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Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests

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4598 results found

  1. Allow targeting layers with no unlocked/visible paths in them.

    You can target a layer to apply an appearance by clicking on the circle to the right of its name in the Appearance palette.

    This is not possible, however, if the layer is empty.

    This is also not possible if the only thing the layer contains is empty layers.

    This is also not possible if all the children of the layer are locked. Or invisible.

    There must be at least one unlocked, visible non-layer object in a layer before you can target it.

    I am most often annoyed by trying and failing to target a layer with a bunch of…

    3 votes
    0 comments  ·  Layers  ·  Admin →
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  2. Need Save As... in Edit Toolbar options

    I use saved toolbars, but they are tedious to create because when you click New toolbar... you get a blank toolbar and then have to add each tool one by one. I would like to open an existing toolbar (like Advanced) and have the option to Save As... under a new name - then, I can remove the tools I don't want and save it. Better to work from a starting point, than have to start from scratch.

    3 votes
    0 comments  ·  Tools  ·  Admin →
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  3. Local Artboard Editing Mode

    Illustrator already notionally works on one artboard at a time... the one that's zoomed to with Cmd-0, or pasted to with Cmd-V...

    Perhaps there could be a mode switch, similar to the 'Draw Inside' mode where all operations are confined to objects on the current artboard. Useful for Cmd-A for example. This would override unlocked artboards of course!

    This mode of operation is already familiar in InDesign where only current spread-object appear in the Layers.

    3 votes
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  4. Lock Highlight (Unlock) mode

    I've always wanted some kind of Lock Highlight feature:

    Much like editing a Group after double-click (which grays out all other artboard objects while you edit only that grouped object), I'd like to be able to see a grayed out preview of all the locked objects.

    With a keyboard shortcut (e.g. Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Click), you could Unlock individual elements, then exit Lock Highlight mode and keep working.

    That would keep you from needing to go back around and relock other elements you didn't want to disturb.

    3 votes
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  5. All Inputs / Panels Follow Dimension Tool Scale

    I want to be able to create and edit all of my art in scale.
    Example
    I would like to be able to make a 2" rectangle in 1:2 scale and have it illustrator draw me a 1" square on the page.
    This would be very powerful for things when expanded to the object info box to get area and path dimensions, being able to make a font 3' tall in the character panel.
    Every place that you can control shapes with math, it would be amazing to be able to do it to scale in the program without having…

    3 votes
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  6. A Node View mode for the Appearance Palette, and a complete revamp of what it can do.

    I feel like I have a lot of things I want changed about the Appearance palette that cannot be done in the form of a one-dimensional list of effects.

    I'd like to suggest something inspired by the "node view" in programs like Blender or Toon Boom or Unreal. Give me a 2d canvas upon which I can arrange strokes, fills, and effects, and let me plug them into each other in complex ways. Let me control exactly when a brush is applied to a stroke by moving its effect around. Let me dynamically generate an opacity mask for an entire…

    3 votes
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  7. Scale tool with value input and custom anchor

    I'm not necessarily looking for a script—I’m just curious if a tool could be developed to enhance Illustrator’s Scale tool. Specifically, I’d love the ability to input a custom scale value (e.g., uniformly 125%, 100% height, 20% width, etc.) while also being able to position a custom anchor point, as currently available in the Scale tool.

    I understand that the Transform Each function allows users to select individual objects, input values, and place an anchor point. However, this feature has limitations:

    The anchor point can only be placed within the object's bounds.
    To uniformly scale multiple objects, users must group…

    3 votes
    6 comments  ·  Tools  ·  Admin →
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  8. Allow to snap to points of a symbol with Dimension Tool

    Is there any chance to make it works with symbols? Using multiple instances of a symbol is a basic workflow in many industries (especially in the fashion industry). Unfortunately you can’t work this way because the Dimension tool is not compatible with symbols.

    Thanks to Daté Tetegan for the idea.

    3 votes
    0 comments  ·  Symbols  ·  Admin →
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  9. Show/Collapse Option for the Right-Click Menu Items

    The Right-Click menu is getting too long. How about making an option to collapse or send to a fly-out window from the right-click menu, the least used tools/commands? Or, the ability to roll-up (or keep unrolled) the sections in the right-click menu? And the next time AI is started, the settings appear as they were from a previous session.

    3 votes
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  10. Allow to name new artboard copies by incrementing numbers in their names

    I often have to make documents with many artboards. And every time when I copy it, Illustrator add " copy" to name.

    Common, I name it like "name 01".
    I want to in this case the copy of this artboard named "name 02" ...

    3 votes
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  11. Edit Colors panel - drag and drop from document swatches

    1. In the "Edit Colors" panel, users can already select a document's color palette. However, it would be incredibly helpful to allow dragging and dropping individual colors from the document's palette directly into the active color set of an object.

    2. Currently, users have to manually input color values (e.g., RGB), which is time-consuming. Adding a drag-and-drop feature would make this process more efficient and user-friendly, greatly improving the workflow for designers.

    Thank you for considering this enhancement!

    3 votes
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  12. Beim Ebenenbedienfeld sollte der Bereich grösser sein, wenn man mit der Maus eine Ebene sichtbar machen oder ausblenden

    Beim Ebenenbedienfeld sollte der Bereich grösser sein, wenn man mit der Maus eine Ebene sichtbar machen oder ausblenden will oder wenn man sie sperren will. Der Bereich sollte das ganze Quadrat umfassen (s. roten Bereich) und nicht nur den blauen Bereich. Begründung: Beim Klicken schaue ich oft auf die Veränderung bei der Zeichnung. Wenn sich die Maus beim Klicken nur ganz wenig verschiebt, gerät man aus dem Bereich und es passiert nichts. Dann muss man die Maus neu ausrichten und wieder versuchen.

    3 votes
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  13. Make 3D material texture scale apply consistently across an entire group/compound path (replicating gradient behavior)

    There is currently no way to have a design consisting of multiple disconnected shapes that "share" one single material texture scale in the 3D feature. The scale of the texture is determined by the size of each shape; small shapes have small, squished textures and large shapes have large, stretched textures. I understand that each shape is determining what size is "100%" scale, but the behavior should be like it is elsewhere in Illustrator. When you apply a gradient to multiple shapes, each shape has the entire gradient because each shape's dimensions determine what the 100% scale is. However, if…

    3 votes
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  14. Allow adding of Freeform Gradients to CC Library panel

    Allow adding of freeform gradients to CC libraries. Very inconvenient to have to re-open legacy files each time I need the gradient. This gradient is used consistently for our brand packaging across different products and designs.

    3 votes
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  15. Add export functionality directly in the Artboard Panel

    Add export functionality directly in the Artboard Panel through either:

    A right-click context menu option
    Small export icons next to each artboard
    A dedicated export button within the panel"

    The key benefits to highlight would be:

    Reduced clicks/steps in the workflow
    More intuitive location since users are already working with artboards

    3 votes
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  16. Group all Gen ai features into one menu

    Originally by René Andritsch

    With the advent of more and more Gen AI features I highly wish that there is a dedicated Gen AI menu item in the object menu where all those features can be found.
    And this can and should be redundant as the Pattern fill can be with the Pattern Command (and others where they are already) but they should also be found in this new Gen AI Menu to have everything AI related in one place. No guessing just a single place to look for these features and there will be more obviously.

    3 votes
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  17. Effect > Distort & transform > Stacking order

    Sometimes you have a group of objects that are not in the correct stacking order, and you have to expand the effects that generate these objects to fix it.

    I propose a new effect that offers a few options to change this:

    • reverse stacking order
    • stack left-to-right, right-to-left, up-to-down, down-to-up, or maybe just an angle dial for stacking order? that'd be super useful for "I drew three balls and blended them to make a necklace and I don't want to have to split it into two blends to make the right ball be the nearest one".
    • smallest-to-largest, largest-to-smallest
    3 votes
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  18. Display names for character alternates

    When a singular character is selected, Illustrator shows Character Alternates menu (if one has the option enabled in Preferences > Type).

    But while some glyphs look distinct enough, some are obscure.

    These have names, Unicode codes (these are displayed in Glyphs)...
    What’s good seeing three similar spaces? How can I choose properly from two similar looking small 'a'-s, as shown in the screenshot attached?
    Why can’t I see what these character alternates are when I hover over them?

    3 votes
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  19. A way to access Window > Toolbars menu from any toolbar

    I want to be able to swap toolbars directly from the Edit Toolbar drawer hidden under ellipsis button in each toolbar. Currently I’d have to close one I don’t need, then go to the menu and search it there.
    At least they remember their positions...
    I can’t use workspaces to swap tool panels, because reloading workspaces takes forever in Ai.

    3 votes
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  20. Offset Path - Option to offset to one side of path only

    I wish the "Offset Path" gave me the option to offset the path to one side of the path only.

    When creating labels for linear features on a map it is useful to create an offset version of the line you are labeling (road, river, etc.) and place the type on that path. Sometimes you can just copy the path and nudge it above or below the line that needs to be labeled, and type along that path. But this doesn't always work nicely if the path curves a lot.

    Offsetting a single line in Illustrator results in a path…

    3 votes
    5 comments  ·  Other...  ·  Admin →
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