Rotation of the Canvas

Like in Photoshop it would be great if an Artist could rotate the artboard/canvas in Illustrator. If you draw a line from left to right it's never the same stroke as from up to down.

RVT.jpg 24 KB

825 votes

Markus Steinschaden shared this idea · May 8, 2017 · Report… · Admin →

Completed (Comments Open) ·

AdminAvinash Singh Kotwal (Principal Product Manager, Adobe Illustrator) responded · Jun 9, 2021

Hi friends! I have some great news for your today. Rotate View (Canvas) feature is available in Illustrator 25.3 (Desktop) now. Thank you all for your feedback which helped us shape up this feature.

Show previous admin responses (6)

Done (In Beta) ·

AdminAvinash Singh Kotwal (Principal Product Manager, Adobe Illustrator) responded · Mar 10, 2021

Rotate canvas functionality is now available in Beta. You can download this beta through the Creative Cloud Desktop app’s beta section.

You can easily rotate the canvas and change its direction. All your artboards and visible onscreen objects will be rotated according to the specified angle. Like zoom, the rotated canvas view will be saved with the document. We are working on enabling artboard guides in a rotated view and shall be available updates soon.

This has been one big missing functionality in Illustrator and we would love to hear your feedback in helping us refine it further. What do you like? What do you think is missing? Please share.

Started ·

AdminAvinash Singh Kotwal (Principal Product Manager, Adobe Illustrator) responded · Oct 14, 2020

Hello Everyone!

First up, let me apologize for not giving an update for such a long time. We will try to do a better job of providing frequent updates on our top requests going forward. This is not an excuse for lack of communication from our side, but we have been discussing this request for a long time internally. Without getting into too many technical details, let me share that there is a fair amount of complexity involved in making it work within Illustrator. The number of tools, effects, plugins, etc. makes it even more challenging. However, given the fact that it continues to be one of the top requests, the team has been exploring different approaches to implement it. I am happy to share that we have finally :) started to work on it. There would be some challenges in making everything work in the first release. I will continue to post specific questions on this thread and work with you to define the first release that is valuable and works for most of your workflows. I look forward to working closely with you all in bringing this functionality into Illustrator.

Let me provide a high-level summary of what I gathered from 255 comments in this thread so far.

- It is desirable to have both, but if we must pick, we would prefer rotation of canvas over the artboard.
- Rotating the view is not helpful, we should be able to edit as well :)
- Ideally, we should be able to rotate freely at any angle. But, if we have to prioritize, stepwise rotation at fixed angles may work.
- Ideally, all tools should work but if we have to prioritize we can start with few tools that are most useful in a rotated view e.g. brush, pencil, etc.
- A lot of folks want it to work as it works in photoshop.
- Shortcuts to do easy toggle/easy reset are highly desirable.
- It would be a great productivity enhancer for people working with packaging, editing text, or even freehand illustrations.

I look forward to sharing an update and seeking your feedback soon.

Avinash Singh Kotwal
Senior Product Manager,
Adobe illustrator

Added To Backlog ·

Yogesh Sharma responded · Nov 21, 2017

Rotate canvas story has been added to backlog. We will be picking it up shortly.

Thanks,
Yogesh

Need More Info ·

Yogesh Sharma responded · Oct 26, 2017

Hello Everyone,

Do you only want to view the art at an angle or are would you also like to draw/edit at an angle?

Thanks,
Yogesh

Under Review ·

Ashutosh Chaturvedi responded · Aug 4, 2017

Need More Info ·

Yogesh Sharma responded · Aug 3, 2017

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Anonymous commented · January 1, 2020 12:14 PM · Report

November 21, 2017 "Picking it up shortly".

It's January 2020.

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Dalton Crosthwait commented · December 17, 2019 2:59 AM · Report

Added to backlog 2 years ago? Yikes.

I'd switch 100% to Affinity (better pricing model, more responsive to user feedback, etc.) if I could move my entire team over as well. Unfortunately I'm stuck crossing my fingers that Adobe will implement this very basic functionality.

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Anonymous commented · December 11, 2019 11:25 PM · Report

That's weird, they have this feature currently in photoshop. Affinity designer is capable. Figure it out Adobe.

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Tyler commented · December 11, 2019 11:08 PM · Report

I was talking with a a well known designer on instagram. He said he personally asked adobe and they said they stopped trying to develop rotation because it doesn't work with the photoshop raster effects.

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Anonymous commented · December 11, 2019 11:06 PM · Report

Whats up Adobe? You take the rest of the year off for holidays?

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Jack commented · November 20, 2019 12:27 AM · Report

If I'm a developer working for adobe I would be embarrassed that Affinity Designer somehow figured out how to implement this feature. Shame on you adobe.

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Paul S commented · November 17, 2019 7:20 PM · Report

"Seriously who cares about a mobile version of illustrator. " ...Yes, indeed ! The only explanation I found for such nonsense is that the Illustrator code must be so badly written that it is probably impossible for Adobe developers to easily implement this basic function of artboard rotation... Providing a mobile version of this non-ergonomic software is perhaps the only way Adobe engineers have found to allow illustrators to finally beiing able to rotate their artboard.. by rotating the whole device ! What a pragmatism!

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Anonymous commented · November 17, 2019 11:01 AM · Report

Seriously who cares about a mobile version of illustrator. It certainly shouldn't take priority over your desktop application! IMPLEMENT ROTATE ART BOARD

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Hans commented · November 16, 2019 9:43 PM · Report

Adobe come on. You have added slicing and other web/digital functions to illustrator that no one is using, but not rotate art board? This is crucial for illustration, typography and packaging design and Illustrator is the number one tool for that kind of work. This is more important than creating a mobile version of illustrator.

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Anonymous commented · November 6, 2019 8:28 PM · Report

Hey Adobe I don't design on any mobile apps along with thousands of other designers. How are we forgetting the original client base that only uses desktop applications? And, if the desktop applications are going to be secondary focus how about decreasing the monthly rate vs raising it?

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Yaroslav commented · November 6, 2019 2:13 PM · Report

Guys let's vote for this feature! It's really needed

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Anonymous commented · October 31, 2019 4:42 AM · Report

Logos, packaging, illustrations, patterns, page layouts, typography..... ANYTHING....

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kami commented · October 31, 2019 4:32 AM · Report

Yesss, please! Include this, as an artist doing Graphic design this helps a lot when doing logos in illustrator

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Bud commented · October 29, 2019 9:59 PM · Report

Yes... It's a necessity! Please share this thread with fellow designers.

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Allen Mueller commented · October 29, 2019 9:47 PM · Report

It would be great? It should be assumed as a basic function.

Illustrator is used to illustrate. Illustration is done by hand with tablet input for many of us. Being able to rotate the canvas on the fly allows more rapid illustration due to optimal hand angles.

I'm working on a project for a major US company, and lots of semi-realistic vector drawings are being created for web use. With SVG use rising, vector drawing follows.

Affinity Designer has this basic function, but Illustrator does not - and Illustrator is my only option as it's a corporate environment.

This is not a gimmick - it's a necessity. It's 2019 people. Make it happen.

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Paul S commented · October 25, 2019 7:19 PM · Report

Yes. It's probably incredible for Adobe team, but all the illustrators who are using Illustrator (and paying a lot for that) would really like to be able to draw with this reference software... I mean drawing with ease thank to the possibility to rotate the artboard as one can does it when drawing on real paper (or with Photoshop, ClipStudio Paint and so on...) How many year more will the illustrators have to wait before Abobe decide to fix this incredible lack ?

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consumer commented · October 25, 2019 10:46 AM · Report

Anyone who uses this program is waiting for this feature. Affinity designer already has it....

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Leonardo Nascimento commented · October 25, 2019 5:36 AM · Report

Oct 24, 2019. Almost 2 years but nothing yet. That's the most wanted feture all my friends are waiting for.

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Anonymous commented · October 20, 2019 8:48 PM · Report

Simple question. Affinity Designer has this feature. Adobe Illustrator, considered to be "the industry standard" does not. WHY?

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Paul S commented · October 19, 2019 12:55 AM · Report

Hi Yogesh ...
With two years of hindsight, what do you think of the answer you gave us in 2017? have you done any follow-up on this request since that time? Do you remember you use the word "shortly"? Also, can you explain the concept of backlog adding , please? Is it a kind of scribbling on a flying sheet that sleeps under the dust in an old drawer? At some point, did ANYONE at Adobe (you apart) has heard about this urgent and popular feature request SINCE SEVERAL YEARS ?

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