Illustrator Layers to Acrobat Pages???

[resdog]

Here's what I have: Someone designed a flyer with several design options in Illustrator using layers. In order to get this to be proofed, I need to make a pdf of this. In the past, I've just kept the layers intact and the resulting pdf had those layers, but in my experience, people aren't aware of this feature, and so I'd rather not do it this way. What I need to do is take these seven layers and convert them into Acrobat pages.

What I am doing now: I am deleting all the layers, save for one. Then I save that one as a pdf. Then I undo to bring all the other layers back, delet the one I just make a pdf of, then delete the others, save for one. Save that one as a pdf. Wash, rinse, repeat. Then, in Acrobat, I do a "Create pdf from multiple files" and get it done that way.

That way is fine, but I was wondering if there was a faster way to do this (maybe some option I'm missing)? Thanks for your help in advance!

[Danger_Mouse]

Can't you just use the Hide icon for what ever layer you want on and off. (in layers pallette).
Just hide everything you dont want, make PDF. Do for all layers you need.
Repeat and rinse.

[Broacher]

Have you considered making a 'button bar' in Acrobat to show the various layer state combos you want? It's really easy. The only gotcha is that it won't work in Acrobat 5 and earlier readers-- but I hardly think that's a concern these days.

[Mynock]

Here's what you do, now and in the future. Make a Layer that has all of the shared elements, and then a Layer for all the different options. Then you can just hide the whole layer and not have to pull out separate parts here and there. Also you might need to do a couple master layers as you might have certain things layered on top or or below other elements. It's how you can make multipage layouts in illy without a plug-in. I don't know why anyone would want to do that, but I had a friend do it in college for a magazine layout. I was brave I used quark, which we really didn't learn in any of our classes.

[Danger_Mouse]

Here's what you do, now and in the future. Make a Layer that has all of the shared elements, and then a Layer for all the different options. Then you can just hide the whole layer and not have to pull out separate parts here and there. Also you might need to do a couple master layers as you might have certain things layered on top or or below other elements. It's how you can make multipage layouts in illy without a plug-in.

yeah thats exactly how I meant.
You can get fancier and make all those different layers Data Sets and create different variables for them. Then at a click of the button on the variables pallette you can switch from layout to layout. Alot of extra work, but worth the time if you have large productions.

[resdog]

Thank you for your resonses.

The problem with just "hiding" the layers is that the information is somehow transferred, making the pdf bigger. If I just hide the layers I don't want to show, and save, the file sizes are all the same (~8mb each). But if I delete the layers I don't want, and save the single layer, the file sizes are much smaller (~1mb each). That's why I delete them. Unless there is a way to get rid of the unwanted data when converting to pdf (some option) that I'm not aware of.

Mynock, none of the layers have shared elements. The text is the same, but it's styled differently, in a different place, etc., so that way won't work either.

Let's assume (because it's true) that the proofer is totally inept at using any special features in Acrobat (like buttons). They are set in their ways and will only proof PAGES in Acrobat. Is there a way that's faster to do this than the way I am doing it?

Also, there is another way to do multipage documents in illy (without a plugin), which is the way I'll probably need to do it. I've posted it in the "techniques" section:

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25659

[urstwile]

What if you save each layer group as an EPS, then in Acrobat, choose Create PDF from multiple files.