Select File > Place, and then select Show Import Options from the file window.
Last updated on
Sep 11, 2025
Learn how to place PDF files and customize the import options in Adobe Illustrator to control how pages are cropped, linked, and displayed in your artwork.
Select the PDF file from your device, and then select Place. The Place PDF dialog box displays.
In the Place PDF dialog box, select the following options from the Crop to dropdown menu:
- Bounding Box: Crops to the smallest area that encloses all artwork on the page.
- Art: Places the PDF within the area defined by a rectangle specified by the author as placeable artwork, such as clip art.
- Crop: Places the PDF within the area that is shown or printed by Adobe Acrobat.
- Trim: Indicates where the final printed page will be trimmed, based on the presence of trim marks.
- Bleed: Crops to include the bleed area, ensuring accurate output while printing.
Note
The printed page may include page marks that fall outside the bleed area.
- Media: Displays the original PDF page size, including page marks, based on the document’s paper dimensions.
Use the navigation controls in the Place PDF dialog box to select the page from the PDF file you want to place.
To view a live preview of the selected PDF page before placing it, select Preview.
Select OK to open and edit the file.
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