Select by Artboards

Script for Adobe Illustrator

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Overview

Master your multi-artboard Illustrator documents with Select by Artboards. This powerful script provides precise object selection within designated artboards, eliminating tedious manual work and boosting productivity. Streamlining your workflow further, it automates artboard resizing, cleans up empty artboards, and provides instant object counts, ensuring effortless control over even the most intricate projects.

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Key Features

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1. Dynamic Artboard List:

• Displays comprehensive details for each artboard, including name, index number, width, height, and document units.
• Fully resizable dialog window for enhanced usability.
• Double-clicking an artboard in the list fits it into the workspace for easy focus.

2. Precise Item Selection:

• Select items based on their position relative to specific artboards.
• Select items entirely inside or outside the boundaries of chosen artboards for refined control.

3. Intuitive Artboard Filtering:

• Filter artboards by various criteria, including index, name, size, and orientation.

4. Search Functionality:

• Quickly locate specific artboards by entering a search term based on the selected filter (e.g., name or size).

5. Advanced Actions:

• Fit Artboards to Artwork: Automatically adjusts artboards to fit the artwork with optional margins.
• Delete Empty Artboards: Identifies and removes unused artboards, keeping the workspace organized.
• Count Items: Calculates the number of items on each artboard for better project management.

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Install and Run the Script

• Place the script file in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:
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  MacOS: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts
  Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
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• Restart Adobe Illustrator to load the script into the File > Scripts menu.
• Open your document and go to File > Scripts > Select by Artboards to launch the script.

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Understanding the Script Interface

When the script runs, it opens a resizable dialog window featuring various tools and options. 

Here’s how to use them:

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➊ Artboard List

The Artboard List is a core feature of the Select by Artboards script, providing a dynamic and comprehensive overview of all the artboards in your Adobe Illustrator document. 

Key Functions:

1. Displays Artboard Details:

Shows essential information for each artboard in a tabular format:

• 1.1 Index: The sequential number of the artboard.
• 1.2 Name: The custom or default name of the artboard.
• 1.3 Width and Height: Dimensions of the artboard.
• 1.4 Units: The unit of measurement used for the artboard dimensions (e.g., pixels, points, inches).
• 1.5 Items: Optionally count the number of objects within each artboard.

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2. Allows Selection:

Single or multiple artboards can be selected directly from the list:

• Single Click: Select a single artboard.
• Shift + Click: Select a range of artboards.
• Command/Ctrl + Click: Select non-consecutive artboards.
• Cmd/Ctrl + A: Select all artboards in the list.
• Double-Click: Automatically fits the selected artboard to the workspace view.

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3. Supports Filtering and Sorting:

• Artboards are dynamically updated based on filters or search criteria:
• Filter by index, name, size, or orientation.
• Refine the list in the Search Bar to focus on specific artboards.

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➋ Scope Dropdown

The Scope Dropdown (Select:) is a critical control in the Select by Artboards script that defines the range or “scope” of items to be selected based on their relationship with the chosen artboards.

1. Items Inside Artboards:

• Selects only the objects that are entirely contained within the boundaries of the selected artboard(s).

Use Case: Ideal for isolating and working on artwork that fits neatly within the artboard without selecting overlapping or external elements.

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2. Items Outside Artboards:

• Selects objects that fall outside the boundaries of the selected artboard(s).

Use Case: Useful for identifying and managing stray or misaligned artwork that is outside the intended workspace.

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➌ Select Button

The Select button in the Select by Artboards script is the primary action trigger that applies your specified selection criteria to the document. Once clicked, it executes the selection process based on the artboards chosen and the scope defined in the Scope Dropdown.

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What the Select Button Does:

Executes the selection based on the current scope setting in the Scope Dropdown:

• Items Inside Artboards: Selects all objects located entirely within the boundaries of the selected artboard(s).
• Items Outside Artboards: Selects objects outside the boundaries of the selected artboard(s).

Provides feedback on the selection: a dialog indicates the total number of items selected.

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What the Cancel Button Does:

The Cancel button in the Select by Artboards script provides a simple and effective way to exit the dialog without applying any changes or actions.

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➍ Additional Options

The Select by Artboards script offers a range of auxiliary tools and features designed to enhance user control, improve efficiency, and streamline document management. These options extend the script’s functionality beyond item selection, allowing for a more tailored and productive workflow.

🅰 Dialog Resizing

The dialog window is resizable, enabling users to adjust its size to suit their screen layout and preference.

• Click and drag the edges of the dialog to resize it.
• Use the maximize button (macOS) to expand the dialog to full-screen mode.

Benefit: Improves usability on different screen sizes, allowing for better visibility of artboard lists and options.

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🅱 Filter Dropdown

A dropdown menu that provides criteria for filtering artboards based on specific attributes.

Filter Options:

• Artboard Index: Filter by numerical order (e.g., 1, 2, 3).
• Artboard Name: Sort alphabetically by name.
• Size (Width/Height): Filter based on dimensions in the current units.
• Orientation:
  Landscape: Wider than tall.
  Portrait: Taller than wide.
  Square: Equal width and height.

Benefit: Allows users to focus on specific artboards relevant to their task.

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🅲 Search Bar

ㅤA text field for quickly finding artboards by name or size.

• Type keywords or numerical values to search.
• Results update in real time, showing matching artboards in the list.

Benefit: Saves time when dealing with large documents containing numerous artboards.

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🅳 Delete Empty Artboards

Removes all artboards in the document that contain no artwork.

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• Click the Delete Empty Artboards icon.
• A confirmation prompt lists the empty artboards to be deleted.
• If confirmed, the script deletes the empty artboards (if any).

Benefit: Keeps documents tidy by eliminating unused artboards, reducing clutter.

🅴 Fit Artboards to Artwork

Resizes artboards to snugly fit the artwork they contain, with optional margins.

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• Click the Fit Artboards to Artwork icon.
• Specify the desired margin size in the prompt (e.g., pixels, mm, inches).
• The script adjusts each artboard to enclose its artwork plus the margin.

Benefit: Ensures precise artboard sizes for exporting or organizing designs.

🅵 Count Items

Counts the total number of items on each artboard and displays the count in the artboard list.

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• Click the Count Items icon.
• The script processes each artboard and calculates the number of items.
• Displays the count next to each artboard in the list.

Benefit: Provides insights into the complexity of each artboard, helping manage content more effectively.

🅶 Access User Guide

Provides detailed documentation and resources related to the script.

• Click the ☰ Guide icon.
• Scroll a detailed instructions directly within the script dialog.

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☻ Conclusion

The Select by Artboards script is a robust and user-friendly tool designed to enhance your Adobe Illustrator workflow by providing precision and efficiency in managing artboards and their contents. Whether you’re handling complex documents with numerous artboards or fine-tuning your design details, this script offers all the necessary features to streamline your process.

By leveraging the comprehensive functionalities of Select by Artboards, you can maintain better control over your Illustrator projects, simplify tedious tasks, and focus more on creativity. Whether you’re a designer, illustrator, or creative professional, this script empowers you to work smarter and achieve more.

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