Backbone PLM Unveils the New Adobe® Illustrator Plugin

Speed, accuracy, and precision without sacrificing creativity. How is this possible? The answer is simple — Backbone PLM’s new Adobe Illustrator plugin. Backbone’s latest product update enables designers to create technical sketches, colorups, detailed component renderings, and other assets for product specifications and sync those files from Illustrator directly into Backbone.

Designers can say goodbye to manual uploads and work in Illustrator to actively capture changes to artboard revisions, then populate tech packs through Backbone’s cloud-based user interface and dynamic system of interconnected libraries.

Design, technical, and production teams can collaborate on new products in real-time directly through Backbone’s cloud-based user interface and encourage more communicative interactions with factories, vendors, merchandisers, retail teams, and customers.

Teams always have the most current artboard versions as they evolve throughout the design cycle, and together, Backbone and Adobe Illustrator work to help brands manage style libraries and increase coordination, communication, and innovation throughout the various stages of product development from design to production.

According to Backbone CEO, Jeff Fedor, “Backbone was made by designers, for designers. The Adobe integration removes the point of greatest friction for designers in the platform and will make their daily work and collaboration with their teams easier.” 

Noteworthy Features: 

• Access to product and component records in Backbone PLM
• Create, sync, and update designs within Adobe Illustrator
• Seamless file transfer (No more manual uploads) 
• Compare and replace existing images with updated versions whenever changes are made
• Track version history and keep track of design revisions
• New file confirmation modal 
• Review changes modal 
• Authentication workflow

About Adobe Illustrator: How it Works

Adobe Illustrator is the industry-leading graphics solution for illustration, design, sketching, and typography — providing a creative platform for designers and developers to create the products made by most brands on the Backbone platform.

The Adobe Exchange is a marketplace where developers can upload and distribute their created extensions. Users can browse, purchase, and download extensions that augment the capabilities of their Creative Cloud apps.

Where to find it: 

Navigate to adobe.exchange.com and into the Creative Cloud app exchange. Using the search tool, search for Backbone PLM for Adobe Illustrator. After the application is located, click the Install Now button in the top right corner. (Disclaimer: You must have Adobe Illustrator version 26 or higher in order to install the Backbone + Adobe plugin). You may be asked to restart your Adobe application after this step. Once in Adobe Illustrator, the extension is found under Window > Extensions > Adobe Illustrator for Backbone PLM.

If you need further assistance, please contact us via support@backboneplm.com. We are happy to help get you up and running quickly.

See Backbone and Adobe in Action 

Join us on February 16, 2022 at 11:00 AM MST to see a live demonstration of Backbone PLM and our new Adobe Illustrator Integration. The webinar will discuss how the Adobe plugin will help your brand speed up product design and development.