Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
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No existing idea results
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4749 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/482369545 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.
5 votes -
Make it possible to select objects using a path.
It would be very useful to be able select individual objects in a document using a path which touches each of those objects or lies entirely within the path, or both, with each option being selectable by the user.
5 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.
5 votes -
Allow to copy the area value from the Info panel
Why can we copy a HEX color from the Color panel, but can’t copy the area of it (or any other value as well)?
In some cases we need to get the value to share with someone, and now Ai wants us to retype it.
Sometimes we also need these to be placed on canvas — but I think it’s a job for the Dimension tool? Why Measure and Dimension are different tools in the first place?
5 votes -
Project Turntable
Project Turntable - This option is not available even on the latest version of illlustrator 29.3.1 and the latest illustrator beta 29.4.73. How can this be activated in my account? This would really help fast track the projects I'm currently working on
5 votesThe development of this is in progress, the team is working on the feature. Stay tuned for more information.
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Remove quantization / rounding for the Curvature tool
Curvature tool is handy, but it places new points based on a hidden grid. The grid is screen-spaced, and it means the step of it stays the same on the screen, no matter what level of zoom we have.
Once a point is places and the mouse button / pen is released, we can move this point freely, with no rounding!
Why can’t we have this behavior for new points? Why limit new points in precision?5 votes -
Always call guides as 'guides'
Open Layers and Control panels.
Enable rulers and drag a guide from one.
Take a look at how the selected guide is called:
— <Guide> in Layers
— Path in ControlNow create a rectangle and a line, and also draw a path with the Pencil.
Convert all three to guides with View > Guides > Make Guides (Cmd/Ctrl + 5).
Compare the names:
— <Rectangle> and <Line> but <Guide> in Layers
— Rectangle and Line but Path in ControlSure, these first two are technically live shapes (and have dedicated controls in Control)... but also are guides. Why Ai is inconsistent with it? Why aren’t some guides thus named as 'guides'?
I can’t say a guide dragged from the ruler is NOT a path, it is, and it has its length limited to the canvas, and can be dragged sideways or converted into a simple path, or a live line (that’s why this request about making guides to behave more like in InDesign exists: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/37211029).
But again, why are these called guides (while being paths), but manually converted paths change their names in Layers only when aren’t live shapes?
Thanks to Enisio for the notification.
Open Layers and Control panels.
Enable rulers and drag a guide from one.
Take a look at how the selected guide is called:
— <Guide> in Layers
— Path in ControlNow create a rectangle and a line, and also draw a path with the Pencil.
Convert all three to guides with View > Guides > Make Guides (Cmd/Ctrl + 5).
Compare the names:
— <Rectangle> and <Line> but <Guide> in Layers
— Rectangle and Line but Path in ControlSure, these first two are technically live shapes (and have dedicated controls in Control)... but also are guides. Why Ai…
5 votes -
Add Fresco Vector Brush technology into Illustrator
Not sure why this still hasn't happened yet, but the vector brush in Fresco is superior to any of the vector brushes Illustrator currently provides for traditional style drawing/inking. Be great to have it for desktop vector drawing. Especially if there aren't' any intentions of bringing Fresco into OSX...
5 votes -
Make Document Info Panel show Objects by default
It was suggested that I post this here:
Is it possible to have the 'Document Info' panel show Objects by default? It's literally the only thing I need from that panel and I want it open all the time, every time. Thanks!
5 votes -
Support wildcard characters in Find & Replace
My only wish for the text Find & Replace would be able to use wildcard characters. That was such a great option in the TexEdit (not TextEdit) word processor and I have yet to find something similar for the Mac.
5 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?5 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.
5 votes -
Add "Embed Images" to Menu/Actions
Working with multiple print files requires manual embedding of each linked image, which is time-consuming. Please add "Embed Images" to either:
- The Actions panel for batch processing, or
- The menu system to allow keyboard shortcut assignment
This would significantly improve workflow efficiency in print production environments.
5 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 allow to hotkey all the things we can call or press (here is a request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31609237).
Please put these into a menu!
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…
5 votes -
Allow to apply different join corners for a live stroke per point
There is an existing request to allow to have different caps for start/end of a stroked path, made by Von Glitschka: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/39306955
I think an ability to choose corners per point can be very helpful as well.
Original idea by Stuart McCoy.
5 votes -
Select > Object > Dimension
It’s quite easy to accidentally convert a live dimension object into a dead group (reported here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/47739104)
When it happens, there is no way to tell if a dimension is live or dead but to try and select it, or view in Layers, selectin them one by one.
What we need (even if the bug above get fixed) is an ability to select all the dimensions at once.
The powerful and free Select Menu plugin (https://rj-graffix.com/downloads/plugins/#selectmenu) doesn’t have this item yet as well.
5 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 with Photoshop, but Ai is more object oriented than Ps, and deserves more definition for object-based operations.
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…
5 votes -
Rename a document from its tab
Illustrator allows to to set a name for a new document in File > New dialog (both modern and classic one). But once a document is created, you no longer can change the name until it’s saved.
If a user want to set a name, but not ready to save, they have no other choice other then save. While it’s OK to have an unsaved document with a specified name, you are given the chance to name it once until then. Not fair.
Perhaps you should allow users to rename any document for it’s tab?
Probably not with a single click, since it will greatly distract users with false recognition (I don’t even doubt this), but maybe a context menu command? a double-click?Then, it’s another related, about renaming opened files in general:
File > Rename command
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/42422902Illustrator allows to to set a name for a new document in File > New dialog (both modern and classic one). But once a document is created, you no longer can change the name until it’s saved.
If a user want to set a name, but not ready to save, they have no other choice other then save. While it’s OK to have an unsaved document with a specified name, you are given the chance to name it once until then. Not fair.
Perhaps you should allow users to rename any document for it’s tab?
Probably not with a single…5 votes -
Select multiple symbols for Symbol Sprayer
I would like to spray a random variety of (self made) icons.
Why not select multiple symbols and have the brush iterate through this selection?5 votes
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