PDF MultiPage Import

Open every page of one or more PDFs in Illustrator in one go. Drop the files in, choose the pages and the crop, and each page lands on its own artboard, named after the file and page number, linked or embedded.

See it in the shop · Version 1.4.5 · Needs PowerScripts 3.8.42 or later

Open the PowerScripts panel (Window > Extensions > PowerScripts) and choose PDF MultiPage Import from the Tools scripts. You don't need a document open.

1. Drag your PDF files onto the drop files here box (or press Select Files).
2. Check the Page Start and Page End of each file.
3. Press Import.

A new document opens with one artboard per page, laid out in a grid row by row.

• Crop: which part of each page to bring in:
  • CropBox: the page as you see it in a PDF viewer (the usual choice).
  • TrimBox: the finished size, without bleed.
  • BleedBox: the page including its bleed.
  • MediaBox: the whole sheet the PDF was made on.
  • ArtBox: the area of the artwork, as set by the program that made the PDF.
  • Shapes: just round the artwork on the page.
• Scale: bring the pages in at 100%, or scaled down to 50%, 25% or 10% (handy for big-format PDFs).
• Combine PDF files into one document: all the files go into one document. Untick for a separate document per PDF.
• Embed files: embed the pages instead of linking to the PDFs. Embedded pages can be edited, linked ones keep the file small and update if the PDF changes.
• Rename Artboards: name each artboard after its file and page number.
• Select Files: choose the PDFs with a file dialog. You can also drag files onto the list.
• File list: each file with its Page Start and Page End. The page count is read from the PDF; change the numbers to bring in only some of the pages.
• Import: does it.

1. Drop the PDF onto the list.
2. Set Page Start to 3 and Page End to 6.
3. Press Import.

1. Drop all the PDFs onto the list.
2. Leave Combine PDF files into one document ticked and Rename Artboards ticked.
3. Choose TrimBox to see each job at its finished size.
4. Press Import: every page of every file is in one document, each artboard named after its file.

• Use it before Impose Plus or Step and Repeat to bring a customer's PDF into Illustrator ready to impose.
• Linked pages keep big jobs fast. Choose Embed files only if you need to edit the artwork.

• Pages are placed one at a time, straight into the new document, so big and many-page PDFs import smoothly.
• A damaged PDF doesn't stop the import: the other files still come in, and the panel lists any problems.
• With nothing in the list, Import asks you to choose a PDF and brings in its first page.
• Each artboard is the size of its page (as chosen in Crop).

• 1.4.5: General bug fixes and reliability. Needs PowerScripts 3.8.42 or later. Fixed: the Help button opens this script's help page.
• 1.4.4
  • Improved: more stable PDF importing: pages are placed one at a time, lighter and faster on big PDFs, with better page counts and sizes.
  • Fixed: a damaged PDF in the list no longer stops the import.
  • Fixed: with no files in the list, the PDF you choose now imports.
  • Improved: a smaller download, and general bug fixes and reliability.
• 1.4.3: Updated for PowerScripts 3.8.32.
• Older changes: PowerScripts Release Notes