Esri Mapping Center - Ask a Cartographer

Exporting Annotation to Illustrator: Point Text vs. Text on Path

April 12 2011 | 0 comments
Categories: Publishing

I construct topographic atlases using ArcGIS with MapBook and Adobe Illustrator. We have a very nice annotation dataset we use for many of our labels, such as physical features, roads, and hydrography. We export the atlas pages to Illustrator for final label placement and finishing. A major problem for us is the fact that most annotated labels export to Illustrator as "text on a path", and often the last character in a text string will be hidden. The only solution is to extend the path the text is on to make room for the last character, which is very time consuming. Is there a way to ensure that all annotation exports as "point text", as is the case with dynamic labels? Also, annotated text does not export with the correct CMYK color values, but dynamic labels do. If we could solve these problems it would save us a lot of time.

Mapping Center Answer:

We have had this question before here on Ask:

http://mappingcenter.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=ask.answers&q=1156

Note what Kory wrote in a comment to this question - maybe thsi will help you!

Workflow posted by Kory Iman on Feb 24 2010 9:03PM

My goal is to develop a work flow that will allow changes to be made in the GIS database and have those changes automatically be updated on the map. Even though changing the labels to graphic might work, it will not help me achieve my goal. The best work around that I have found is to convert the map to a pdf and then open it up in Illustrator and save the map out to an .ai file. Doing so has eliminated the missing label issue. That way the map can be placed into the InDesign template and sent to the press. This work around still has flaws but it eventually gets the job done.

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