Keyboard shortcuts for Align/Distribute commands and 'Align to' modes
I miss having keyboard shortcuts for align/distribute from my CorelDraw days. I'm a pro designer in a fast turnaround environment, and keyboard shortcuts are essential to my workflow.
As far as I know, the numeric keypad isn't being used in Illustrator. My proposal is: Pressing 0 toggles between absolute to the artboard or relative to last item selected. Pressing 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 will perform the align .2 = bottom, 4 = left, 5 = centre, 6 = right, 8 = top. Additionally 7 = distribute horizontal, 9 = distribute vertical.
Also, please copy the CorelDraw keyboard shortcut Tab = select next object/group, Shift Tab select previous object/group
Simon
shared this idea
The most recent version finally has the Object > Distribute menu added.
Now both Align and Distribute commands can be accessed via menu and have assigned keyboards shortcuts to them.
The order of the commands though seemingly matches the one the panel has: horizontal first for Align and vertical first for Distribute. If you find this odd and want to change it — vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/45855823-sync-the-order-of-align-and-distribute-menu-comman
Also, Align To and Distribute Spacing commands are still missing in top menus, so please keep voting here to make them added too.
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Anonymous
commented
It would be quicker for my workflow if I could have a way to toggle align to object to align artboard.
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Andrew B
commented
Even better would be having "Panel menus" added to what you can set custom shortcut keys for like in InDesign. Then we could set our own!
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Anonymous
commented
Hotkeys for Pathfinder options as well.
Yall don't have to assign hotkeys for it if thats been the issue. We'll decide what shortcuts to assign it to ourselves. We just need it in the shortcuts list.
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Anonymous
commented
Although there arent any hotkeys for it, you can create Actions that utilize align, then assign a hotkey to it. At least thats a workaround until they give us a hotkey for it.
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kaled
commented
I would add that they shortcuts only work with the numeric key pad and not the numbers above the letter keywords because that way we can leave those availabe for other shortcuts. For example, I have them set up to different levels of transparency in increments of 10% But other users may need the numbers for something else.
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Kent M commented
Yes, yes, yes!
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Anonymous
commented
I agree. I have used Corel Draw for years (due to employer) and now I'm back to CC 2018. The main thing I miss from the Corel to Illustrator conversion is the align keyboard shortcuts. Simply centering and alignment of items seems like common sense. PLEASE do it.
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Nicolaas
commented
+vote. Yes although it's possible to bind align/distribute to F keys with an Action - the 'Align to Artboard' / 'Align to Selection/Key Object' Should be toggle-able with keys as well.
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Anonymous
commented
Also please include the option, control & function keys to create keyboard shortcuts, much like InDesign does. This would make keyboard shortcuts a lot more user friendly and diverse, especially for experienced and long time users.
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Anonymous
commented
I'm a long time user of Adobe products. Why the heck isn't there align shortcut keys??? Adobe - c'mon! Get your act together please!!!
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Areia
commented
I agree!! Align shortcuts would save SO much time.
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Jeff D
commented
smdh. Please add native support for these basic actions.
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Jeffrey Guy
commented
It is such a WASTE of TIME using the align menu with the mouse. It would be SO Much faster to use SINGLE KEY short cuts to align objects. IE 'W' to align to Top, "X' to align to Bottom, 'A' To align Left, 'D' to align Right ETC.
We have to make illustrator leaner, meaner and FASTER!
Thanks
JG
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Anonymous
commented
Allow hotkeys for the align tools.
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Ahmed Montaser commented
This is very important as how many alignment operations are done on a single project this would save time!!
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Robert Powers
commented
Was using illustrator earlier and just thought of this same idea. It would save so much time and would be such and easy addition.
Shift click = Align to Selection
Alt click = Align to Artboard -
While this is necessary, you can still use Actions to record alignment/distribution (I do). These are limited to F-keys, but you can always redefine them in Autohotkey (Windows) and Hammerspoon (Mac).
As for the Tab — this button is taken (and I would be very mad if it would be taken from me).
'Next object above/below' is there, Alt+Ctrl+square brackets, is it what you want? (it kinda broken in Isolation mode though) -
While it's not done, record some Actions for aligning and use F-keys to access them.
This is a way I use now. -
Franco
commented
I would really like to be able to assign keyboard shortcuts to the alignment functions. I can currently do it in Experience Design, and it is really helpful to improve the workflow
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J
commented
In Fireworks, you could use the 6 more common alignments with keyboard shortcuts by default. Hold an option key and press 1,2,3 for the first grouping of alignments, and 4,5,6 for the second grouping of common alignments. Alignment is akin to moving things around with the mouse and saves a huge amount of time in illustrator.
Good to note that many UI designers used this in Fireworks and lost it in nearly every other option (Ske_tch.app does not even have this)
I realize that we can create these shortcuts with the Actions panel, but this would have to be set up on every PC that I use AI with, and these shortcuts do NOT allow 1 option key, they actually require 2 option keys to be held. In addition, the Actions workflows are kind of annoying for setting a series of shortcuts like this.
This was a killer feature in old Fireworks, you could align things at light speed because the default Alignment was set to "Align to Artboard" — and not "Align to selection" so you could create a rect and move it to every corner of the artboard instantly.
Cheers!