Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
200 results found
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Stretching objects
A stretch function allows to e.g. move a door in a wall. The door is moved, one wall is enlarged and the other wall is shortened. This is done by drawing a box through the walls and around the door, and then by moving the selection. Object that are completely within the selection are moved. Object that cross the selection box are stretched.
2 votesSelect points needed with the Direct Selection tool and move them altogether.
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An ability to size and line space text based on a capital curved letter "C", "O" or "S"
I create a lot of graphics for signage using Illustrator and most depend on actual sizing and spacing of the text. If I put 12" letters and convert to outlines the text is is really 25% smaller. So I either have to outline the text and lose editability or I have to eyeball a clipping mask to the curve letter and resize the clipping mask to the correct size.
1 voteFont Hight Options (can be toggled in the Character panel’s flyout menu) now allow to set the size of the font exactly based on the calculated size of capital glyphs (along with other options).
Read more about it here.
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Allow to change color & width of border / edges for artboards (all and active)
Sometimes when I am using black colour I cant see properly my artboard size so I have work with the guides instead of using the change artboard colour option so it gets annoying. If there were an artboard frame colour option it would be easier to compare my design w.r.t. the artboard
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IMG_2637.jpeg 4933 KB -
Screenshot%202025-08-07%20at%2010.14.26%E2%80%AFam.png 24 KB -
Captura.JPG 21 KB -
2025-07-30_080816.gif 875 KB -
Screenshot_181.png 19 KB -
Screenshot-2022-04-25-Proposed-Notes.png 16 KB -
Screenshot-2022-04-25-Current-Behavior-notes.png 14 KB -
nikog22255577_0-1648973190977.png 12 KB -
Artboard 1.png 140 KB
82 votes -
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Keyboard shortcut to invoke the search box under the Help menu
I swear there used to be a keyboard shortcut to do this. Given the relative complexity of Illustrator, I rely on search to locate less frequently performed actions. I currently navigate by mouse up to the Help menu (which automatically gives the Search field focus), where I type in the first few characters of the action I wish to perform (results are refined as I type in more characters); this way, I can simply select the action I want right from the Help menu. It would be great if I could forego the mouse entirely and invoke that Help menu…
1 voteYou definitely can assign a hotkey for Discover, using Keyboard Shortcuts dialog, in Menu Commands.
The problem though it’s named as 'Illustrator Help' there, not 'Discover'. By default it uses F1.
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Allow for artboard to be transparent
I'm working on a logo and I need the artboard to disappear.
1 voteYou can toggle this with View > Hide / Show Artboards (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + H) to hide borders for artboards.
Also you can apply View > Show / Hide Transparency Grid (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + D) to view the transparency checkerboard.
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Triangles
Add the use of triangles into shapes as this will help with projects. as there is the only use of lines, square and circles.
1 voteIllustrator has also a Polygon live shape. With only three sides used, it becomes a live triangle. If you have drawn a triangle manually (and it a regular one), you can always convert it into a live shape, using Object > Shape > Convert to Shape menu command.
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Offset path feature won't become a sharp
Why if I have a curve that has several very small (sharp) angles, when I enter it in the offset path feature (+ offset), then the offset result can't be sharp anyway. but if (-) is offset, then can it turn sharp?
1 voteTo fix that, you have to increase the Miter limit value in this dialog. Read more about Miter limits here:
https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/stroke-object.html
The article is about strokes, but the same principle applies to offsets.
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Drag and drop objects by specific point of choice.
The Smart Guide function is very helpful and helps with the accuracy and precision we need to handle objects. However, would it be possible for us to have an even more accurate tool? A way to drag and drop using a chosen point within a path to move? This way we wouldn't be bond only by the objects borders.
1 voteThis is exactly what Illustrator does when we hold Cmd/Ctrl while dragging. In this case it prioritizes the position of the cursor, and makes it snap exactly by the point grabbed to the point hovered on. Please, try it and leave the comment if it solves it for you (or not).
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Actions Panel
The Actions Panel in Photoshop is great. Any chance Actions Panels can be added to other programs?
1 voteIllustrator for Desktop has Actions panel. If you meant iPad — please refer to the iPad section of these forums.
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2 votes
You can restore all warning dialogs with Preferences > General: Reset All Warning Dialogs command
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Add a "Ctrl +E" to illustrator for quick export
InDesign has a "Ctrl+ E" for quick export instead of going down the menu bar and selecting it. Can illustrator put in a "Ctrl + E" for export. this is a annoyance since I'm exporting to jpg and tif formats all of the time from Illustrator for photoshop image adjustment
1 voteIllustrator allows to assign your own custom hotkeys to most of the command from menus via Edit > Keyboards Shortcuts dialog.
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Ability to create a new document
I want to create a new document and not one from a template. Please add "Create New Blank Document".
I use this for mobile games and don't think it's fair I have to revert back to Legacy to just create a quick ai file to edit and go.
1 voteThere are several solution on how to create a new document faster. Please refer to the comment inside.
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Where has Export > DXF Gone?
Export as DXF has been removed since the latest update.
This option is essential at our workplace.Is there a reason why it was removed?
3 votesBoth DXF and DWG export options are there now in the 'Save as type' dropdown list in the Export As dialog, in recent versions of Illustrator.
Please comment if these are missing for you.
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1 vote
We can now use 'Paste without Formatting', which ignores text formatting
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MAKE. THE. HANDLER. BIGGER
make that tiny little ANCHOR and HANDLER bigger. I'm tired of failing to click that tiny rectangle every single second. PLEASE. I BEG YOU
1 voteThe size of handles can be changed in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display, using the Size slider.
As for the selection tolerance for these — the problem with it is known and reported in a separate bug report: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/20358952-selection-tolerance-for-selecting-handles
Please vote if you want to get it fixed.
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puppet pen tool
it is missing in adobe 2017, how to get it.
1 voteThe only wayt to get the Puppet Warp tool is to upgrade at least to October 2017 version or newer. The tool is hidden in the Basic toolbox, and is located in Free Transform tool group in Advanced toolbox. Switch these in Window > Toolbars menu.
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correct measurements
In the attached screen shot you can see that the height of each of these objects, when looking at the blue illustrator guidelines, is measured the same but in reality, as is clearly obvious from the stroke attached to one of them, they are not the same size. One of them is clearly bigger in size due to the stroke. This discrepancy is very and constantly confusing when trying to work in precision measurements. Please could you fix so the stoked object calculates the stroke outer edge as additional width, as that is what it is. Thanks James
3 votesThere's an option 'Used Preview Bounds' for that in Preferences, which toggles the behavior. When it’s on, Illustrator includes stroke weight into dimensions, and does not when it’s off.
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Crop command embedding linked images
I would be thankful if linked images remain linked (instead of being embedded after using the crop command). I would like to believe that this can be made possible. This is the normal behaviour in other graphic design software.
3 votesIf you want to keep a cropped image as a live linked image, you should Clip it instead. Press the Mask button (in Control or Properties panel) and Ai will create and select a rectangular path with the same dimensions. Transform this path with any tool you like or with the bounding box, and the image inside will remain unembedded.
Crop command, on the other hand, is intended specifically for 'physical' cropping, and since Ai won’t edit the original placed image, it gets embedded and then cropped.
Just use the method you need.
Please comment back if it works for you.
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Button to reveal a Layer on "Layer window"
Is there a possibility to create a right-clic option to "reveal on Layer window" from any object? Sometimes when I receive some .ai files, everything is un-organized and must travel over layers and layers... This option is in After Effects and is very helpful.
Thanks for reading!2 votesYou can do this now with the Locate Object button in the bottom of the Layers panel.
However, this is not an automatic thing. If you wish to have an option for it to be automatic, vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/39104935-automatic-locate-object
If you want to be able to assign a hotkey to it without wrapping it into an action, vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/34798945-add-keyboard-shortcut-for-locate-object-button-in
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Open New File with Limited Color Palette
Include an option in the New File dialogue box to open a file with only black and white color swatches. Currently, new files open with a large palette of useless color swatches, and it's a time waster to have to delete all those colors each time to have a clean and functional palette.
1 voteYou can set your own document profiles that have only what you need.
Trash all swatches, styles, brushes and resave this new document as a default profile (in a separate folder first), add your own, and then copy the file over existing one (or add a new). Access the folder by clicking Browse option in Profile dropdown in the extended New Document dialog window.
Just remember to backup these files, because Ai overwrites defaults each update!
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