Document Setup and Artboard Organization
All of your diagrams live in one file. Artboards and layers keep them organized and independently exportable.
Why this matters
Illustrator allows — and this course requires — multiple diagrams in a single working file. Getting the document structure right at the start means your diagrams stay organized, your shared base geometry is reusable across analyses, and your outputs export cleanly as individual PDFs without duplicating work. Get it wrong at the start and you'll spend time reorganizing rather than analyzing.
Document setup
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 11×17" (tabloid / ANSI B) | Each diagram is a discrete 11×17" deliverable. Vector is resolution-independent, so this is an output convention, not a scale constraint. |
| Orientation | Landscape or portrait | Your choice — match the orientation that best presents the site geometry for your specific analysis. All artboards in the file can have the same orientation. |
| Color mode | RGB | Diagrams will be shared and reviewed digitally. RGB is appropriate for screen presentation. CMYK only if you are producing print-ready output. |
| Units | Inches | Sets the ruler and coordinate display units. Inches is appropriate for the 11×17" working context. |
| Artboard count | 3 minimum (one per diagram) | Create one artboard per diagram at document creation. Additional artboards can be added at any time from the Artboard panel or via the Artboard tool (Shift+O). |
Artboard organization
Each of your three or more required diagrams occupies its own artboard. Name them descriptively — not "Artboard 1" but "Circulation Analysis" or "Edge Conditions." Artboard names become the default filenames when you export individual PDFs.
The base CAD import (your site plan) sits in the document pasteboard or on a shared locked layer that all artboards reference. It does not belong to any single artboard — it is the common reference geometry. Diagram-specific content goes on layers that are visible only for the artboard where that analysis lives.
Layer structure
| Layer | What it holds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Plan | Imported CAD plan linework | Lock this layer. It is reference only — never edited, never moved. |
| Diagram 01 — [Type] | All graphic content for the first diagram | Named after the diagram type. Toggle visibility to work on or isolate this analysis. |
| Diagram 02 — [Type] | All graphic content for the second diagram | |
| Diagram 03 — [Type] | All graphic content for the third diagram | |
| Notes / Draft | Working sketches, temporary guides, construction paths | Not for export. Everything here is off by default at export time. |
The layer stacking order determines visual priority. Base Plan is at the bottom. Diagram layers stack above it. Within each diagram layer, you control sub-layer stacking to determine which fills sit under linework, which text sits above fills, and so on.
Exporting individual diagrams
File → Save As → Adobe PDF, then in the export dialog select Each Artboard to Separate File. Illustrator will generate one PDF per artboard, named after the artboard. This is your submission workflow — one AI working file produces three or more individual PDF deliverables without any copy-paste or duplicate-file management.
Before exporting, toggle layer visibility: the Base Plan layer and the specific diagram layer for that artboard should be visible; all other diagram layers should be hidden. This ensures each PDF shows only the intended content.
Try this
Create a new 11×17" RGB document with three artboards. Name each artboard with a placeholder diagram type. Create the layer structure above, including the locked Base Plan layer. Then export all three artboards as separate PDFs and verify that the filenames match the artboard names. This setup takes 10 minutes and prevents organizational problems for the rest of the unit.
What breaks
All content on one layer — without layer separation, you cannot isolate diagrams for export, hide one analysis while working on another, or protect the base plan from accidental edits. Organize by layer from the first object you place.
Base plan not locked — an unlocked base plan will be accidentally moved, scaled, or modified. Lock it immediately after placing it and never unlock it except with deliberate intent.