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Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests

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129 results found

  1. Easier way to unlock layers

    I, like most people, work with layers. Sometimes those layers are 5, sometimes closer to 100. Thing is, I don't want to have to scroll through 100 layers to find the 1 locked layer I want to unlock. It would be great if I could just right-click on it, then go through a 2-step process to unlock the layer. At the very least, if I double-click on said locked layer, I wish to be shown immediately in the Layers panel where that layer is.

    5 votes

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    2 comments  ·  Layers  ·  Admin →
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    In latest versions you can enable 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas ' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section. This will draw a small lock marker for those objects that are locked in your selection (they won’t be a part of selection box though) — click it to unlock an object. Please try it and comment back about if it works for you.

    Another way to do it is to right-click on the locked object (with or without the option above being enabled) choose Unlock and pick an object to unlock from the list. If you want Ai to highlight these on canvas when browsing this menu, you can upvote this request.

  2. Smart Guides when hovering over object and holding Cmd / Ctrl

    In Photoshop, when you hover over an object and hold Cmd / Ctrl, there is a distance display. Please add this in Illustrator.

    288 votes

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    The latest Illustrator build (v29.2) now offers a way to see the distances between a selected object and an object hovered over / edges of an artboard.

    1. Click on the object you want to measure the distance from
    2. Press Opt/Alt and hover over the object that you want to measure distance to
    3. You can also hover over empty area to see the distance from the selected object and the artboard boundaries

    Please try it and come back with the feedback.

  3. Paste and match style within illustrator

    When copying from one text box with style A, then pasting into a text box with style B -- provide the ability to paste as style B in a single keystroke or step. Currently the default is to keep style A when pasting which requires an additional step to convert the style B.

    62 votes

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  4. I'd like to see the transform values of text be accurate to the text rather than the text box

    I'd like to see the transform values of text be accurate to the text rather than the text box. Also so that when I am center aligning text horizontally it will align the actual text and not the text box.

    8 votes

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    Latest versions of Illustrator have an exact solution for that.


    Open Align panel, and enable Align to Glyph Bounds option in the panel’s menu, for point or area text or both.


    The bounding box will remain the same, but the text will now align to and by its actual bounds, just like you want.


    Please comment back if it works for you.

  5. Scrolling in Type window

    In CC 2014, when you selected copy in your document, it would highlight that font in the type window in it's appropriate alphabetical location. You could then scroll up or down alphabetically to get to other fonts. Now, when you select copy in a CC 2018 document, it moves the font to the top of the list and you have to start from the top every time to look for other fonts. I like to scroll through the fonts as I'm designing logos and having to start at the top every time is a pain in the neck!

    2 votes

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    Hi,

    With AI CC 22.1.0 version there is an option in the “Type Preferences” dialog (MAC menu “Illustrator CC >> Preferences >> Type” and WIN menu “Edit >> Preferences >> Type”) to change the “Number of Recent Fonts” and if you set it to “0” then on selecting the font in the document the font drop down list will highlight the Font Family name at it’s location and not on the top of the list.

    Please let us know if you encounter any other issue regarding this.

    With Best Regards,
    Raghuveer Singh
    Illustrator Team

  6. Export for Screens - Prefix artboard number

    In Export for Screens dialog, include the ability to export the Artboard number in Prefix (or Suffix). A checkbox or variable string would do (eg $A). Currently we have to manually add the Artboard number into the Artboard name.

    53 votes

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  7. Multiple Artboards Selection for deletion

    Since we dont have the multiple artboard seletion for (Deletion,Editing),Every time user has to select on the single Artboard and have to do the changes, that consumes more time if the artboards are more.

    In easier terms ,Its hard to select everytime the artboards and to move it...

    4 votes

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  8. Keyboard shortcuts for Bold and Italic text

    It would be useful if, while typing/editing text, there was a keyboard shortcut to add BOLD or ITALICS - highlight the word, hit CTRL + B to bold, for example.

    53 votes

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  9. Make Smart guides optionally work with live text

    Sometimes it is needed to snap to contour of live text.
    Right now it requires to make a copy of text, outline it, snap to desired point/segment, delete copy.

    What if user could tick an option that allows to snap to live glyphs? or use 'Ctrl' modifier to toggle this mode on the fly? It would allow us to skip copying-outlining-snapping-deleting and boost the speed.

    19 votes

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  10. Hotkey to exit Type mode

    PLEASE MAKE A "HOTKEY" or keyboard command to EXIT "TYPE MODE."

    ONCE ONE IS IN TYPE MODE, A COMMON ERROR IS TO ACCIDENTALLY TYPE:

    VVVVVVVVVVVVV

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

    MMMMMMMMMM

    etc.

    The answer could be as simple as "Simultaneous Spacebar + hotkey letter."

    3 votes

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  11. Area Calculation

    Having an area calculator would be awesome!

    61 votes

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    36 comments  ·  Tools  ·  Admin →
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    The latest Illustrator release - v29.3 now offers Area Calculation using Measure Tool:

    • Select the objects in your artwork you want to calculate the area for.
    • Select the Measure Tool from the Toolbar.
    • The calculated area will be displayed in the Info panel, shown automatically.
    • Shift + Click on a segment in the existing selection to remove/add it to area calculation.
    • Configure measurement options by accessing the flyout menu of the panel. You can customize units, precision, and scale to suit your requirements.

    Please update to v29.3 from your Creative Cloud Desktop application and keep sharing your feedback!

  12. Auto-adjust text box to text

    In the past, with Freehand, we could to do that by clicking on the bottom corner right of the text box.
    Recover that would be a good idea.
    Thanks!

    9 votes

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  13. Align to artboard when only when item/group of items is selected.

    Have aligning be dynamic depending on what is selected. If one item or group of items is selected auto select align to artboard rather than the last selected option.

    If multiple items are selected but not group it would auto select align to selection.

    This would reduce time having to check what you are aligning to since 99% of the time when you are trying to align a group it is to the artboard and the same with selecting multiple objects. It is a hassle having to constantly be checking and changing my align options.

    78 votes

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  14. 100% size is actually actual size

    Allow Illustrator to be monitor-aware. Have a feature where there is an onscreen ruler, and ask the user to hold up a real ruler to the screen. Let them drag a slider until the onscreen ruler perfectly matches the physical ruler. Then let this % value become the new "100% size" for that machine. Currently to see my artwork at 100% size, I need to set my view to 192%. I wish there was a setting to set my "100%" to default to 192%.

    70 votes

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    In CC 2019 (latest update 23.0.1), at 100% Zoom 1inch artwork would display at 1inch in physical (Print) size, on any display. If this doesn’t work right for screen design workflows, please use the checkbox Preferences > General > Display Print Size at 100% Zoom, to turn off the feature. Currently this feature works only on primary display, and there are plans of extending this to other attached displays.

  15. Add Ai and EPS formats in Export for Screens / Assets dialog

    I realize that .pdf is essentially the same as .eps format, but still it would be useful to have the option to export as .eps.

    77 votes

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    With the v29.2, Illustrator now allows you to export into Ai and EPS format via the export for screen dialogue.

    You will also have the ability to fine-tune the these documents through the advance settings.


    We hope you would find the changes useful, please let us know your feedback or comment below.

  16. Eliminate the Adobe Search Pane in the top right of illustrator

    Adobe does not seem to be able to fix the problem of Adobe search being selected by default when a file is opened. I use a master layout page & am constantly pasting art I have copied to the pasteboard into the stupid, virtually useless Adobe search window. It immediately hangs Illustrator which eventually crashes.

    This bug is ridiculously enraging. I cannot believe Adobe has not addressed this. It can't just be me having this issue

    6 votes

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  17. Need to select all artboards and resize them at once by entering desired size.

    Need to select and change all artboard size at once. Can we have this feature in Illustrator? Because after design we need to prepare artworks from same file so we need to increase artboard sizes to add crop marks and other details of instructions for printer, It will be easier if we can change this in artboard window or from document setup.

    3 votes

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  18. GET RID OF THE REVERT HOTKEY!

    The hot key for Revert is WAY too similar to the hot key for Save As in Photoshop and I lost an entire day fo work saving after finishing a project. The fact that that can happen accidentally, even with the approval button is INFURIATING!

    53 votes

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  19. Export selected only

    Would like to see an "EXPORT SELECTED ONLY" option, so that you can export just a selection of items from a file with many elements. Really a pain to have to copy the items I want to export, and paste them into a new file in order to export them.

    8 votes

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  20. Symetric drawing

    to line
    to square
    to triangle
    to shape defined by user

    1 vote

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    1 comment  ·  Tools  ·  Admin →
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