Create Artboards from Selection

Script for Adobe Illustrator

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Description

Create Artboards from Selection is a powerful Adobe Illustrator script designed to automatically create artboards from selected objects on your canvas. This time-saving tool allows you to generate either individual artboards for each selected object or a single artboard encompassing all selected elements. The script provides fine control over the boundaries, bleed settings, and naming of your new artboards.

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Key Features

Create individual artboards for each selected object or one artboard for the entire selection.
Choose between visible bounds (includes strokes, effects, and shadows) or geometric bounds (only object paths).
Customize bleed settings with positive values (expansion) or negative values (contraction).
Link bleed values to apply the same setting to all sides or customize each side individually.
Real-time preview to visualize artboard positions before creating them.
Option to automatically name artboards based on object names.

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Installation

1. Download the Create Artboards from Selection.jsx script file.

2. Place it in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:

⮑ Mac: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator[Version]/Presets/<Language>/Scripts/

⮑ Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator [Version]\Presets\<Language>\Scripts\

3. Restart Illustrator if it's already running.

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Using the Script

Open your Adobe Illustrator document.
Select the object(s) you want to create artboards from.
Run the script by going to File > Scripts > Create Artboards from Selection.
Adjust settings in the dialog box that appears:

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➊ Artboard Settings

Choose how you want to create artboards:

🅰 Create Individual Artboards: Creates a separate artboard for each selected object.
🅱 Create Single Artboard: Creates one artboard that contains all selected objects.

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➋ Boundary Type

Select the boundary calculation method:

🅰 Visible Bounds: Includes strokes, effects, and drop shadows.
🅱 Geometric Bounds: Only includes the actual paths, ignoring visual effects.

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➌ Bleed Settings

The Bleed Settings section allows you to expand or contract the boundaries of your artboards beyond or within the actual dimensions of your selected objects. This is particularly useful for:

Creating print-ready artboards with proper bleed areas.
Adding extra workspace around objects.
Tightening artboards to show only specific portions of objects.

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Individual Bleed Controls

Top, Bottom, Left, Right fields: Separate input boxes let you specify different bleed values for each side of the artboard.
Unit labels: Display the current document units (px, pt, mm, cm, in, etc.) for clear measurement reference.
Direction indicators: Arrows (↑,↓,←,→) show which side each value affects.

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Linked Values System

Link values checkbox: When checked, applies the same bleed value to all sides simultaneously.
Scrollbar: Provides visual slider control for quick adjustment of linked bleed values.
Central value field: Shows the current linked bleed value and accepts direct input.

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Tips:

Positive values expand the artboard beyond the selection bounds.
Negative values contract the artboard inside the selection bounds.
Use Shift + arrow keys for larger increments (10 units).
Click on any unit label to reset all bleed values to zero.
Click the ✖ button to reset all bleed values.

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➍ Additional Options

Use object names for artboard names: When creating individual artboards, this will name each artboard after its corresponding object
Live Preview: Toggle to see a real-time preview of where the artboards will be created (shown as red outlines).
The script saves your settings between sessions for convenience.
Click the ⏼ icon in the bottom right corner to access the user guide online.

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➎ Creating the Artboards

Click the "OK" button to create the artboards.
The script will automatically switch to the Crop tool after creating artboards.
For single artboard creation, the view will automatically fit to the new artboard.

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Troubleshooting

If no objects are selected, the script will prompt you to select objects before continuing.
If you encounter any issues with bleed values, ensure you're entering valid numbers.
For the best results with "Use object names for artboard names," make sure your objects have meaningful names in the Layers panel

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☻ Final Thoughts

This Create Artboards from Selection script is significant time-saver for Illustrator users who regularly work with multiple artboards. By automating the creation of precisely sized and positioned artboards around your existing objects, it eliminates the tedious manual work of measuring, calculating, and placing artboards by hand.

The script's thoughtful design balances powerful functionality with ease of use. From the flexible creation modes to the detailed bleed controls and live preview feature, every aspect is built to enhance your productivity while giving you complete control over the results.

Whether you're preparing assets for export, organizing complex designs, or setting up print-ready files with proper bleeds, this tool adapts to your specific needs. Incorporating this script into your Illustrator workflow will not only save you time but also help ensure consistency across your projects.

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Previous

Create Artboards from Selection

Version: 1.0.0

Updated: March 7, 2025

Download Create Artboards from Selection

1.0.0 – Initial release.
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Tested on MacOS:
- Adobe Illustrator 2023 (27.0)
- Adobe Illustrator 2024 (28.1)
- Adobe Illustrator 2025 (29.0)
Supported Versions:
- Compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS6 and later, including Adobe Illustrator CC versions.
Operating Systems:
- Works on both macOS and Windows platforms.
End User License Agreement (EULA)
Last Updated: 21.12.2024
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This End User License Agreement (“Agreement”) is a legal agreement between you (“User” or “Licensee”) and Samolevsky.com (“Licensor”) regarding the use of the Adobe Illustrator scripts (“Software”). By downloading, installing, or using the Software, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.
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1. Grant of License
Licensor grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to use the Software in accordance with this Agreement.
- Free Software: If the Software is provided for free, you may use it for personal or commercial purposes without payment, subject to the restrictions outlined in this Agreement.
- Paid Software: If the Software is provided for a fee, you may use it only after payment has been made in full.
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2. Usage Rights
You are permitted to:
- Install and use the Software on devices you own or control.
- Use the Software in your personal or commercial projects, subject to compliance with this Agreement.
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3. Restrictions
You may NOT:
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code, underlying ideas, or algorithms of the Software.
- Reuse, incorporate, or integrate any portion of the Software into any other software, product, or project, except as expressly permitted by the Licensor in writing.
- Resell, redistribute, or share the Software, whether in its original or modified form, without prior written consent from the Licensor.
- Claim ownership of the Software or its underlying code.
- Use the Software in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations.
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4. Ownership
The Software and all intellectual property rights therein remain the exclusive property of the Licensor. This Agreement does not transfer ownership of the Software or any intellectual property rights to the User.
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5. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
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6. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Licensor shall not be liable for any damages, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, arising out of or related to the use or inability to use the Software.
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7. Termination
This Agreement is effective until terminated. Licensor may terminate this Agreement immediately if you breach any term of this Agreement. Upon termination, you must cease all use of the Software and destroy any copies in your possession.
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8. Updates and Support
Licensor is not obligated to provide updates, support, or maintenance for the Software. However, updates may be provided at the sole discretion of the Licensor.
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9. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
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10. Entire Agreement
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and the Licensor concerning the Software and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings regarding such subject matter.
By using the Software, you acknowledge that you have read this Agreement, understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms.
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For any questions or concerns regarding this Agreement, please contact us at hello@samolevsky.com

Required Software

Adobe Illustrator

Learn more

Adobe Illustrator is a professional vector graphics software developed by Adobe Inc. It is widely used by designers, illustrators, and artists for creating a variety of digital artwork, including logos, icons, illustrations, typography, and complex design layouts. Illustrator is known for its precision and scalability, allowing users to create high-quality graphics that can be resized without losing clarity. Its features include powerful drawing tools, customizable brushes, advanced typography options, and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Illustrator is a go-to tool for creative professionals working on projects for print, web, and multimedia platforms.

🅰 Locating the Scripts Folder
To install a Create Artboards from Selection.jsx script in Adobe Illustrator, you need to place it in the correct directory where Illustrator can recognize it. Follow these steps to locate the Scripts folder:
1. MacOS:
  Open Finder and navigate to:
  Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts.
2. Windows:
  Open File Explorer and navigate to:
  C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
3. Replace <Version> with your Adobe Illustrator version (e.g., 2025).
4. Replace <Language> with your language folder (e.g., "de_DE" for German, "en_US" for English).
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🅱 Installing the Script
1. Copy the Script File: Copy the Create Artboards from Selection.jsx file to the Scripts folder located in the path above.
2. On some systems, you may need administrator permissions to modify the Scripts folder.
3. Restart Adobe Illustrator: To refresh the scripts menu, close and reopen Adobe Illustrator.
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Explore our complete guide to mastering Adobe Illustrator scripts.
1. Open Adobe Illustrator and ensure a document is active.
2. Go to the top menu bar and select File > Scripts.
3. If the script is installed in the Scripts folder, it will appear in the dropdown list.
4. Click the Create Artboards from Selection script to run it.
5. The Create Artboards from Selection script will execute, and any dialog boxes or results will appear based on the script’s functionality.
☻ Before running any scripts, it’s strongly advised to save your work — especially when working with complex or large documents.

🅰 Locating the Scripts Folder
To install a Create Artboards from Selection.jsx script in Adobe Illustrator, you need to place it in the correct directory where Illustrator can recognize it. Follow these steps to locate the Scripts folder:
1. MacOS:
  Open Finder and navigate to:
  Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts.
2. Windows:
  Open File Explorer and navigate to:
  C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
3. Replace <Version> with your Adobe Illustrator version (e.g., 2025).
4. Replace <Language> with your language folder (e.g., "de_DE" for German, "en_US" for English).
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🅱 Installing the Script
1. Copy the Script File: Copy the Create Artboards from Selection.jsx file to the Scripts folder located in the path above.
2. On some systems, you may need administrator permissions to modify the Scripts folder.
3. Restart Adobe Illustrator: To refresh the scripts menu, close and reopen Adobe Illustrator.
ㅤ
Explore our complete guide to mastering Adobe Illustrator scripts.

1. Open Adobe Illustrator and ensure a document is active.
2. Go to the top menu bar and select File > Scripts.
3. If the script is installed in the Scripts folder, it will appear in the dropdown list.
4. Click the Create Artboards from Selection script to run it.
5. The Create Artboards from Selection script will execute, and any dialog boxes or results will appear based on the script’s functionality.
☻ Before running any scripts, it’s strongly advised to save your work — especially when working with complex or large documents.

Got questions?

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