Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
313 results found
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Add the ability to reduce the size of the canvas
Currently there's no way to reduce the canvas size (not individual artboard sizes). I think it would be great if we could.
The default canvas size is quite big if you are working with small artboards. It makes using the scroll bars annoying, because it scrolls excessively far if you try to move the bar sliders in any direction by holding them with the mouse and dragging. This would not be an issue with a smaller canvas size.
Having a smaller canvas size also I think would just be nicer too because you can make all your artboards mostly fill…
5 votes -
Updating artboard dropdown to include social media and saving custom artboards
The current artboards dropdown menu hasn't been changed in years. It should include social media and trending medium sizes. We should also have the ability to save artboard sizes that are custom to our needs. Just add a "Save artboard" in the dropdown or tool workspace. The current method of saving a template and then having to search, open and then resave the template takes too long and requires too many steps.
5 votes -
Ability to change default unit of measurement
Please add the ability to change the default units for documents. I work in print and it's frustrating (and annoying) to have to change the units from points to inches every time I create a new document.
5 votes -
Add and option to contain grid within / outside artboards
Allow the GRID to only be on the canvas, allowing the outer space to be used at the same time for element while building a projects. ALSO allow a slider to dim down the lines and a line width slider for the lines. This way its fully customizable for the user.
5 votes -
Remove (customize) tiny shadow behind artboards
I've noticed this for years... whenever I create a new document in Illustrator--no matter the size or mode and without any bleed settings, the artboard has a tiny grey "drop shadow" behind the artboard. See ATTACHED. It does not affect art and never prints, but more times than I can count I've found myself zooming in and attempting to select/delete it, thinking I left some sort of unwanted element behind while I was working. Or I see the faint "border" and think my graphic elements aren't fully aligned to the page edge, when the actually are.
5 votesToday artboards have only a tiny 1px border, black for the active one and gray for others.
If you wish to be able to customize these — upvote this request, please: Allow to change color & width of border / edges for artboards (all and active)
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Guide lines colored to their corresponding layer
As someone who uses several guidelines on a project, one thing that I have found would be extremely helpful would be if the guide lines were colored to their corresponding layer. (This could be a toggleable option)
This could be particularly helpful when there are a lot of guidelines on the artboard since there is an inverse relationship between the number of guidelines and the readability of said guidelines. The more guidelines there are, the harder it can be to keep track of which guideline(s) corresponds to which element(s).
Personally, and fortunately, I am not colorblind, however, I imagine that…
5 votes -
Allow "Welcome to Illustrator" presets to be customized to actual user presets
When the landing or launch page for Illustrator CC2021 opens, there is a box of presets under the line "Welcome to Illustrator.
This system will not allow a drop or upload of either an AI nor JPG screenshot...the default presets are Postcard, Letter, Common, iPhone X, HDTV 1080p and "More Presets."
In my case, I never use any one of those presets, so I have to click "Create New" or "More Presets," which are the same outcomes, then click my way through the various options to get to "Web Large."
It would be nice if (a) the user could enhance…
5 votes -
Option to place the origin of the artboard at the center of the artboard
I would like the option to place the origin of the artboard at the center of the artboard, so that objects can be placed at the center just by setting the position to zero please. This would also make it a lot easier to mirror object to other sides just by making their position negative or positive.
Thanks in advance,
Tim5 votes -
Separate rulers for artboards
Could we get individual rulers per artboard. This would make it easier to see spacing and relationships on individual boards.
5 votes -
Auto guides
My workflow would be so much quicker if when you draw a box or shape, you could hit a command that creates auto guides vertically and horizontal centrally to just that box.
5 votes -
Locking and unlocking objects on a current artboard only
Discussed in our team is the annoying way Illustrator unlocks EVERYTHING on the pasteboard - why can unlocking be isolated to the artboard you are working on? Like indesign. I use locked objects a lot when I am creating concepts and use layers when creating final artwork. Using layers slows down the way you work.
5 votes -
Allow large format canvas for outdoors/billboards design without scaling
Using Illustrator (or InDesign, for that matter) to make outdoors/large printing projects is a huge pain - many times the production team (which is usually NOT the same team that designed the thing) doesn't read properly the instructions, and then errors happen.
Also, other older software packages don't suffer from that kind of artwork / artboard size limitations.
5 votes -
Artboard dimension pop up box when using Artboard tool.
Would love for the Artboard tool in the tools panel to operate like the rectangle tool so that when you click inside the work space it pops open a box to input
desired dimensions instead of dragging to desired dimension.5 votes -
Copy/move artboards with the content
Why have you deleted the function "copy/move artboards with the content" in the last update? It was really gorgeous! Now I have to unlock and make visible all the layers again to create several version of my graphic design, and it is really annoying! I would like the possibility to copy/move one or more artboards with the content, even if it is on locked or hidden layers, and without the content when it is on locked or hidden layers.
Please, consider both functions, the copy/move with content was one of the best updates that you have ever made!!!
5 votesUsers have an option in Illustrator CC (22.1).
Preferences>Selection & Anchor Display>"Move Locked and Hidden Artwork with Artboard"
Please email us on sharewithai@adobe.com if it still does not solve your problem. -
Need to select all artboards and resize them at once by entering desired size.
Need to select and change all artboard size at once. Can we have this feature in Illustrator? Because after design we need to prepare artworks from same file so we need to increase artboard sizes to add crop marks and other details of instructions for printer, It will be easier if we can change this in artboard window or from document setup.
5 votesIn latest version we can select multiple artboards and resize each one at once.
Please comment back if it’s still not solved for you.
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Ability to change resolution when setting pixels as a unit
I use Illustrator for UX design, and thus I use pixels for the dimensions. However, the resolution of most modern screens, in mobile phones, and other devices, is not the default 72 ppi. Thus, when I switch between units, the pixel size does not equal what I get in millimeters. (For usability issues, e g mm based letter height is crucial.)
I know Photoshop is more of a pixel oriented tool, but doing vector graphics and using Illustrator is an advantage in terribly many places. (There is a reason for Sketch being a popular replacement...) Adding a way to customize…
5 votes -
Dragging layers between documents like Photoshop!
I find it bizarre that you can't drag multiple layers between documents, like in Photoshop. I can only copy and paste in to a new document, which combines everything as one layer, which I then have to go through separating all the objects again. This is such a time sink!
5 votes -
Position elements relative to artboards.
Since several improvements to artboards are in the pipeline, I think It would be worth considering positioning elements relative to the top left corner of the artboard. I haven't found a good use for keyboard entry of x and y positions. Positioning elements relatively would make it relatively easy to maintain padding / grids across multiple artboards by entering an exact value.
5 votesTo allow the artboard-relative positioning, you should switch rulers from global with View > Rulers > Change to Artboard Rulers command (or from the context menu for the zero point of the rulers on canvas).
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Add Frames for images and text like in InDesign
In InDesign it's possible to add frames for text and imagery, and although Illustrator isn't necessarily the layout application — it would be great to get this feature on it too.
5 votes -
Layer freezing
When doing very complicated artwork, sometimes Illustrator's live preview starts to become impossibly slow. Distorted dense fill patterns, lots of art brushes full of translucent shapes, complicated high-res bitmap effects… I can do some stunning things with these but I’m reluctant to use them, because I need to have fast response time in my drawing tool.
Currently, layers can be locked, or unlocked. I would like to have a third mode: 'frozen', where the layer is locked, and a bitmap of the entire layer is cached. This bitmap is then used for rendering the preview, until such time as the…
5 votes
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