I agree. Save as PDF should be only available as an Export option.

Enable auto closing a file you saved as an Adobe PDF file. I have had too many instances of 'fixing' an open PDF file and not the native .ai file...

When saving a PDF file for preview after working on an Ai. file,
the software automatically saves it as PDF afterward, causing us to lose accessibility in a convenient way.
I suggest having an option of exporting PDF without afterward automatically saving it as PDF.
And when after saving the PDF the software will continue saving it as ai. file automatially instead

More than that. The PDF export options would be sticky, so the filename, destination directory, PDF preset, and any overrides would be remembered. Next time you export a PDF you wouldn’t need to enter all that from scratch.

I am not expecting this feature anytime soon. I’m not the only one who’s been asking for this for years. Adobe is either unable to add the feature or unwilling to.

I guess I see your point.. so you want them to add the PDF option to both save as and export.
Save as would keep the newly saved PDF file as your open document and Export to PDF would export a PDF file keeping the original file you had opened open.

I don't understand.. if I want to save a file as a pdf.. I hit
Save as pdf and click ok..then select the flavor I want.
simple to me.. whats the problem..
Illustrator uses PDF as a native format or illustrator.. thats why its in Save as and not as an export function.
Am I missing something?
I have never lost a file saving to PDF.
I prefer saving as .ai files.
so basically all this is about having to reopen the .ai file. I don't even think about it and I've been using illustrator since version '88.

PDF's require EXPORT not SAVE AS.
It's idiotic that both photoshop and Indesign do this but illustrator saves a pdf.

I've lost many billable hours having to recreate an Illustrator file that I mistakenly "Saved As...PDF" because Illustrator does not have this feature, but InDesign does.

Yes! This is my most desired request!!! Save As PDF in Illustrator will resave the file as a pdf, but then you have to save it again as an Illustrator document, which can cause a user to lose changes if they forget this step. T

Like InDesign if we could have the Adobe PDF Presets in the FILE menu, then it would be absolutely fabulous!

I need to export PDFs from Illustrator all the time! It's unnecessarily complicated.

How the heck does this keep getting left out of every update? What more can we do to get someone at Adobe to hear how absolutely necessary this feature is?

I always save my Illustrator Artwork to PDF for final output,
1) if I save ALL artboards – my newly saved PDF will stay open in Illustrator,
2)if I select at the bottom of the window only certain artboards, saving will create a PDF that I then have to open in Illustrator or Acrobat
With option 1) in Illustrator I then have to select all hidden layers and delete them,
yes it's bothersome and could be improved.
It's very tricky as you always have to check at the top of your working window, what file format you are in and not delete layers in a master Illustrator file as opposed to a final artwork output for print...
An export option for PDF would make sense rather than a save as option, this would be my preferred solution.
thanks in advance!!

How to save to PDF only artboard and not overlapping content?

- create artboard

- put psd in it, bigger than artboard

- click save as

- PDF

expected result: pdf with data from artboard

real result: pdf with data from artboard and outside artboard ("hiddendata") which is bigger

There is a tool within acrobat to delete the hidden data, but we dont want this extra step.

Like in InDesign it would be great to have an option while saving/exporting pdf to embed and compress all images in the document.
In a document you have embed or linked files... I need an option to save or export a pdf and, at the same time, embed all images and compress them at the desired resolution. I think the only way to do this is to raster individually each image in the document before saving.

This is exactly what i would really like to be able to do.
In photoshop AND Illustrator

This is an EXTREMELY important feature! I always need to send a PDF version of my open document to clients, but keep the .AI version as the active document. This requires an EXPORT, not SAVE AS function. I've tried writing a javascript with ExtendScriptToolkit but there isn't the ability to script a "Save As PDF" without closing the current document. So what happens with my script is that I lose the ability to undo anything (i.e., it reverts to the saved version from disk, which has no HISTORY)

It also should be renamed to 'Export to PDF', not save, since it gives false illusion that AI is PDF editor (which Adobe wants it not to be for good reasons).

To get to PDF in .ai it's file > save as but in .indd it's file > export

Can we get a shortcut to PDF that is consistent on both .ai and .indd? I frequently switch between both apps and need to export as PDF. The different processes to get to a final PDF slows my workflow.

Cmd+E would be great. Default to PDF, and not have it change the document to a PDF. This causes confusion, since no other Adobe app (that I use) does this. Make it consistent with InDesign for obvious reasons.