Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
141 results found
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Feature Tours and Tips pop up windows keep showing up even after selecting "Skip Tours"
Turn them off. So annoying and get in the way or work.
141 votes -
Create a layer from a selection or an artboard
Have the ability in Layers palette to create "New layer from selection" or "New layer from artboard"
28 votesAn indented way to achieve this now is to create a simple action.
1. Create an action
2. Select some art
3. Create a new Layer with a button in the Layers panel
4. Object > Arrange > Send to Current Layer
5. End recording
Actions are great for automating various routines we have in Illustrator, and this is just one of them. If you think it still should be a native operation instead (or an action to be included in standard Actions pack) — please vote and comment.
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Nix the Stupid Blue Share Button
Get rid of the stupid giant blue "Share" button in the toolbar. It's very distracting because it looks like I constantly have a notification. And I will never use it. We've been all through this with Acrobat already!
26 votesAs per the comment, go to 'Preferences > User Interface > Share Button' and select 'Match Brightness' — it will no longer appear blue.
To achieve the same in Photoshop, try toggling 'Neutral Color Mode' in 'Preferences > Interface'.
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Keyboard Shortcut to select locked objects
When needing to move a locked object, you currently only have the option of "unlock ALL" whereas sometimes you may have many things locked that you do not want unlocked - only one or two things you want to move.
It would be helpful if by holding a button (Say Alt or control) this would allow you to select locked objects, move or alter the object, and once you deselect it continues to be locked.
21 votesIn latest versions you can enable 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section.
This adds small lock icons for each locked object you can toggle right there without the need to unlock everything first.
This is not exactly the solution you asked for, no hotkeys involved (and there are no modifiers left to allow this), but it does the job.
Does it work for you? Please leave a comment.
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Quick Command for Trim View
Quick Command for Trim View. I alternate a lot between normal view and trim view but have to stop to select trim view every time.
20 votesYou can assign your own custom shortcut to this command via Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts. Toggle 'Tools' to 'Menu commands' from the dropdown and search for 'Trim View'.
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Add reference point locator for symbols
Symbols only have registration point. Fine, store it. Use it as default for scaling-rotating and so on. But why I can't set reference point for transforming it as I want, and as I can for EVERYTHING else?! What, AI can't calculate it's left top coordinate or what? Why can't I flip it over the left edge, for example? Why can't I even COPY it's top left coordinate?
Shh, calm down.
18 votesThis can be done with Transform panel’s flyout menu — disable 'Use Registration Point for Symbol' option.
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Add option to Always update links
Sometimes I make a lot of changes within linked images. AI always asks if I am to update links, and I'd like to have this dialogue temporarily switched off (but enable it later)
18 votesAs per Neeraj: it is possible to control the update behavior of links — automatically or manually. Go to Preferences > File Handling & Clipboard > Update Links.
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Live preview of gradient (while dragging)
Whenever I'm using the gradient tool I wonder why I can never see the appearance of the gradient while dragging it. resulting in having to tweak it at least a couple of times before I'm content.
16 votesIllustrator now displays the appearance of the gradient interactively when you drag it, but only when GPU preview is on.
Make sure it is on in Preferences > Performance > GPU Performance, that you View > Preview on CPU / GPU Preview is correctly toggled, and that you are not using Overprint Preview.
If the issue still persists with all these checked — please comment back.
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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.
16 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
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Customize Transparency Grid Size and Color...
It would be nice to customize the transparency grid's color and relative size.
11 votesIt is possible to do in Illustrator as well — not in Preferences, but in File > Document Setup dialog (Cmd/Ctrl + Alt +P) — because these settings are local for a document and not global. Same exact controls.
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Overprint simulation on image file exports (JPEG for example)
I think that it would add great value when Illustrator exports to image file the option to add overprint simulation, in the same way as InDesign easily does.
I would add great benefit to our jobs and would simplify some steps (not going to InDesign just to do that).9 votesIllustrator respects the overprint when exporting raster files. Please follow the instructions in comments and reply back if it does not work for you.
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Bring back the previous Illustrator CC toolbar
Bring back the previous Illustrator CC toolbar. After years of having the AI tools in a particular spots, now they're all over the place and hard to find and the Edit Toolbar is a cluster#$%& of madness. Bring it back!
9 votesWe have not removed the previous toolbar, it is just that it is not the default. Please use the Window menu > toolbar to get back to the advanced toolbar
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Warp Effect Not Working
I've noticed that ever since upgrading to Illustrator CC 2018 (22.0.1) that the Warp Effect doesn't seem to work properly. The Arc and Arch effects will work, but applying any of the Flag, Wave, Fish or Rise effects won't change the object at all.
9 votesThank you to all who shared their files. We do not support flag, fish effects on a straight line with just two anchor points. The feature is implemented to work on the line segment which is not straight.
Please refer to the attachment for supported and non supported scenarios. Should you have further query please email us on sharewithai@adobe.com -
We need, again, Custom Bevels in 3D-Extrude & Bevel, please!
Illustrator used to have the ability to create customer Bevel profiles ( in the Bevels.ai file in /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator 23/en_US/Symbols ). HOWEVER, the feature is now gone! Please give us the option to create custom Bevels, again! Thank you.
Last year, 2018, I created a object and gave it a 3D custom bevel, and now I can do nothing with that object. Whenever I try to do something with it Illustrator crashes. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I tried creating a custom Bevel again. There is no way to create a custom Bevel! When I…
8 votes -
Keyboard Shortcuts for Select > Same > Fill; Select > Same> Stroke; Select > Same> Appearance
Requesting Keyboard Shortcuts for Select > Same > Fill; Select > Same> Stroke; Select > Same> Appearance; Select > Same> Stroke Weight.
Graphic designers and pre-press use these all the time and I am surprised there are keyboard shortcuts for these very vital features.
From a fellow pre-press production specialist.... this small little tweak would skyrocket workflow efficiency! Would love this!
Also, Adobe rocks!
8 votes -
Bounding Box Preview Bounds
CC 23.01 Mac High Sierra
When a single object is selected, Preview Bounds is on, the Bounding Box does not reflect the Preview Bounds - it is the same as if Preview Bounds is off.
When selecting multiple objects it works as it should
8 votesThis issue is fixed in latest version of Illustrator. Live shapes (and art in general) no longer have geometric bounds’ sized bounding box with the Preview Bounds option on.
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Recolor multiple layers panel layers at the same time
In Photoshop, you can select multiple layers, and add a color marker at the same time to all of them. I often use the colors of layers in Illustrator for UI and packaging design to separate visually which layers are finished (green), and which ones I still need to work on (red). But I have to double click each layer one by one in order to change the color.
8 votesYep, there is a way to change the color of edges for a selection of layers — 'Options for Selection' command in the Layers panel’s flyout menu.
But perhaps the original poster meant colored backgrounds to mark layers? Like Photoshop allows to and like we can do with actions in button mode?
If yes — please make a separate request about this.
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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.
8 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. -
Toolbox zoom and hand tool on same tab instead of separate tabs making it slower to select since having to flip back and forth all the time
Previous versions CS6 etc had the toolbox panel better laid out: Hand tool and zoom tools were on a separate tab now CC doesn't give the choice but having them both on a same tab so having to hover, drag etc every time I want to select my favourite tools is really tedious whilst there are many useless tools on the toolbox displayed why changing a feature that worked perfectly in previous versions?
7 votesThe original toolbar with all the tools in classic arrangement is still available as 'Advanced' and can be enabled from Window > Toolbar menu. The currently offered toolbar is called 'Basic' and serves the purpose of making new users fell less overwhelmed with the amount of tools Ai has and display the most popular only.
A questionable decision, but it came with the possibility to make our own customized vertical tool panels. Read more about this here: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/tools.html
If you want to have horizontal toolbars (as a separate option, along with 'torn-out' groups), vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38230498-the-illustrator-toolbox-should-be-able-to-display
If you want to be able to add dividers in toolbars (we lost them when customization had been added), vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38097085-add-dividers-to-custom-tools-panel-or-enable-stac#comments
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3D Mouse Support
Originally posted in the forums:
I am aware that this has been asked before, but I have not found an adequate answer.
I have always disliked the methods used by Illustrator for pan and zoom functions.
I have been using a program called X-Mouse Button Control to remap the functions of the mouse wheel and middle click to pan and zoom operations. For panning, this works well: Middle click to pan. In X-Mouse, the middle click is replaced with a macro that will hold the space key, and simulate a click/hold of the left mouse button. This allows panning in…
7 votesIllustrator now supports panning with the middle-click held. Also you can toggle Zoom with Mouse Wheel option in Preferences > General. No need to remap anything for having these now.
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