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Create Calendars Automatically in Illustrator: Version 4 (Kelso)

[Editor's note: I have updated my Calendar script to version 5 on 17 February 2009. Magicien de calendrier, Kalender-Zauberer, Mago del calendario, 日历巫术师, カレンダーの魔法使い, Чудодей календара.

Get version 5 and read more about the changes and see new templates.

WARNING! The information below is OUT OF DATE! ]

[Editor's note: I have updated my Calendar script to version 4. I now support multiple languages and fixed a few bugs. New video helps users set up tabs and change character styles. Magicien de calendrier, Kalender-Zauberer, Mago del calendario, 日历巫术师, カレンダーの魔法使い, Чудодей календара.]

ai cs3 logoI was asked recently if I could automate the creation of calendars in Adobe Illustrator. It turns out there are a couple script for accomplishing this in InDesign (best is from sselberg), but only pre-built templates for Illustrator. If you need a new year, you’d have to search for a new template, which is lame. New script to the rescue! Thanks go to Joyce for this suggestion.

Download version 4 of Calendar Script (71k).

NOTE: You will need version CS3 or CS4 of Illustrator. If you have CS or CS2, get a trial version of CS4 from Adobe. Also see post about version 3 of the Calendar script.

New features and bug fixes in version 4:

  1. Multi-lingual: Languages added for English, Deutsch, Español, Français, 中文, 日本語’, русский язык, and custom. This affects both the graphical dialog for creating the calendars and the month and day words in the calendar itself when it is created.
  2. No longer need to have text frame selected, one will be created for you. If a text frame IS selected, it will be used.
  3. Added ability to easily stylize weekend (Saturday and Sunday) dates numbers (eg gray or red).
  4. Equal row spacing between months checkbox now works.
  5. Buttons for current year and month now work.
I’m waiting on Adobe to let me know how to do the tab stops. In the meantime I’ve created a better video showing how to set these manually yourself (below) and change the character styles after the calendar is created.
Holidays and lunar phases are still not supported. Please stay tuned for version 5.
Screenshots showing English, German, and Chinese interfaces. Also the custom language settings dialog.

To install new scripts you need to:

  • Quit Illustrator
  • Copy the files into the Illustrator application folder’s “Presets” » “Scripts” subfolder
  • After restarting Illustrator you can find the scripts in the menu “File” » “Scripts”;
  • TIP: You can create subfolders in the scripts folder to organize your scripts

There are several sizes of calendars:

  1. Wall calendar with smaller dates in box grid (you add the boxes).
  2. Wall mini 1 month calendar that fits in a date square in a wall calendar (prior month, next month).
  3. Page calendar, larger dates fill grid (no boxes).
  4. Page calendar, larger dates fill grid (no boxes) – 12 months at a time option.
  5. Mini calendar, 12 months small enough to fit on a business card.
Screenshots
Traditional wall calendar with boxed dates and mini calendars for prior and next month, room above for a photo or illustration (January 2009). You make your own grid and the two wall mini months. Download editable Illustrator file.
Page calendar where dates fill entire box (no lines). You make your own wall mini calendars. Download editable Illustrator file.
Mini 12 month calendar sized to fit on business card with all 12 months of the year (shown larger than life below). Download editable Illustrator file.

View video demonstration of script (click to play, 9.3 megs):

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 2:13 am and is filed under Charting, Data source, Design, General, Print, scripting, Self promo, Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.