How to Speed Up Graphic Design Using Adobe Illustrator in Conjunction with a PIM System

Using a PIM system and Adobe Illustrator, language-specific graphics and dimensioned sketches can be generated automatically.

Graphics play an important role in product communication. On the one hand, they serve an explanatory purpose with textual captions in the form of illustrations, pictograms, or diagrams. On the other hand, they serve as dimensioned sketches derived from technical drawings and containing measurements (metric, inches). Typically, these graphics are created using Adobe Illustrator (AI).

The creation process itself is creative and cannot be automated. However, variations of these graphics are often created afterward - with different dimensions for specific item variants or with translations into different languages and country-specific versions. Each of these variants is then saved for use in print and online. This process is labor-intensive and time-consuming. And that is precisely where automation - described below - comes in.

Starting Point and Prerequisites

I would like to consider two scenarios:

1.) Language-specific graphics

Graphics are created with frequently recurring text components that need to be available in different language variants.

2.) Dimensioned sketches

Graphics are created that contain numerical dimensions and need to be converted to U.S. measurements. Or they are intended for use with other item variants that have different dimensions.

Technically, it is assumed that the content - that is, the graphics (in AI format), the text components (including translations), and the dimensions - is managed in a PIM system. And that an integration with Adobe Illustrator exists. These are the two prerequisites for automation of the graphics.

The Current Situation with a Manual Process

Graphics are usually used to visually describe products. In doing so, graphic designers often ensure that the graphics are language-neutral: for example, by using letters or numbers that are explained in the image caption, or by presenting the dimensions for different item variants in a table. This prevents the need to create new graphics for additional language or item variants.

However, if language-neutral graphics are not possible or not desired, text in a source language - such as German or English - is inserted directly into the graphics. In this case, the graphic designers must later ensure that this text is translated. After translation, the text is inserted into the graphic on the corresponding language layers (“Copy & Paste”) and saved in the required language-specific versions for web and print. Allow 5–10 minutes per language.

In the second scenario, if the graphics contain dimensions, these must be converted to U.S. units - such as inches - for the U.S. market. In this case, the dimensions are rounded or, preferably, specified as fractions (halves, quarters, eighths, etc.). This is a very time-consuming and error-prone task. In some cases, the same graphics can be used for different item variants. To do this, the dimensions are adjusted manually, and the graphic is saved for each item variant. Allow 10–15 minutes per variant.

Automation Options

With the integration with Adobe Illustrator, translations and measurements can be automatically inserted into graphics.

This approach offers enormous advantages:

• Graphics can be automatically generated in all necessary language variants and formats (print, web, etc.). Manual effort is eliminated.
• The graphic designer does not have to worry about translations. Text components that have already been translated are reused and are therefore consistent. If translations are not available, they are routed through the standard translation process and do not need to be translated manually.
• The graphic designers do not need to perform conversions, e.g., to inches. The software performs the conversion automatically and can also use the fraction notation typical for inches.
• The graphic designer can use a single sketch for different item variants and have the dimensions inserted automatically.

Technical Procedure

To enable automation, new graphics must be prepared using Adobe Illustrator. For existing graphics, the preparation can be done automatically.

If a new graphic is created, the procedure is as follows: Instead of the text or the dimension itself, variables - known as markers - are inserted into the graphic. The marker provides a reference to a specific text module or a specific dimension, such as the diameter. The graphic is imported into the PIM system, and the corresponding text modules are assigned to the graphic based on the marker. For dimensioned graphics, it is sufficient to assign the graphic to the item group.

For existing graphics, this process can be automated in bulk. To do this, the text in the source language is automatically extracted from the graphic and replaced with markers. Any text component that does not yet exist is stored in the PIM system and automatically assigned to the graphic. If text components with identical content already exist, they are assigned accordingly.

Conclusion

The more language-specific graphics there are and the more languages are required, the greater the time savings. With thousands of graphics and more than 10 languages, the time savings can amount to several months. In addition, measurements can be inserted into graphics or converted to inches for the U.S. market. In terms of quality, this approach ensures consistent presentation and helps avoid errors.