Deleting 1st clipping mask of three in n-files

[ThePreset]

Hi,

I have a pretty massive ongoing project with over 900 files needed to be prepared. It is a tiling of a large image (to be used on a facade).

I'm working in the ratio 1.100. The problem seems to be that when I export the files into pdf's from illustrator, there seems to be a clipping mask extending outside the artboard.
It's the same dimensions, this causes wrong dimensions after the file is scaled up to the right size. If I remove the clipping mask and save the file it has the right dimension after scaling.

Is there a way of removing the first clipping mask of n-files without removing the two other clipping masks the file is made up from

Preferably as an action of some sort in Acrobat. The tools I have at my disposal is Creative Suite & Pitstop pro 12

This is how the layer stack looks after opening the exported file in Illustrator again - The first clipping path is the one that's exceeding the artboard

?

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Try to work out how this is happening in the first place so that you have a clean PDF.

Have you tried different PDF export options, such as PDF/X etc?

Otherwise you may either need custom scripting or there may just possibly be a way with PitStop Server if you have 900 files.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Hello,

Stephen is quite right. To process the 900 files by any method is best avoided if you can prevent that clipping mask appearing in the first place.

I recall that not to long ago, every PDF I created with illustrator would have a clipping mask around the art board. I don't get this problem any more.

So how far outside the art board is the clipping path? Is it always the same distance from the artwork? Is there perhaps a bleed setting in document set up that corresponds to the clipping path?

Is the clipping path always the same size? If yes then this can easily be removed with some simple applescript. If it's size varies but it's place in the stack is constant then you can do this with an Action in illustrator.

Both these methods mean that you can process all the files in a batch while you sleep.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

If it's size varies but it's place in the stack is constant then you can do this with an Action in illustrator.

Cool! I thought that this would only be (potentially) possible with scripting, how to do so in a Illustrator action?

Depending on the PDF export method, there may be unreliable results opening the PDF back into Illustrator.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Tim-Ellis]

No Title

Steve makes a very valid point. If you open your PDF using Illustrator you might be faced with warning dialogue boxes that will make life difficult for Actions and also cause unexpected changes to your artwork. An “Illustrator default” PDF is best when using this Action. You can always save the final PDF as a different format at the end of this Action.

The assumption is made here that you don’t want any stray points in your artwork. Not sure why you’d need them.

To start you need to use your pen tool to make a single anchor point somewhere outside your artwork. You then cut that into the clipboard (⌘) + X

Before you run this Action in the future, you will need to "prime" it by copying the anchor point into the clipboard **

ACTION KEYSTROKES TO RECORD

(⌘) + f paste your empty point somewhere on the page but as the very top item in the stack

(⌘) + (alt) + [ select the next object down in the stack (repeat until you get to the clipping mask)

(⌘) + (alt) + 7 release that clipping mask

(⌘) + 6 reselect (this should take you back to your empty point - in the screen shot you can see that Illustrator has decided to show this as Stray Points)

(⌘) + (alt) + [ select the next object down in the stack (repeat until you get to that clipping mask shape again)

(delete) delete the shape

from the main menu choose:

SELECT > OBJECT > STRAY POINTS

(delete) deletes all stray points​

It's a clunky solution and it all depends on the position in the stack being exactly the same in all 900 artworks.

Practice this a few times on a few different files until you are happy it's going to work.

Make a back up copy of the originals first.

Test the Action on a few files. Then do a "Batch" Automation of a about 10 or so. Once you a 100% happy it can process all 900 without you babysitting the process, set the Action to Batch and go and have a coffee.

Good Luck!


** The alternative is to create a new document with nothing but the point inside. You would open, select all and close as the first steps of the action.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Thanks Tim, I have pretty much given up on Illustrator’s support for recording useful action steps when compared to Photoshop, so I had not tested for this possibility and assumed that a script would be the only option!


Stephen Marsh

 

[ThePreset]

Thanks for the helpful replies guys, I test it out and see if that does the trick!