Script for Adobe Illustrator

✦ Available exclusively on Patreon for Pro supporters.

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Description

Sequential Text Numbering automates numbering and labeling across selected text frames in Adobe Illustrator. It creates numeric, alphabetic, or Roman-numeral sequences and gives you precise control over their range, order, formatting, and placement within existing text.

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Features

Build simple or customized sequences, preview the result directly in your document, and apply consistent labels to multiple text frames in one operation.

• Four sequence formats: Generate numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or Roman numerals.
• Flexible range controls: Set starting, ending, and step values, including descending sequences and repeated values.
• Multiple ordering methods: Increase the sequence from left to right, top to bottom, by stacking order, or randomly.
• Five replacement strategies: Replace all text, replace existing numbers, replace {n} placeholders, or add values as a prefix or suffix.
• Custom separators: Insert spaces, punctuation, or other text between a prefix or suffix and the original content.
• Numeric padding: Determine leading-zero width automatically or set a fixed minimum digit count.
• Live feedback: Review a sequence sample and preview changes on the artboard before applying them.
• Extra-frame cleanup: Remove eligible text frames left over when a defined sequence is shorter than the selection.

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Installation

1. Download the Sequential Text Numbering.jsx script file.

2. Place the script in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:

⮑ Mac: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator (Version)/Presets/(Language)/Scripts

⮑ Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator (Version)\Presets(Language)\Scripts

3. Restart Adobe Illustrator if it's already running

4. Access the script via File > Scripts > Sequential Text Numbering

5. Alternatively, run it directly via File > Scripts > Other Script... and browse to the file location

Tip: You can also drag and drop the .jsx file directly onto the Illustrator workspace to run the script instantly – no installation needed.

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Using the Script

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Launch the Script

Open an Adobe Illustrator document, then select at least one text frame or one or more groups containing text frames. The script searches selected groups for text frames, but it cannot run from an active text-range selection.

Run Sequential Text Numbering from File > Scripts, use Other Script..., or drag the JSX file onto the Illustrator workspace. The dialog opens with multiple options:

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➊ Choose a Numbering Type

Select the format for the generated sequence in the Numbering Type panel.

• Numbers (1, 2, 3): Creates a standard numeric sequence and enables leading-zero options.
• Letters (A, B, C): Converts values from 1 through 26 to uppercase letters.
• Letters (a, b, c): Converts values from 1 through 26 to lowercase letters.
• Roman (I, II, III): Converts positive values from 1 through 3999 to Roman numerals.

Letter sequences use numeric input, so enter 1 for A or a, 2 for B or b, and so on. Leading-zero controls are available only when Numbers is selected.

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➋ Define the Sequence

Use the Sequence Settings panel to control the values assigned to the selected text frames.

1. Enter the first value in Starting value. The default is 1.
2. Enter the final inclusive value in Ending value, or leave it blank to continue for all eligible selected text frames.
3. Set Step increment to control the difference between consecutive values.
4. Enable Reverse sequence to apply the completed sequence in reverse order. For example, a generated sequence of 1 through 10 becomes 10 through 1 without changing the Starting value, Ending value, or Step increment.

• Positive step: Counts upward, such as 1, 2, 3 with a step of 1 or 1, 3, 5 with a step of 2.
• Negative step: Counts downward, such as 10, 9, 8 with a step of −1.
• Zero step: Repeats the starting value in every eligible text frame.
• Reset buttons: Click the ✖ beside a changed field to restore Starting value to 1, Ending value to blank, or Step increment to 1.
• Keyboard adjustment: Press Up Arrow or Down Arrow in a numeric field to change it by 1, or hold Shift to change it by 10.

The Ending value and Step increment must agree: use a positive step for an ascending range and a negative step for a descending range.

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➌ Set the Sequence Order

Choose how values are distributed across the selected text frames in the Increase Sequence panel.

• Left to Right: Processes rows from top to bottom and text frames within each row from left to right.
• Top to Bottom: Processes columns from left to right and text frames within each column from top to bottom.
• Stacking Order: Follows the selected objects' stacking order in the Layers panel.
• Randomly: Shuffles the generated values and ignores the positional sorting options.

Closely aligned frames are treated as belonging to the same row or column according to the approximate height of the selected text.

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➍ Choose a Text Replacement Strategy

Use the Text Replacement Strategy panel to decide where each generated value appears.

• Replace entire text content: Replaces everything in every eligible text frame with the generated value.
• Replace existing numbers only: Replaces all number strings in frames that already contain numbers while preserving the other text.
• Replace {n} placeholders only: Replaces every {n} placeholder in frames that contain it while preserving the surrounding text.
• Add as prefix: Places the generated value before the original text.
• Add as suffix: Places the generated value after the original text.

The Separator field becomes available for prefix and suffix modes. Enter a space, dash, period, or any other characters you want between the generated value and the original text; leave it blank to join them directly.

When replacing existing numbers or {n} placeholders, frames without the required content are skipped. The other three strategies use every selected text frame.

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➎ Configure Number Formatting

The leading-zero controls apply only to the Numbers sequence type.

• Pad numbers with leading zeros: Adds zeros before non-negative values so they share a consistent width.
• Automatically determine digit count: Uses the widest value in the sequence to determine the required width.
• Use fixed minimum digit count: Pads values to at least the number of digits you specify; the minimum accepted setting is 1.

For example, a minimum digit count of 3 formats 1, 2, and 3 as 001, 002, and 003.

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➏ Manage Extra Text Frames

Enable Remove unnumbered extra text frames when the selected Ending value creates fewer sequence values than there are eligible text frames. The option is unavailable when the sequence already covers every eligible frame.

• Review the live preview and sequence sample before enabling removal.
• Remember that Replace existing numbers only and Replace {n} placeholders only limit the eligible set to matching frames.
• Click Cancel if you do not want to commit the current changes.

Clicking OK permanently removes the unused eligible text frames when this option is enabled, so confirm the sequence length before applying it.

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➐ Review the Preview and View Controls

Use the preview tools to inspect the sequence before applying it.

• Sample: Displays a shortened text sample of the generated sequence and updates as settings change.
• Preview: Applies the current settings temporarily to the artboard. Turn it off to restore the original text while keeping the dialog open.
• Hide Edges: Temporarily hides selection outlines for an unobstructed view and restores the selection when turned off or when the dialog closes.
• ✚ button: Fits the selected objects in the document window for a closer review.

Changing a sequence, sorting, replacement, separator, or formatting option refreshes the sample and the live artboard preview.

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➑ Apply or Cancel

Check the preview, then finish the operation with the dialog controls.

• OK or Enter: Validates the inputs, applies the sequence, saves the current settings, and closes the dialog.
• Cancel or Esc: Restores any text changed by the live preview and closes the dialog without applying it.

If an input is invalid, the script displays the fields that need correction. Letter values must remain between 1 and 26, and a custom minimum digit count must be 1 or greater.

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☻ Wrap-Up

Sequential Text Numbering turns repetitive Illustrator labeling into a controlled, previewable workflow. Choose the sequence format, range, order, replacement method, and formatting that suit your layout, then verify the artboard preview before applying the result. For short sequences, use the extra-frame removal option carefully because it deletes the unused eligible text frames when you confirm with OK.

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