Creative
automation.
Practical tools for the steps
creative teams repeat.
A folder of artwork should not require the same sequence of clicks for every file.
I developed scripts to handle repeatable file preparation and reporting. The useful part is the whole process: selecting the right input, applying consistent settings, and making exceptions visible.
A folder of artwork.
A repeatable export.
Find the named artwork layer, capture the first artboard with transparent 300 PPI settings, and preserve the source file.
- Choose a folder
- Check the layer
- Export PNGs
- Review the report
See the actual script excerpt
captureOptions.resolution = 300;
captureOptions.antiAliasing = true;
captureOptions.transparency = true;
captureOptions.matte = false;
doc.imageCapture(
outputFile,
artboardRect,
captureOptions
);From Batch_Export_PNG_300PPI_V3.jsx. These settings run in Adobe Illustrator; this is a source walkthrough.
When a file needs attention: a missing “separation” layer is skipped and listed. Per-file errors are collected so the batch can continue.
Related folders.
Consistent PDF delivery.
Find Illustrator files in a folder and its subfolders, save matching PDFs alongside them, and skip existing PDFs.
- Gather AI files
- Check for a PDF
- Save the PDF
- Review totals
See the actual script excerpt
// Skip if exists and not overwriting
if (!OVERWRITE && pdfFile.exists){
total.skipped++;
continue;
}
doc = app.open(aiFile);
doc.saveAs(pdfFile, opts);
doc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
total.converted++;From Batch_AI_to_PDF_FIXED.jsx. The configuration preserves editability and requests all artboards.
When a file needs attention: existing PDFs are skipped with overwrite disabled. Failures are counted and processing continues.
Make the selection explicit.
The exporter locates a top-level layer named “separation,” ignoring case. It hides the other top-level layers, captures the first artboard, and saves a same-name PNG into PNG_OUTPUT. Documents close without saving temporary visibility changes.
Respect existing output.
The converter searches subfolders and saves a same-name PDF beside each AI source. With overwrite disabled, existing PDFs are skipped. Its configuration requests editable PDFs and all artboards; the completion report separates converted, skipped, and failed totals.
Show what needs attention.
A missing artwork layer is listed in the PNG report. Conversion failures are counted in the PDF report. The tools make routine steps repeatable while leaving output review and final approval with the designer.
Checks before the handoff.
Visual artwork checks
My Gap Check and Line Weight Check scripts create visual flags for review. They help direct attention to potential artwork issues; the flagged result still needs a designer’s judgment.
Multistep artwork preparation
A separate Illustrator script sequences color consolidation and underbase preparation. It checks expected selections and stops on a step error. Earlier document edits can remain, so this workflow requires a working copy and review.
Implementation details and limits ＋
- The PNG script processes one selected folder and the first artboard, with a configured resolution of 300 PPI. It has no explicit existing-PNG collision check.
- The PDF script recurses into subfolders, skips existing PDFs, and reports failure totals rather than individual error messages.
- These excerpts document the supplied code. They do not execute Illustrator in the browser or establish identical behavior across every document and application version.
- No throughput, time-savings, or error-reduction measurements are claimed.