Dallin Kay
 · Director of Education

Importing a PDF File into Studio

Studio allows you to start a project by importing a PDF file. When doing so, Studio will convert the PDF into a Ceros experience; you can then add various interactive elements before publishing.

How to Import a PDF into Studio

  1. Navigate to the Experiences tab of the Ceros Admin

  2. Select Import from the new project options

  3. Select the "Sketch, AI, PSD, or PDF" option from the "Import" window

  4. Open the target PDF using your computer's file management system

  5. Name the experience and select its target folder in the "Create new experience" window

  6. Select Create

Once your file has been successfully imported, open it in Studio to fine-tune and add interactive elements.

Key Considerations when Importing PDFs

  • Larger PDF files may need additional time to import into Studio. Contributing factors may include:

    • A large number of pages

    • Large image files or vector graphics

    • Visual effects such as drop shadows or blurs

  • PDF fonts will not automatically transfer to Studio, so ensure you upload or add the desired fonts to your Studio account before importing the PDF file

    • Fonts already added to your Ceros account that are included in the PDF (such as standard brand fonts) will be automatically applied to the experience when finished importing

    • Google fonts will not be automatically applied to an imported PDF experience; they must be added to the experience once it is created

    • Studio does not support ligatures; in instances where they are used in the PDF, Studio will separate the glyphs when importing

  • PDF page background colors will import as shapes in Studio, simply remove the shape and add a canvas fill color to your experience if desired

  • All assets on a page may be grouped when imported into Studio; ungroup them to begin editing the page

  • Text boxes and other assets may appear to "overlap" when first imported into Studio, primarily due to font compatibility; uploading your fonts to Studio will fix the issue

Getting Started After a PDF is Imported

Importing a PDF is an excellent option for starting a Ceros project, as you don't have to begin from an entirely blank canvas. Instead, the text, images, and other visual elements are already on the page. However, it's important to note that your experience will need some fine-tuning before publishing. As a general rule of thumb, larger, more complex PDFs will require more fine-tuning.

As with all cases of importing vector assets from one tool to another, some (such as those with color gradients, blend modes, or visual effects applied to them) may not fully import properly. You may need to export such assets separately and upload them to Studio.

Additionally, an experience created from an imported PDF will retain the file's original dimensions. It's important to consider if those dimensions are ideal for your experience's use case. If not, resize the canvas and rearrange the content to fit accordingly.

Once your layout has been fine-tuned, add the desired interactions and animations before previewing and publishing the experience.