Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4775 results found
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Don’t force creating a dedicated layer for Swatch Info objects
When we create a Swatch Info object, a new layer named 'Swatch Info Layer' gets created automatically. I don’t need it. I want to be able to choose if I need this layer, and what name it should use. My layer structure is something I prefer to have control over, and the way Ai thinks I need to have a singular group this creates in a separate layer is insulting.
Same goes for Dimensions — why do you think I mustn’t choose the layer’s name?
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/482369546 votes -
Add Preview option when creating a Swatch Info object
When we create a Swatch Info object, using a dedicated command from the Swatches panel’s menu, the dialog is missing Preview option we can enable and see how the parameters work in real-time.
6 votes -
Allow to exclude handles from being snapped to grid
I remember it being a bug, when handles were not snapping to grid... but sometimes it’s actually useful! Currently we have to undo, disable the grid, and tweak the handle.
There should either be a hard option we can toggle (preferably with an ability to assign it to a hotkey), or a hotkey to toggle this behavior on the fly, the one we can tap while dragging and disable snapping for this operation only... or both!Please take a look at this related request as well:
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only…6 votes -
Make Create Gradient from swatches command to respect the order of selection
Recently Illustrator added a dedicated command to create a gradient form selected swatches, following this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/38592196
While the function works, there is no way to create a gradient respecting the selection order of swatches — the gradient will always use their order in the panel. I wish it worked! If we need the direct order of swatches, we’d just selected like this.
6 votes -
Add an option for Curvature tool to prioritize the currently selected path
Curvature is one of the more recent tools Illustrator introduced (well, in 2014... time flies). Unlike older tools, it tries to be smart. One of this 'smart' behaviors is an ability to both select and edit paths. It prevents us from placing the next point of the currently selected path right above an existing unselected path — the tool treats it as an attempt to select the latter.
There is an existing request to tweak the continuation tolerance, similar to what Pencil has: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34578331
But to be fair, I’d love more options for the tool in general. So far it…
6 votes -
Add a 'Single Midpoint Anchor' Tool in Illustrator
Request: Add a tool or command that allows users to add a single anchor point precisely at the midpoint of any selected path segment without affecting the entire shape.
Why It’s Needed: Illustrator currently lacks an intuitive way to place an anchor point exactly between two existing anchor points. The "Add Anchor Points" command applies to all segments, and the Smart Guides often fail to indicate an accurate midpoint. Manually calculating coordinates is impractical.
Suggested Implementation:
A new "Add Midpoint Anchor" option in Object > Path that works on a single segment.
A modified behavior in the Pen Tool (P)…
6 votes -
Move items inside/outside hidden and locked layers.
I want to move items in and out of locked and/or hidden layers.
I use the lock and hidden options to not accendently modify them on the canvas, but I do neet to rearrange them in the layers, or need a copy of an item.6 votes -
Do not select both the clipping mask and the clipped contents with Select All while in isolation
When we isolate a clipping group, it’s like we are jumping in a whole in a canvas and start dealing with what’s behind it. Whatever we move while inside isolated, would be visible through the hole.
So when we say Select All while being isolated, we usually don’t mean 'Select the stuff behind the hole and the hole itself' — it’s about clipped content only. Otherwise why isolate in the first place?
Select contents only first and and the clipping mask to the selection only when Select All is called again, if the clipped content is fully selected already. Display…
6 votes -
Display names for character alternates
When a singular character is selected, Illustrator shows Character Alternates menu (if one has the option enabled in Preferences > Type).
But while some glyphs look distinct enough, some are obscure.
These have names, Unicode codes (these are displayed in Glyphs)...
What’s good seeing three similar spaces? How can I choose properly from two similar looking small 'a'-s, as shown in the screenshot attached?
Why can’t I see what these character alternates are when I hover over them?6 votes -
Escape should cancel an execution of a script / plugin
If we run a script or a plugin operation and the execution of it takes a long time, there is no real way to abort it other than killing the whole Ai process completely (since there is no dedicated one). This can loose us data, and saving each time before running a script or a plugin is paranoid and is hardly a solution.
We need to be able to hit Escape when a script or a plugin makes Ai freeze and expect for it to be stopped, perhaps with a confirmation.
6 votes -
Show list of open files in different menu place / separate panel
The open files are under Window menu, that is a large list to scroll and locate the files. I think it will be better to have an open files menu only for that. Also could be nice to have a button to browse them all, or a different method, like a panel.
6 votes -
Non-destructive clipping mask options
An option where you take a whole object or group and use it's whole area(including strokes) as a clipping mask for other layers. Similar to what you can do in Photoshop.
So you can create for instance, a shape with stroke and set it as the clipping mask for an underlying texture. Without the need to flatten it, so you can experiment with it, or keep a text live for later editting it.
Or have multiple shapes working as the clipping mask while you are choosing the appropriate combination or later need to adapt to a different format.
6 votes -
There should be a dedicated Object > Dimension menu, with all the commands Properties panel has
With the Dimension tool and dimension objects we got several important commands that deal around not having presets for these: Apply to All and Set as Default.
These commands are available only as buttons, and are not accessible from anywhere else, including Control panel (here is a request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49010126) and top menu.
In case Properties doesn’t work (as it doesn’t for me) and another case a user just doesn’t like the panel (since it’s still very raw and buggy), we can’t get to these in any other way, and can’t assign a hotkey (since Ai just doesn’t…
6 votes -
Allow to snap to points of a compound shape with Dimension Tool
It turns out Dimension Tool can’t snap to points of a live compound shape — the cursor displays a 'forbidden' icon and a click does nothing.
The tool should treat the shape as every other tool does and allow to snap to all points (including those to be removed on expand) and intersections, and stay live when the shape is modified (when possible, until the topology changes too much to maintain the connection).
Thanks to René Andritsch for the discovery.
6 votes -
Allow to use units other than points for Thickness in Pathfinder Trap or Pathfinder Options dialogs
Illustrator is an international application.
But for some reason we still have places in its UI when we are hardbound to specific units, like points in Pathfinder Trap, or PPI as the only resolution unit (while Photoshop allows PPCM — please upvote this request here, http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/32403901)
No, this value can be anything, and we need other units than points.
No, it does not get automatically recalculated.
No, it’s not 1998 now.6 votes -
Add more icon types in History and stop calling some operations just 'Undo'
We finally got our History panel, hooray, thanks to this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31139326
But it’s been 2 years now, and yet still some operations are called just 'Undo' and have generic 'something from a menu' icon.
Move? Menu icon.
Copy? Menu icon.
Applying an effect? Menu icon.
Creating a repeat? Menu icon.
Deleting a a portion with Shape Builder? Menu icon.
Applying a swatch? Menu icon.
Applying a graphic style? You guess.
These are all quite distinct, yet a generic icon is used.Calling a script? 'Undo' as well, as if Ai doesn’t know about scripts.
I know it’s quite consistent…
6 votes -
Gradient Tool Needs Custom Angle Increment Option
There should be an option to define the angle increment that you want Shift to lock to when creating or modifying a gradient. Such as 15 degree increments (0º, 15º, 30º...). Come on Adobe!
6 votes -
Revisit the interactions of gradients, brushes, and patterns.
You can't make pattern swatches with gradients in them. This limitation probably made a lot of sense back in 1996 when gradients were new and complicated. Does it still make sense in 2024, with thirty years of CPU manufacturers fighting to keep Moore's Law valid?
You can't apply a gradient stroke to an art/pattern/scatter brush. Again, this limitation probably made sense back in 2012 when gradient strokes were added to Illustrator. Does it still make sense in 2024?
I'm pretty tired of working around both of these limitations.
6 votes -
Add buttons in a tool panel to directly remove fill or stroke without a need to focus one
LHS toolbox Stroke/Fill helpful feature
At the bottom of the LHS Toolbox, have an x inside the stroke coloured square to remove a stroke instead of going to colour swatch box.6 votes -
Print current artboard
If my file has more than one artboard and I want to print the selected artboard, I have to press (shift + o) to see number of the artboard, then (Ctrl + P) then I have to write the number of the artboard I want to print.
This actually so boring especially if my file work requires to print a lot.
Please if you add an option to print dialog which is (print current artboard) that will help a lot.
Thank you6 votes
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