Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
57 results found
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PLEASE add back in the ability to copy simple shapes that contain gradients from Illustrator to InDesign.
Copying simple shapes with simple gradients (not even complex gradient mesh) from Illustrator to InDesign has been a feature for as long as I've been using Adobe products and now, suddenly, in the 2026 versions, it's gone. Every time I try I get the error dialog attached. This is the most basic of functions and I don't understand why it's gone. I just got off the phone with Adobe Support who said "it's no longer supported". What? Why? Their solution was to save Illustrator objects as files and import/place them into InDesign, but that's not an ideal solution as those…
1 vote -
Can we have better gradients when working in CMYK to Pantone?
Have better control with gradients when working with spot colors to CMYK. When using the normal gradient tool and working with Pantone colors to CMYK you get a nasty grey gradient. Currently you have to create two shapes, extend on of the gradients and set it to multiply. The new 2026 gradient dither feature does not fix this problem.
2 votes -
Gradient Tools Lack Customizability
For a $20/month program, it's really frustrating that I've tested it's limited capabilities multiple times.
1. Radial gradient: Should have the option to be deformed to shape. For instance, if I wanted a butterfly shaped radial gradient, the radial gradient should be able to act more like a proportional subdivision. Otherwise, the closes thing there is to what I'm looking for is the Gradient mesh because..Gradient Mesh: The Gradient Mesh has a severe lack of customizability. Everytime I use that tool for any complex shape, I always get a jumbled mess of lines and subdivisions that are overlapping and…
3 votes -
Make Create Gradient from swatches command to respect the order of selection
Recently Illustrator added a dedicated command to create a gradient form selected swatches, following this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/38592196
While the function works, there is no way to create a gradient respecting the selection order of swatches — the gradient will always use their order in the panel. I wish it worked! If we need the direct order of swatches, we’d just selected like this.
4 votes -
Show gradient annotator for Live Paint selections
Version 29.3 finally allows to adjust gradients for individual Live Paint regions on canvas: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/35930962
While these can indeed be adjusted now, the annotator is still missing.
I suppose it requires more hacking to make it work, but still I’d like to see the controls on canvas, to tweak the look and not remaking it from scratch each time.3 votes -
Gradient across open stroke should 'run around' round caps
I think the gradient across a stroke with a round cap should "run around" the cap at the end of the open stroke (see a screenshot).
2 votes -
Make fractal noise gradient
One of my favorite gradient types from the time of Xara was 'Fractal Nosie' and 'Fractal Plasma'. No fine-tuning, but pretty handy for adding quick perturbance, especially when used as a transparency mask.
It’s still there.
Today, VectorStyler app offers a similar gradient type: https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/gradients/We can do something similar using freeform gradient in Ai... but try to scale or rotate control points all at once, I dare you.
Also please take a look at this related request:
Make conical gradient
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/360036164 votes -
Put gradients in swatch groups, option to make them global, work between Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop
It's a three-in-one suggestion around the entire universe of gradient issues in Adobe software.
A. Why can't we put gradients in swatch group folders? This seems like a very basic feature for swatch organization.
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31389250B. Why can't the gradient be global so editing a swatch position or color in the gradient panel moves/changes it across all uses of the gradient relative to the current scale of that gradient?
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/33164479 and
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/37224865)C. Why can't we save gradient swatches in a way that is shareable between other Adobe software? Available gradient styles are also inconsistent in the Adobe-verse.
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/30997678…
1 vote -
Gradient Tool Needs Custom Angle Increment Option
There should be an option to define the angle increment that you want Shift to lock to when creating or modifying a gradient. Such as 15 degree increments (0º, 15º, 30º...). Come on Adobe!
6 votes -
Revisit the interactions of gradients, brushes, and patterns.
You can't make pattern swatches with gradients in them. This limitation probably made a lot of sense back in 1996 when gradients were new and complicated. Does it still make sense in 2024, with thirty years of CPU manufacturers fighting to keep Moore's Law valid?
You can't apply a gradient stroke to an art/pattern/scatter brush. Again, this limitation probably made sense back in 2012 when gradient strokes were added to Illustrator. Does it still make sense in 2024?
I'm pretty tired of working around both of these limitations.
6 votes -
Pick gradients from images using Eyedropper tool
An Eyedropper enhancement to automatically recognise and sample color gradients from images.
1 vote -
Can we have nicer gradient when we use spot color to gradient?
Look like the tone was mixed with desaturated tone at the middle part when we use pantone / spot colour we created.
When we output to print, the desaturated tone is still visible.
Attached the screenshot for your reference. Thank you!4 votes -
Make gradient hard stops
A gradient can be striped when you move 2 stops of the same color on top of each other. It would be easier if this were not needed as is the case in Cinema 4D. So Illustrator should have a setting that gradient stops break the gradient and make stripes.
Posting this on request of a forum participant. Please see the post here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/my-illustrator-wishlist/m-p/14408654#M396609
4 votes -
Make a way to call the Color Picker dialog for change color of a gradient stop
The gradient tool is not very intuitive, and the color selection interface has a limited range, making it difficult to accurately pick the desired colors. Usually, I can only use color codes to specify them. I think there is a lot of room for improvements.
2 votes -
A hotkey to switch gradient types, Linear/Radial/Freeform
Shift + > and Shift + < are not taken.
We’d assigned them ourselves, but guess what — you forgot to expose these in Keyboard Shortcuts. As 90% of all other commands and buttons we have in panels. But hey, we introduce new features... finish old ones already.
17 votes -
An object with a freeform gradient fill makes the coloring control in the tool panel switched to None
In the tool panel we have three indicator buttons, which show the current type of fill/stroke for the selection — Fill, Gradient, None.
Illustrator switches it to None, when an object with a freeform gradient fill is selected.I can understand why it probably happens. Since freeform gradients are not technically gradients, and using this mode converts an object into a dynamic container for generating a triangular mesh, it makes sense for Illustrator to not display the proper indicator here — the container has no fill... but it makes no sense for a user. It is you who decided it’s…
13 votes -
I am wondering if anyone can help me as my gradient tool is not working. When I click it it switches between the mouse and gradient icon.
I am wondering if anyone can help me as my gradient tool is not working. I can click it from the toolbar or press the G key on my keypad, but when I try to use it doesn't work. The gradient icon just switches between that and the mouse icon when I press it.
1 vote -
Create a ISE file system for Gradient management (ASE for AI only)
create the possibility to export gradients as lib !
I understand why ASE does not work with gradients (while it could be the case if ASE would accept more than one value per swatch but whatever..)
I'd be nice to create ISE fileformat for example (ASE for AI only) to be able to have an actual gradient lib file.
bluegradients.ISE
Redgradients.ISE
EtcThe state of gradient management feels very much not polished from the adobe side of things, so please, work on that ...
and have a look at Astute gradient forge
If you actually care about Fixing your BASE…1 vote -
Allow to reposition both ends of Gradient Annotator, similar to the iPad version
Please make the interactive Gradient Tool’s annotator work as in the iPad version, where both end nodes behave similarly.
On the desktop version, when one end is dragged, it moves the whole gradient around.
On the iPad, both ends can be moved independently.
It makes the tool counter intuitive!12 votes -
Add more gradient varieties, including rainbow, purple gradients, blend of different color gradients
Add more gradient varieties, including rainbow, purple gradients, blend of different color gradients
1 voteIllustrator provides these already in its Swatch Libraries. Read to the comment inside to understand how to access these.
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