How to create multi-page PDFs in Illustrator CS2

While Adobe remains deaf to years of pleading for true multiple-page support in Illustrator, they’ve slipped in a little-known feature you might have missed. Adobe Illustrator CS2 now lets you save multiple-page PDFs.

Here’s how to do it in three easy steps:

1. Set the document size

Since Illustrator doesn’t have true pages, you’ll have to cheat by using a larger than normal document size and turning on page tiling.

First, create a document size that’s larger than a single page:

1. Go to File in the menubar and choose Document Setup.
2. Multiply the width of a single page by the total number of pages you want. Set the width to this number. For example, if you want a final PDF document of five letter-sized (8.5 x 11 inches) pages, set the Width to 42.5 inches and the Height to 11 inches.

2. Turn page tiling on

Next, turn on page tiling so you can print and save multiple pages. For some weird reason, you can no longer do this in the Document Setup window. It’s now in the Print window:

1. Go to File in the menubar and choose Print.
2. Choose Setup.
3. In the Tiling pulldown, choose Tile Full Pages and click Done.
4. While viewing the main document window, go to View in the menubar and choose Show Page Tiling (if it’s not already on).

3. Save as PDF

After laying out your pages, the final step is to Save it as a multi-page PDF. It’s easier than you think:

1. Go to File in the menubar and choose Save As.
2. In the Format pulldown, choose Adobe PDF (pdf) and click Save. A new window of PDF options will appear.
3. In the new window, check Create Multi-page PDF from Page Tiles and click Save PDF.

In a few moments, Illustrator will generate a multi-page PDF. That’s all there is to it.

For more robust multi-page features such as master pages and automatic page numbering, try Hot Door’s MultiPage plug-in. It’ll set you back 100 bucks, but might be your only choice until Adobe opens its ears.

Update (March 2): Someone has kindly put up a Spanish translation. Check it out!