Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
195 results found
-
Fix blending of strokes
As described in this discussion (from 4 years ago!) - https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1291256 - in most cases when you apply a blend to two strokes with any profile other than uniform, the intermediate stages of the blended strokes do not have any profile applied to them. I believe this has been a problem at least as far back as the introduction of variable width strokes, and has still not been resolved. This seriously hampers the usefulness of the blend tool and massively increases the amount of time required to produce the desired effect.
3 votesBlending paths with different stroke profiles, created with Width tool or picked from the panel, now works as expected — intermediate steps all have correctly blended profiles applied.
-
Aligning to a certain object
The Align tools in all Adobe programs is a wonderful feature. However, in Illustrator when you Align objects it changes the position of ALL of them. In other programs, it tends to be the last object you select takes the dominant position - aligning all others to it. In Illustrator it doesn't seem to matter the order you select, it just aligns it to the nearest center point (thus moving ALL the objects). The Lock feature doesn't help as you cannot select a locked object to align with/to.
17 votesYou can align to an object you choose to be the key one.. Click the object you want to use as a key the second time and Ai will use a bolder edge to highlight it.
More details here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miVLI8rwO1o https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/moving-aligning-distributing-objects.html
-
Delete hidden layers
Would it be great if add the option of deleting all hidden layers as in photoshop..
6 votesThere is a command in the Layers panel’s menu, called Delete Hidden Layers... Unfortunately, it deletes not only hidden layers, but also all hidden content. There is a separate request to rename the comment or add another, to distinct two operations: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/43634643-delete-hidden-layers-command-innapropriately-nam Please vote. Also, there is another request to delete unused/empty layers: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/40696027-delete-unused-layers -
Copy the style of stroke when using eyedropper tool
When I use the eyedropper tool on a stroke with arrowhead, the full style does not get copied - only color and weight (not arrowhead). I think it is expected for the arrowhead to get copied too, just like the color AND font get copied when you use the eyedropper tool on text.
10 votesAs mentioned in comments, arrowheads are strangely the part of Appearance and not the basic stroke, and to get it copied you should tick 'Appearance' in Eyedropper tool settings (hit Enter when the tool is chosen). Then everything works. Please comment back if it does not for you. -
Position elements relative to artboards.
Since several improvements to artboards are in the pipeline, I think It would be worth considering positioning elements relative to the top left corner of the artboard. I haven't found a good use for keyboard entry of x and y positions. Positioning elements relatively would make it relatively easy to maintain padding / grids across multiple artboards by entering an exact value.
5 votesTo allow the artboard-relative positioning, you should switch rulers from global with View > Rulers > Change to Artboard Rulers command (or from the context menu for the zero point of the rulers on canvas).
-
Please add id support for each page element as we have in Indesign
What I think when we do scripting for elements, we should have a unique id for each element. So it will be easy for developer to access the element using it instead of its name
6 votesIn CC2020, the 'uuid' string key ('unique object identifier') was added into Ai DOM. It is readable and can be used to retrieve a specific object in a script using the getPageItemFromUuid() method.
You can read more in this short article.
-
Change shortcut for paste in place/paste on all artboards to match Indesign
I'm in a workflow where I work simultaneously with Illustrator and Indesign, linking illustrator files to indesign (they could probably be integrated more!).
However, it is probably my most irritated moments when I realize I have used cmd-alt-shift-V (shortcut to paste in place in Indesign) instead of cmd-shift-V. If you work on one artboard, it looks the same, and you don't realize your mistake until you go to another artboard and see that the pasted thing has been pasted on all artboards. And you've worked far enough to not having the possibility to undo...
2 votesYou can customize your hotkeys in Keyboard Shortcuts dialog. Search 'paste' and change 'Paste on All Artboards' to anything else or remove shortcut completely.
-
Eyedropper shortcut
If I have a box with a gradient stroke (as an example) and I want to then fill it, if I use the eyedropper to grab the color from another object, it overrides and deletes the stoke. I would like to be able to use the eyedropper on fill or stroke without deleting it's counterpart. Right now it's a long process of clicking off my shape, eyedropping the color, copying the color value, reselecting the object, double clicking the fill or stroke, and pasting in the value. It adds up to a lot of time lost for something that should…
1 voteTo make Eyedropper pick and apply only fill, without modifying the stroke, you need to open the tool’s options, and uncheck the ‘Focal Stroke’ option in the left column. This will force Illustrator to ignore the stroke from the source object, and your target object will keep its original stroke.
Use other options there to fine tune the tool to your needs.
There is a similar resolved request that is about the same thing — https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/38241262
-
Unlink assets from Creative Libraries
After I drop an asset from the library in a document, I want to be able to unlink it, and remove dependencies to an external library.
In my case, I'm using library to build products that I'm selling, so when I export the products for sale, I need to remove the dependencies to these libraries.Any designer who sell his products, or share with people external to a team, would have the same need.
We need to keep the flexibility of using a library (to update changes through multiple documents), but we need to make these documents self sufficient.
3 votesAs stated in the comments, one can place a library item as an unlinked copy with Opt/Alt+dragging on canvas. To embed linked copies, a user can press the Embed button in Control / Properties panels, or choose Embed Image(s) command from the Links panel's flyout menu.
-
Mapping artwork on 3d object surface
Now we need every time to convert /or update/ artwork into symbol before mapping in on the surface of 3D objects that are created with 3d effects. That process is annoying and complex. Simplifying of that can help profs and beginners to use it quickly and pass some steps.
Now many programs like Adobe Dimension CC, 3d paint allows to do that very easy and in real time.
Also adding some new feature like uv maps or tiling 3d effects can be very helpful.
2 votesModern 3D and Materials allows to map symbols directly on a object on canvas, across its multiple surfaces. A user can move it, rotate, scale.
The tech is not perfect still, and it won’t be supported for now Classic 3D effects, but is potent enough already to try.
-
Presentation screen mode
Add presentation screen mode, similar to InDesign
5 votesIllustrator today offers dedicated View > Presentation Mode
-
Copy parts from multiple layers into multiple layers
I work with a lot of parts that I need to keep separated for output. A simple example is a complex, compound shape with 20 elements. I have 10 on a "cut" layer and 10 on a "print" layer. If I copy and paste them, I can only paste them into one layer. I might want them to go back into the same layers or into 2 new layers. I never want them in the same layer. I now have to go in and separate them all into the proper layers.
This is important because the layers tell our output…
6 votesYou can enable Paste Remembers Layers in the panel’s menu to make Illustrator remember layers your objects were copied from and insert them on layers with same name when pasted. If these layers don’t exist, Illustrator will create them. Be careful and disable it when not needed, if might make a mess when not needed. Also note that with this option enable everything copied from an isolation mode creates a separate 'Isolation mode' layer, which is stupid — vote here if you think this should be addressed: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/37935496-paste-remembers-layers-bug-with-isolation-mode -
Angled Guidelines
I'm working on a typography piece right now and my guidelines look like this (see attached.) The black lines are straight strokes. I think it would be really neat to have an option for angled guidelines, so I don't have to mix vertical/horizontal guides with strokes.
2 votesIllustrator allows to turn any path into a guide with View > Guides > Make Guides command (and the opposite as well).
Also it’s possible to rotate guides, using Rotate tool and Rotate dialog.
-
I would like to pick a colour from the fill for the stroke
I would like to pick a colour from the fill for the stroke.
So if I choose fill to be the main I would like to change it regardless if I am picking from the fill or the stroke.
1 voteYou can do it by holding Shift while using the Eyedropper tool
-
Artboards should have a purpose
- What is the purpose of having an artboard if anything drawn beyond it shows up as part of your drawing? I exported an artwork as a png file and everything beyond the artboard showed up as part of the artwork. The workspace around the artboard should be able to be used for ideas that may be relevant to future versions of your art or to assist in creating your art.
- When I drew the attached image, I expected that anything beyond the artboard would not show as part of the artwork.
2 votesIllustrator can respect artboards when exporting a raster image, if Use Artboards option in the Export dialog gets checked. In this case everything beyond artboards’ boundaries will get trimmed.
Export for Screens method will respect either artboards or assets, depending on the user’s choice.
Also, there is a view to just hide these excess temporarily with View > Trim View command, but this won’t make changes when exporting.
-
Extended Tools Panel
Less frequently used tools (in my case: Scissors, Paint Bucket) are hard to find in the standard Tools Palette. Wouldn't it be great when Illustrator had a preset to show all tools at a glance (on my 30" screen...)?
I know that it is possible to create custom tools panels - but especially when creating those, it's nice to have a view on all tools at once!
2 votesIn latest version one can click small three dots at the bottom of the Tools panel and see all tools at once, including those which are already in the toolbox.
-
No strokes on linked files
Illustrator CC 2017 (up to date) Windows 64bit
Place a linked file, eg. a jpg
Add a stroke to the linked file object in the appearance panel
Try and change the stroke weight.
Expected a stroke. like any other.2 votesTo have strokes around your linked images, you should do some additional steps:
1. Apply a stroke (obviously)
2. Open Appearance panel
3. Focus the applied stroke attribute
4. Apply Path > Outline Object effect
It should be placed 'inside' of the stroke attribute, not the object itself. You can always drag-n-drop it if you missed.
Why does it work?
The image does not have a path for a stroke to be applied to. If you aplly the effect to the image directly, its pixel data is replaced by a path around the bounding box. Applied to stroke, it give it 'rails' to be stroked along.
Not easy to grasp, but once you get it, Appearance panel becomes your best friend.
-
Remove F1 key as help key
I use the F-keys frequently for Actions. However, F1 is defaulted to launching Illustrator's help screen and I'm regularly hitting the key by mistake. Could we please have a different way to launch the help screen and free up the F1 key for other, customisable, uses?
1 voteThank you Ryan for your help.
Here is the way to customise the keys – please thank Ryan if you found it useful.“You can go to edit/keyboard shortcuts, then choose menu commands. Find help, and clear the F1 key from it or pick it as another one. Save it as your own custom keyboard preset and you’re good to go.”
-
Screen resolution of Illustrator 23.0 - Not recognising retina display?
Just downloaded the new Adobe Apps as an update. All fine except illustrator. It looks massive on my screen. Seems it's not seeing retina display or can't work out the size of my display. Attached are two screenshots. One is illustrator window looking massive and Photoshop looking as it should.
3 votes -
Bug at the path points
My English is not good so I made a video to explain my problem.
This just happened in Illustrator 2019 but it was already in 2018. Only in 2017 does it happen. This problem only happens on this computer. On other computers I use does not happen.How do I solve this?
1 voteIt looks like you got your bounding box accidentaly disabled. Enable it back with Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+B hotkey or via View > Show Bounding Box command.
- Don't see your idea?