Set Export Settings for File Format

Choose your desired file format, like PNG file, or JPG, and check the Use Artboard option. Then, check the Range option and select the artboards you wish to export. Then, hit the Export button.

Your artboard will be saved into separate images in the specified export format. This will appear in your exported files under the file name you’ve chosen.

Method 2: Save As SVG or EPS Option

Step 1: Save As Panel

Navigate to File > Save As from the Illustrator options menu.

Step 2: Choose File Type for Individual Files

Choose your desired file type, like an SVG (svg) or Illustrator EPS (eps) in the Format section.

Then select the Use Artboards option.

Step 3: Select Range in the Pop-up Menu

In the dialogue box that appears, find the option labeled Range. Check to make sure Range is selected. Then enter the artboard number of the artboard you wish to save.

Then, hit the Save button. Your individual artboard will be saved in one file under the selected file type.

Method 3: Save As AI Option

Step 1: Save As Panel

Navigate to File > Save As from the Illustrator options menu.

Step 2: Select AI Format

Go to the Format section and select Adobe Illustrator (ai).

Then, click the Save button.

Step 3: Save One Artboard

The Illustrator Options dialog box opens up. Go to the Options section and select the option Save each artboard to a separate file.

Then, select the Range section, and type in the artboard numbers you want to save.

If you want to save one artboard, just add one specific page number in the field. For example, if you want to save Artboard 2 only, type the number 2 inside the Range field box.

If you have 5 artboards and you only wish to save artboards 1 and 2, you will type 1-2, or 1,2.

Then, click the OK button.

Go to the location on your computer where you saved the files. If you save one artboard, you will see one Illustrator file with one artboard inside. You will see multiple files with one artboard in each file if you saved multiple artboards in separate files.

Method 4: PDF Method and PDF Formats

Step 1: Open the Save As PDF Panel

Go to File > Save As and choose Adobe PDF as the file format.

Step 2: Choose Pages

Select Use Artboards.

Then, select the Range section and type in the artboard number you’d like to save. Click the Save button.

In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select the necessary PDF options that you need for this file. Then click the Save PDF button to save your artboard.

The result PDF file will contain only the selected artwork from the existing artboard.

Method 5: Copy and Paste in a New Document

This is a simple trick yet the most straightforward but manual method. Use your Selection tool to copy everything from your desired artboard, create a new Illustrator document using the new document dialog box, and paste it there.

Then, save the new document.

Other Tips and Tricks

1. Make sure you’re using the latest version of Illustrator for optimal performance and more features. This can be done by checking the Help section or About from the main menu.
2. If you use layers, ensure they are appropriately set for export by inspecting the properties panel.
3. Artboard names can be helpful in keeping track of which artboard is for what purpose.
4. Scripts are a more advanced method to automate tasks in Illustrator. You can use a script to extract a single artboard and save it. Scripts can be written in JavaScript and placed in the Illustrator Scripts folder.

Final Thoughts

Now, you’re a master at saving individual artboards in Adobe Illustrator into separate PDF files or different formats like AI file, PNG, and more. Use these methods to streamline your workflow, keep things organized, and focus on creating awesome designs.

Saving One Artboard In Illustrator: FAQs

Step 1: Open Illustrator and Your Document

Begin by opening Adobe Illustrator and then the Illustrator document that contains the artboard you wish to export.

Step 2: Access Export Options

Navigate to File in the top menu, and then select Export and choose Export As from the drop-down menu. A new dialogue box will appear.

Step 3: Select Your Artboard

In the export dialogue box, you’ll see a section where all the artboards in your Illustrator document are listed. Use the artboard tool to select the specific artboard you want to export.

Step 4: Choose Your File Format

From the available file types like PNG, JPG, or PDF, select the one that suits your needs best.

Step 5: Export Your Artboard

Once you’ve made your choices, hit the Export button. Your selected artboard will be exported as a separate file in the file format you’ve chosen.

Step 1: Select Your Artboard

Using the selection tool or the artboard tool, select the artboard you want to save within your Illustrator document.

Step 2: Go to the Save As Menu

Navigate to File > Save in the main menu.

Step 3: Opt for Artboard Range

In the Save As dialog box, look for the Range option. Here, input the artboard number you wish to save.

Step 4: Confirm File Type

Select your preferred file type, whether that’s an Illustrator (.ai) file, PDF document, or any other.

Step 5: Save the Artboard

Hit Save, and your selected artboard will be saved in the format you’ve chosen.

Step 1: Open Your Document

Launch Adobe Illustrator and the specific document containing the artboards you’d like to save.

Step 2: Access Export Menu

Head to File > Export > Export As.

Step 3: Choose EPS as Your File Type

In the export dialog box, select EPS from the file type options. This is crucial for ensuring that each artboard will be saved as an EPS file.

Step 4: Select the ‘Use Artboards’ Checkbox

There will be an option that says Use Artboards; make sure to check this box. This ensures that Illustrator considers the individual artboards during the export process.

Step 5: Export the Artboards

You can either export all artboards or specify a range. To save each artboard separately, specify a range and then hit the Export button. You will have to repeat this step for each artboard you wish to export as an EPS file.

Step 1: Choose Your Artboard

Using the selection tool or the artboard tool, select the artboard you wish to save as an individual file within your Illustrator document.

Step 2: Navigate to the Save As Option

Go to File > Save As from the main menu. A new dialog box will open.

Step 3: Specify Artboard Range

In this new dialog box, look for the Range option. Input the artboard number you wish to save as an individual file.

Step 4: Decide on File Format

You will have multiple file format options like AI, PDF, or EPS. Choose the one that best suits your needs.

Step 5: Save It

Finally, hit Save. Your selected artboard will be saved as an individual file in your chosen file format.

Step 1: Open the Save As PDF Panel

Navigate to File > Save As. In the dialog box, choose Adobe PDF as the file format.

Step 2: Select the ‘Use Artboards’ Option

Ensure the Use Artboards checkbox is selected. This ensures that each artboard will be considered separately during the saving process.

Step 3: Choose the Artboards

Here, you’ll find an option to specify which artboards to save. Enter the artboard numbers you want to save as separate PDF files.

Step 4: Additional PDF Settings

Before you click Save, explore other PDF settings like quality and size to customize your output further.

Step 5: Save as Separate PDF Files

Click Save, and each selected artboard will be saved as individual PDF files.

Step 1: Open Your Illustrator Document

Start by opening Adobe Illustrator and the specific document containing the artboards you’d like to export.

Step 2: Make the Artboards the Same Size

This is a crucial step if your artboards are of different sizes. Make them all the same size using the artboard options dialog box to ensure they fit neatly into one image.

Step 3: Merge Artboards

Select all artboards using the artboard tool, then align them so they form a single large artboard. You can use the Align panel to do this accurately.

Step 4: Use the Export Option

Navigate to File > Export > Export As. A new window will open with export options.

Step 5: Choose Export Format

Choose your desired export format, such as a PNG or JPG file, which can accommodate the large image size.

Step 6: Final Export

Click Export. Your artboards will be merged and exported as a single image in your chosen format.

Step 1: Navigate to the Export Menu

Open your Illustrator document and head to File > Export > Export As.

Step 2: Choose File Format

In the Export dialog box, select JPEG from the Format drop-down menu.

Step 3: Select the Artboard

Under the Use Artboards checkbox, you’ll see an option to specify a range. Input the artboard number you wish to save.

Step 4: Customize Your Settings

A new window will appear for JPEG options. You can adjust settings like quality, resolution, and color model here.

Step 5: Confirm and Save

After setting your desired options, click Export to save the individual artboard as a JPEG file.

Step 1: Open the Artboard Tool

Click on the Artboard tool on the left side of the Illustrator window or press Shift + O.

Step 2: Select All Artboards

With the Artboard tool active, drag a selection around all the artboards you wish to combine.

Step 3: Align and Consolidate

Use the Align panel to neatly arrange your selected artboards so that they form a single, larger artboard.

Step 4: Create a New Artboard

Using the Artboard tool, draw a new, single artboard that encompasses all the smaller, individual artboards.

Step 5: Export the New Artboard

Navigate to File > Export > Export As, select your file format, and then specify your newly created “master” artboard in the range option. Proceed to save.

Multiple artboards offer flexibility in the design process. For example, they allow you to create different versions of a design or various assets like business cards, flyers, and banners in a single document.

Having multiple artboards can help keep related designs organized in a single master file, making it easier to manage and export files to formats like Figma and so on.

You can apply the same elements across different artboards for consistency, making your design process more efficient.

Step 1: Access the Artboards Panel

Open the Artboards panel by navigating to Window > Artboards.

Step 2: Select Artboards

Click on the first artboard you want to resize in the Artboards panel.

Step 3: Use the Control Panel

Navigate to the Control panel at the top of the Illustrator window. Enter the desired width and height for the artboard.

Step 4: Apply to All Artboards

Repeat Step 3 for each artboard listed in the Artboards panel to make them all the same size.

Step 1: Select Your Content

Use the Selection tool to select the content you want to copy.

Step 2: Copy Content

Navigate to Edit > Copy to copy the selected artwork.

Step 3: Activate Each Artboard

Click on each artboard you wish to paste the content onto.

Step 4: Paste Across Artboards

For each activated artboard, go to Edit > Paste in Place to place the copied content in the same position on each artboard.

Step 5: Verify Placement

Ensure that the content has been copied correctly to each artboard by toggling through the artboards using the Artboards panel.