"Hyphenate" not be the default paragraph option
By default, paragraph text is set to hyphenate words that don't fit into the text box. I suggest that the default is to have text not be hyphenated so you can click the box if you want it to be.
No one I know has ever wanted hyphenated words in text, but you have to uncheck the "Hyphenate" box from the Paragraph Palette, it's annoying to have to do that every time I make a new paragraph or paragraph style. (same problem in indesign)

Starting from the February 2024 release, version 28.3, this option is no longer enabled by default for new documents. If you had hyphenation enabled in an existing document, Ai will respect this.
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Rick Wallace commented
I'll try this today, but I also will say that I tried this several versions ago and it ONLY worked on a single preset doc size (then had to open document settings and change the artboard size after every new file). I don't even have your mentioned Illustrator folder under ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/**missing**/en_US/New Document Profiles. Maybe it's hidden, I'll figure it out.
I suspect some people don't work 10-12 hour days under hot deadlines and don't need to streamline work a bit. This is bit like going to a restaurant and having to bring your own plate for them to put the food on.
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Kris Hunt commented
> I do a lot of print, web and OOH work and have more doc sizes needed than I can count.
Why would that matter? If your New Document profiles all have hyphenation turned off, then no matter which one you customize to create your custom doc size, it will also have hyphenation turned off.
I suspect the people still complaining about this don't actually know what a New Document profile is.
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Kris Hunt commented
On a Mac, it's ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator XX/en_US/New Document Profiles
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Sonja commented
@Kris although a good suggestion this still required the user to find the setting (which I can’t find) and make this change manually instead of it being the default from the get-go.
Can you tell me where I can find the new document setting?
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Rick Wallace commented
"Toms fix" works if you want to create scores of preset/sized documents - I do a lot of print, web and OOH work and have more doc sizes needed than I can count. This is a super easy fix - they just have to change the value in one place on each app and we're good to go. I've previously suggested we start a fund-me to pay for a singing gorilla to show up at Adobe corporate with a "no-hypenation" message. Or how about I get 1000 stickers printed with the hypenation box not ticked and someone close to corporate goes and sticks them on every car windshield in the parking lot? I'll put in some dough to get this fixed.
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Kris Hunt commented
It doesn't work *around* the issue; it addresses it head-on and solves it. The current New Document profile has hyphenation turned on by default; just edit it to have it turned off by default. Then it's globally turned off for you, every single time. There are far greater things to whine about.
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K-O commented
@kris hunt, You misunderstood the request. The request is to Adobe Devs for hyphenation to be set off globally, by default, across the board. The request is not for workaround tips from users.
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Kris Hunt commented
Did you see Ton's comment? This becomes a non-issue if you just turn off hyphenation in your New Document profile.
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K-O commented
Can we get an update?
Nobody wants hyphenation on by default. It’s wrong. It’s anti-user. Not fixing or replying in 6 years is anti-customer. -
Chris commented
******** Adobe? really how can this still be a thing?
Are you waiting for an AI program to do this for you? This couldn't possibly be an easier KPI.
It's a Toggle for craps sake.
PLEASE PLEASE, just have your developer change it from true to false. it's all we ask!No Designer
No illustrator
No journalist
No Typesetter
No PERSON would ever Choose to have Hyphenate as a default ON.PLEASE turn this STUPID thing OFF!
What is the problem? As K-O asked please share perhaps ONE Challenge?
this whole forum is about providing feedback and suggestions. We don't expect everything to be covered, but you know:
400+ votes and 6 YEARS for a few minutes required to find a line of code to switch a 1 to a 0?!whats the word? Shameful?
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K-O commented
How is the exploration going on this? Can you share some of your challenges over the past 5 years?
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Anonymous commented
What an … enthusiasm – I don’t mind if your request is fulfilled, but I am still wondering, that “no one I ever knew has ever wanted hyphenated text”. Probably a language thing: You might get away with that in English, but in German and probably some other languages you will never get a decent type setting without hyphenation. Though one may not need the Rinderkennzeichnungsfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz or “law to transfer the duties to surveil the labeling of beef meat“ regularly, still any more common word of of just >20 letters can simply ruin any text column. „Gleichstellungsbeauftragte“ (roughly: equal treatment manager) „Amtsenthebungsverfahren“ (impeachment process)
„Bundesverfassungsgericht“ (German supreme court). -
Ton commented
To turn off Hyphenation by default you need to change the New Document Profile that you use to base your new documents on, like Print.ai, Art & Illustration.ai, Web.ai.
Open the profile you want to modify from:
Mac: (User)/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator version number/language folder/New Document Profiles
Win: C:\Users\....AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator version number Settings\language folder\x64\New Document Profiles
With the Type tool, drag a textbox or click to create point text. Keep it selected.
In the Window > Type > Paragraph panel, turn Off the Hyphenate checkbox.
In the Window > Type > Paragraph Styles panel select from the fly-out menu > Redefine Paragraph Style
This will modify your [Normal Paragraph Style] and turn Hyphenation off by default.
Delete all text items from your artboard and save the document.
(Maybe it is a bug, but I somehow could not turn it off by double clicking the [Normal Paragraph Style] style and uncheck Hyphenate, it changed the checkmark to a dash, and I could get it to an empty checkbox, but the Redefine Paragraph Style way worked.) -
Rick Wallace commented
If you watched the last zoom roll out (and the ones before it) you'll notice that what the devs care about now is capturing the young crowd that draw characters, flowers and pretty sunsets and want illustrator to work like a paint program. Those of us using .ai to produce printed/digital materials are dinosaurs in their eyes. If you're not drawing cartoon people with giant eyes you are not relevant. Get me an physical address where Neeraj is and I'll start sending singing a singing Gorilla every week with a "No-" message.
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Chris commented
HAHA, Love that Kent!
Adobe prefers its products to be completely covered in band aid solutions!What gets me, is Adobe is all about "graphic arts". I can only assume that they don't have any graphic artists there any more. Just engineers/programmers. Otherwise they'd know this is the is the opposite of what any designer would use.
The same can be said for InDesign. No journalist or novelist or any form of copy writer would choose hyphens over design and legibility.
Anyhow I no longer have to deal with the Stupid Hyphens... at least until they do an update and break the bandaid.
Until then we just keep the conversation going here. keeping it on top.
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Kent M commented
Hey Adobe--Look ... Over There ... Nothing to See Here
Ok folks, now that we can talk in private, I'm starting to think that identifying an issue, with a simple fix, that the entire ai-using-population deems a problem, voicing our concerns for half a decade and through 23 major versions, and resting our hopes on 2 blowoff adobe comments from five years ago, may not get the results we want.
I'm thinking a little scheming is in order. Reverse Psychology? Instead of always complaining, perhaps we should congratulate Adobe for sticking to their guns, elevating the archaic over the functional, despite prolonged protestation from their CUSTOMERS. Maybe, just maybe, they'll become so flummoxed by our adulation that some programmer will accidentally change a "0" to a "1" and this whole nightmare will end.
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Bradley Smith commented
@neeraj its now been 3+ years and still no response.
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Chris commented
@bradley,
I was able to make the default stay off after a few tricks. thanks to a couples on this forumEdit the Default Preset files in both Sub folders (a few steps here)
Then
Change preferences to LegacyThis worked for me two ways... Inches are now Default rather than points and that useless hyphen check box stays unchecked.
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Bradley Smith commented
Hyphenation has been used .0000000000000000002% of the time i have ever used illustrator and indesign yes off by default is better.
last time i spoke with a dev team member this was going to be fixed ? and now years later still no fix. and this is more important https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/20423296-make-illustrator-multi-threaded-on-cpu please vote -
Chris commented
@Egor Chistyakov @Neerja Nandkeolyar
I suggest you put this under preferences. Something that can be EASY to find, that will permanently work across all file types opened from the New Document window. (and same goes for InDesign)Also, I suggest you UPDATE us. This was listed in 2017 13 Months Later was listed... and 5 years later still NOTHING on a nearly 400 Vote request. Honestly.
I mean to be rude, but what are you doing? This is a simple True/False check box!