Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
- or
1438 results found
-
Cmd + H should hide Illustrator on Mac
Yes, CMD-H should be standardized across all of your programs. And kindly take Freehand out of its vault, study its pen/curve tool(s), and make Illustrator's pen tool work as well as Freehand's did.
22 votes -
Ask user before updating links (AI 26.0.1)
When opening a file containing linked images that have been revised AI will automatically update images without any alert.
This is pretty dangerous for anyone working with a team or refer/update old projects.
Would love to have it ask me first or at least tell me which links were updated. Something to create awareness that things have changed since it was last opened.
3 votes -
Allow strokes in brush and pencil tools to be shown in real time while drawing
When you draw lines with freehand tools (pencil/brush), the stroke doesn't show up until after you finish it and release. It just shows as a thin blue line. It doesn't account for thickness so I end up having to redo lines because I can't see what they look line until I finish drawing each line.
13 votesThe latest Beta build 28.7.0.17 now offers live preview for paths drawn with Pencil tool. Please install or update to this version, try it yourself, and share your feedback.
You can always disable this behavior by toggling Live Feedback option in the Pencil Tool Options dialog.
The team aims to offer a similar feature for Brush tool, if this one works properly.
-
Preferences did not copy from previous Ai version to Ai 2025
The recent Illustrator update did not copy all the our previous settings & preferences. So we need to manually do it again. Previous versions doesn't have this issue? The only reason why we update is because our clients are using the latest Ai, but after update, preferences need to MANUALLY RE-DO! Why it keeps on happening! We are a 24/7 company. My goodness! Adobe!
1 vote -
Move Blend Mode keyboard shortcuts from the Tools into the Menu Commands section
If you open Keyboard Shortcuts, make sure you have Tools selected, scroll all the way down, you’ll see all 'Blend Mode - [name of the mode]' commands there — empty, ready to be assigned... but. Opt/Alt cant’ be used for these. Because these are in tooools. Which means these can be bound only to naked keys and Shift+keys. Which are all taken, long time ago!
So please move Blend Mode keyboard shortcuts from the Tools section into the Menu Commands section, so we can use all possible modifiers for these, and not only Shift.
Also, why do we even have…
12 votes -
Change how lock and hide work
Сan you adjust how hiding layers vs locking layers works?
Lock should prevent edits of any kind.
Hide should allow edits if the master group or layer are adjusted.
Example: Character Animator makes us hide Illustrator layers for various poses, mouths, etc. All the mouths are in a head group. If I move a head group with hidden layers, those layers don't move with the group. They should move. They should just not be seen while doing it because they are not locked.
If hide works this way, can you explain the difference between lock and hide?
…
1 vote -
Maintaining colour levels between PS & AI on linked files??
Issue: linked PS(CMYK) file into AI(CMYK) appears in AI with difference colour values from the original PS file.
Only way around it I was told by Adobe is to directly "open" the PS doc in AI not "place" to maintain the colour values. They also had told me that this is the expect behaviour of the software.
I feel this is a serious flaw for files for print, I have always used AI to set up my packaging print files and never had an issue I think this must be a recent update.
Does anyone…
1 vote -
Live preview missing in many tools
In these 2 tools:
— Create Object Mosaic
— Transform Effect
I see a live preview toggle is missing.If the development team can add it, then it will make them more intuitive and smooth.
The Transform effect has Preview only, however a A LIVE PREVIEW would be better and faster.
2 votes -
Add custom AI templates to the CC library
Add custom AI templates to the CC library. The functionality is already programed for Adobe Stock. Allow the user to add custom templates to their libraries. Enable the bulk import of .ait files.
I noticed on another thread requesting Cloud files to show in libraries menu. That or create another menu that is for the files similar to how the libraries function. Whatever is easier.
3 votes -
Blending live pie (ellipses) treats them as path and not like live shapes
Make an ellipse and set pie end angle to 5 degrees (press Invert button if neede to get thin pie)
Duplicate and offset it and change en angle to 270 (doesn't really matter).
Blend these. AI won't blend their shape properties, but blend them as paths. What's use of live shapes then, if AI can't handle them with basic tools?12 votes -
Please make sure Ai request my log in all the time
MAKE SURE Ai PROMPT MY LOG IN WHEN I LAUNCH IT,
I tried restarting AI two times, it skipped the log in window,
and suddenly it auto quit with all my unsaved works later on1 vote -
the splash screen for the 2020 AI wont go away ???
the splash screen for the 2020 AI wont go away ???
1 vote -
Keeping same values as original files (ai)
Working on repetitive files with slight copy change is nice to store in the libraries. I enjoy the quick and easy access to the files. But they do not retain the same value as originally dragged into the libraries. The measurements are converted to pixels. The bleed and art board values are consolidated. It would be nice to store all values from AI into the libraries.
Thank you!2 votes -
Apply For Digital Cutter To Connect With AI Format Cutting File Directly
Hi, Good day!
I'm David Jia from Sinajet Tech. We are a digital cutter manufacturer for sign industry.
More our customers have AI format cutting file, now they need to transfer AI to DXF, and send DXF file to our digital cutter for cutting process.
We hope our cutter can connect with AI format cutting file directly. Once I get AI format I/O or a DLL, then our digital cutter can work with AI format cutting file directly. It will be more convenient for customers.
Please kindly let me know how to proceed.
If you have any other request, please…1 vote -
Saving from Ai to PDF do not show the link image
When saving Ai to PDF, the link image is not shown in the saved PDF.
1 vote -
Deactivate unused functions / tools / filters / plugins
An option to deactivate unused functions. In that way we could not only deactivate keyboard shortcuts (which it's already doable), but also speed up loading times and work flow.
14 votes -
Bring back the previous Illustrator CC toolbar
Bring back the previous Illustrator CC toolbar. After years of having the AI tools in a particular spots, now they're all over the place and hard to find and the Edit Toolbar is a cluster#$%& of madness. Bring it back!
10 votesWe have not removed the previous toolbar, it is just that it is not the default. Please use the Window menu > toolbar to get back to the advanced toolbar
-
Embed SBSAR 3D Material Into .AI File
The ability to embed a 3D SBSAR material into an illustrator file so that other designers can open and use the same .ai file. Currently, the material is lost and greyed out.
Especially if they are custom SBSAR materials made in Adobe Substance Sampler.
1 vote -
Smoothing options for drawing tools like in Photoshop
Please add a customizable “tension delay” or “string tension” feature to the Pencil, Paintbrush, and other drawing tools — similar to Photoshop Painter’s input lag option — so that strokes mimic smooth, flowing tension, as if a string or spring is gently guiding the cursor.
Additionally, include the ability to adjust stroke width dynamically within the Pencil and Paintbrush tools, allowing for more expressive and controlled line variation.
Why this is valuable:
- Enables smoother, more controlled freehand strokes — ideal for illustrators seeking precise, fluid lines.
- Adjustable tension slider lets users…2 votes -
Dragging with Gradient tool over object without a gradient fill does nothing
I have a path I want to be filled with a gradient.
I select it, pick Gradient tool, drag it over the path... and nothing happens.
WHY.
Because AI demands that you apply gradient fill first.
Well, if I'm dragging over the path with a dedicated tool — what else would I want AI to do? Just apply it in the moment I started dragging.13 votes
- Don't see your idea?