Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
204 results found
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Shortcut for the SMOOTH tool please.
N brings the pencil... I need something for the SMOOTH tool.
4 votesYou can assign your own hotkeys to different tools with Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
Also, you can pick Pencil, hit Enter )or double-click the tool’s button) to open the Pencil Tool Options dialog and check 'Alt key toggles to Smooth Tool' — this will allow to quickly temporarily access Smooth on the go while you are working with Pencil.
Same applies to the Brush and Blob Brush stools by default.
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Disable Snap to Path
Can someone please explain to me why you can turn off "snap to grid", "snap to pixel", and "snap to point" off, but you can't turn "snap to path" off. It used to be you could just easily turn off "snap", which would turn all forms of snap off. Now, when I'm trying to adjust points on a path, the anchor handles still snap to path. The only way to get it to not snap to path is to zoom very close in. This is problematic when you can't see your entire curve, because you're zoomed in, and you can't…
4 votesDo you have Smart Guides turned on?
Just turn it off and Ai won’t snap handles to paths. -
Persistent rulers on startup
Option to toggle on/off in prefs. Simple as that
4 votesThis option already exists in Illustrator, in Preferences > General, although the name of it is quite obscure — Show/Hide Rulers. Once it’s enabled, each new or opened document will have rulers enabled.
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Put the Rectangle tool back into the standard and advanced toolbars
Put the Rectangle tool back into the standard and advanced toolbars
4 votesThere was a bug which allowed to accidentally drag-n-drop tools and insert them into other tools’ subgroups.
It was fixed by introducing a special mode to enable this. No accidents with lost tools should happen. Please comment back if it happens for you in latest versions.
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Show link image while resizing or moving
Instead of seeing just the bounding box when transforming linked files, why not show the content of the link? Transforming linked files, image or vector based, would be more intuitive. This currently requires a workaround.
4 votesThis is what Illustrator is capable of now with Preferences > GPU Performance options turned on.
It should work for both linked or embedded images, vector or raster, exactly as you described.
If it does not happen for you — please report it as a bug, and provide screenshots or screen recordings of the behavior, along with full OS and app specs.
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Bring back spacebar 'move' functionality when 'alt/option' is pressed (to access Anchor Point tool) while using Pen Tool
I realize this is a very specific request for a small piece of functionality that was probably never very popular, but it's part of a workflow I got used to using for years, and since upgrading to CC, it no longer works.
When creating a new path with the Pen tool, using the spacebar enables you to move the anchor point you've just created (before you release the click). Also, the Anchor Point tool allows you to do the same when you click on a point and drag the handles out.
My issue is that the Anchor Point tool doesn't…
4 votesAs per comment.
You have to release the Option/Alt key first after dragging out the handles, and then start holding Spacebar to reposition the point.
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Toggle Artwork Visibility Outside of Artboard
The function of the w key in InDesign switches between preview and normal view. Why doesn't Illustrator have this functionality? It would be so useful as I usually prefer to use Illustrator when I'm initially laying things out for a design project. I've seen multiple requests for this functionality in the forums. Please please please add this!
3 votesView > Trim View command does this. By default, it does not have a hotkey assigned to it, but you can map it to the one you prefer in Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Invite to edit functionality
On a previous version of Adobe Illustrator, anyone with access to the aic file could invite new members to the document. There has since been an update where only the owner of the file can share the file to new people. Is it possible to implement an 'admin' or 'manger' to each file. Therefore the owner of the document can provide admin rights to other colloborates of the document. Anyone with admin access could then share the aic file.
3 votes -
Keep edit Intertwine editable after pressing Ctrl+z
When Ctrl+z is pressed to undo an intertwine, the whole object is unselected as an intertwine and cannot be edited as an intertwine, without pressing edit in the intertwine menu.
This does not occur in other tools like live paint, after pressing Ctrl+z, the object remains selected as a live paint object and remains editable.
If possible, please add this feature.
This is valuable to me, because it speeds up my workflow, as it makes Illustrator more consistent.
3 votesAn Intertwine object no longer gets deselected when you undo an operation, and now behaves more like Live Paint. Please reply if it does not match your expectations.
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artwork over canvas isolation toggle
Toggle function that changes the view between showing all artwork in a drawing, and only showing everything that is actually over the canvas. basically, a quick and easy toggle to see what an exported pdf would look like. Exactly like the toggle built into InDesign (toggled by "w").
3 votesThis can be done with View > Trim View command.
You can assign any hotkey you want to it.
There is also a Presentation mode, but it does a slightly different thing.
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Option to auto-sharp an anchor point when using the pen tool.
By default when making a anchor point with the pen tool it gives you a curve anchor(2 direction handles). I request that we have the option to make it a sharp anchor(1 direction handle).
Currently in order to make a sharp anchor you have to go back and select the anchor again. This is a slow method if you only draw in sharp anchors. By having this new option it will be lot faster and easier to draw in this style.
3 votesYou can do that by holding Alt right after you click the first point with the Pen tool and releasing it after you finish dragging the handle out. This creates legitimate corner point with one hadle.
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Send proof to customer
We proof every item to customers before printing. It would be great if there was a tool to send a proof that could be approved through all common design programs. Giving the customer the ability to submit for changes and do a final approval before the job goes to print.
3 votesRecent versions of Illustrator have an ability to Share for Review.
This command, accessible from the File menu, generates a link you can send to customer to proof the project. Read more about it here: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/share-documents-for-review.html
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Allow show path on hover with snap to grid enabled
Currently, enabling Snap to Grid doesn't allow the user to see paths when hovering over them. Please make it so that users can hover over a path and see it highlight with snap to grid enabled.
3 votes -
Crop command embedding linked images
I would be thankful if linked images remain linked (instead of being embedded after using the crop command). I would like to believe that this can be made possible. This is the normal behaviour in other graphic design software.
3 votesIf you want to keep a cropped image as a live linked image, you should Clip it instead. Press the Mask button (in Control or Properties panel) and Ai will create and select a rectangular path with the same dimensions. Transform this path with any tool you like or with the bounding box, and the image inside will remain unembedded.
Crop command, on the other hand, is intended specifically for 'physical' cropping, and since Ai won’t edit the original placed image, it gets embedded and then cropped.
Just use the method you need.
Please comment back if it works for you.
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correct measurements
In the attached screen shot you can see that the height of each of these objects, when looking at the blue illustrator guidelines, is measured the same but in reality, as is clearly obvious from the stroke attached to one of them, they are not the same size. One of them is clearly bigger in size due to the stroke. This discrepancy is very and constantly confusing when trying to work in precision measurements. Please could you fix so the stoked object calculates the stroke outer edge as additional width, as that is what it is. Thanks James
3 votesThere's an option 'Used Preview Bounds' for that in Preferences, which toggles the behavior. When it’s on, Illustrator includes stroke weight into dimensions, and does not when it’s off.
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Where has Export > DXF Gone?
Export as DXF has been removed since the latest update.
This option is essential at our workplace.Is there a reason why it was removed?
3 votesBoth DXF and DWG export options are there now in the 'Save as type' dropdown list in the Export As dialog, in recent versions of Illustrator.
Please comment if these are missing for you.
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Ignore Groups and Clipping Masks
I lost about a Year of My Life double-clicking on objects within a group, inside of clipping masks. A less repetitive and MUCH faster way would be an option to "Ignore Groups and Clipping Masks" (i.e holding some key while clicking).
The option would temporarily (select-wise) treat grouped and clipped objects as normal objects, allowing direct click on an object through a clipping mask and ignoring groups. An "If you can see it, you can click on it!" approach for instant color and other adjustments.
This alone would speed up the workflow and, combined with wireframe view, it would be…
3 votes -
Make Document Color Mode menu available to set up as an action
Make Document Color Mode a recordable action. I have to edit lots of files and they all have to be CMYK. If I forget one, it will look horrible on our website and we might never notice it. It would help a lot if color mode could be set up as an action.
3 votesYou can insert the 'Document Color Mode: CMYK' command into an action using the 'Insert Menu Item' from the Actions panel’s flyout menu
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Find approximate/closest Pantone from a process color
If you choose a color from the color picker in Photoshop, it will show you the nearest equivalent in the Pantone library.
3 votesYou can do it for a single color. Open the Recolor Artwork dialog (full one), then limit the color to a desired Pantone palette, by pressing the button at the bottom that says ‘None’ and choosing the book you need.
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Keyboard Command for Expanding Objects
Please. It's so much more intuitive to press ctrl/cmd+a and expand using the keyboard. I work with other peoples files all the time so being able to easily expand their files to make them work is critical.
3 votesYou can assign your own hotkeys via Edit > Keyboard shortcuts, including Object > Expand, Expand Appearance, and object-specific Expand commands (Blend, Shape, Envelope, etc.)
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