Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
257 results found
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Add a way to protect chosen colors in Recolor while randomizing, and allow to limit chosen colors to different libraries, all in one session
I use the Recolor (color mixer/wheel) daily. I have come across a couple features missing.
Feature Request 1:
- I use the 'randomize/recolor' tool to scroll through a self-made palette and recolor prints with several colors.
- When I've come across a semi-acceptable mix, I can't lock in the colors I like.
- To hold those colors, I have to save and close the color mix window, then reopen and 'lock' those colors
- This adjusted feature would allow me to 'lock' the couple colors that are working for the print, while being able to scroll through options for the…3 votes -
Larger Stroke/Fill selector in Swatch panel
It is extremely difficult to choose the between the Fill and Stroke selector in the Swatch panel., especially on Retina displays. Please give us the option to make it larger, as seen in my attachment.
3 votes -
the ability to zoom in on the gradient panel for complex gradients
the ability to zoom in on the gradient panel for complex gradients. If I am creating a gradient some time I feel like I need to zoom into the panel so I can ensure I get the color pointers as accurate as possible
3 votesYou can grab the edge of the Gradient panel and resize it, making the gradient strip larger.
Please comment back if the solution is not sufficient for you.
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Pattern making
I want a feature in the pattern making panel. When I make a pattern I often duplicate a graphic and change something, maybe color, in the area where you make the graphics that shall be repeated. After duplicated I move it to the place where it is repeated. Then I can change color of one of the graphics for example, and these both graphics are now repeated. The problems is that when I move the graphic I kind of eyeball the placement of it. I would want to be more exact and quicker with it. I don't know what one…
3 votes -
Reorganize the SWATCHES WINDOW to be able to see ALL colour values
Many os us (designers) don't have a huge screen to be able to spread all windows/tools allover thus, my request is regarding the way the colours names are displayed in the swatches window. I can’t see all values!!!
Even using the "small list view", all values can't been seen (this is what I see now: C=30 M=60 Y=4...) unless the swatches window is really wide... using too much space out of my screen. (check attached image)
Maybe a quick solution could be using C30 M60 Y40 K10 instead of C=30 M=60 Y=40 K=10
There are also many space “not used”,…
2 votes -
Recent Color Swatch Used Keybind
In short, a recent color swatch keybind would increase efficiency during creating projects. Currently I am working on a project where I have to use the same colors repeatedly. If there was a keybind to automatically change the color to the most recently used color it would be nice.
Ex. You have to type out a text on a card and you want to change the color of certain words quickly without having to go into the swatches board and having to highlight.
Instead of that you could:
Use a color once
Highlight the new uncolored text
Do a keybind…2 votesThis can be achieved with Actions panel. It allows to record certain operations and assign F-key-based shortcuts to call them later faster.
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Allow to covert a global / spot swatch into a normal / process color when user tries to edit the HEX value in Color panel
As mentioned by oldsystem here — https://www.reddit.com/r/AdobeIllustrator/comments/1pj3jae/my_4month_list_of_illustrator_2025_issues_state/ — Illustrator doesn’t allow to change a global/spot color in the Color panel by editing a HEX value. We just can’t type there.
However, if we open a Color Picker instead, it’s not a problem — we can enter a new hex value and get the color converted into a normal/process color, with no warning or shy message even about the conversion happened.
Please make these consistent. Allow editing the HEX value and show a shy message, similar to one we see when we convert live rectangles into just paths by moving an…
2 votes -
Alias/map similar colors to a proper swatch via an Ink Manager similar to InDesign
The header pretty much describes it. Sometimes links don't have properly named spot colors or such and instead of spending time editing those links it would be easier to add the proper swatch in AI and then "map" the link colors to that color.
2 votes -
Create a contour on Swatch Info card
It would be great if we can select a contour colour inside the Create Swatch Info setting dialog. Sometimes is it necessary to apply the info to the white colour and if you place in a white background canvas you must expand the aspect and than add the contour color.
2 votes -
Adjust colors to Black/White with a Threshold
I am missing an easy way to convert illustrator selections to pure black and white (not grayscale).
Comes in handy especially with Gen AI, since that does not understand how to create pure black and white results.2 votes -
Merge some features of Color window into Swatches window
I've always wished the "Color" window and "Swatches" were sort of merged... I wont' bother explaining why its useful to keep the Swatches window open, as i have to assume everybody is constantly using this. I toggle over to the Color window when i'm viewing the color name and swapping the color/fill. In the latest update of Illustrator, they've updated Swatches to include a stroke and fill selector (as well as a list of recent colors, which is pretty cool). they've not however included the swapping arrow, display name of color, or that little default fill selection. can we please…
2 votes -
Fill/Outline Color Palettes
My suggestion is to add an option of separate color palette view for the fill and outline color control menus.
When I select a shape to view or to spec its color fill or outline, it shows the RGB/CMYK slider menu for one but not the other.
I then have to select the opposite to view or spec its color or to no color. I would like to have the option of viewing the color slider menus that shows fill and outline color simultaneously. This would speed up creating and be more efficient to me. Thank you.2 votes -
Add an option to hide the color spectrum bar at the bottom of the Color panel
I would like to request an option to hide the color spectrum bar located at the bottom of the Color panel.
For users who input colors using CMYK or RGB percentages, the color spectrum bar becomes an obstruction. This is particularly problematic when switching to a smaller panel docked below the Color panel, as the spectrum can display with an excessively tall vertical height. Having to manually resize the Color panel every time just to make the color spectrum smaller is cumbersome.
Please consider implementing this feature.
2 votes -
Color swatch mapping with presets for print production
I made this script using ChatGPT, it does mostly everything I need, but I ran into the issue that the option "Merge Swatches" in the Swatches panel, cannot be used/accessed with JavaScript.
I work as Prepress designer and I have to constantly change spot colors to match the swatches that the print operators need to match the colors the client need (Pantone match or paint swatches). Most of these colors are saved in an .ASE file and I have to manually merge them multiple times.
I thought my script was going to fix this for me until I hit that…
2 votes -
Placeholder Spot Color Swatch Assigned in Illustrator Then Defined in InDesign (and other Adobe Apps - especially AE and Premier)
This would be a joint effort between AI and INDD. But being able to assign a spot color swatch placeholder to a graphic like any other spot swatch (with tint support) that can then be assigned via the links panel in InDesign.
Often I need to color coordinate graphics with a document I am building in InDesign. I typically do this by either generating multiple artboards or layers with the variations I need. But sometimes for one-off projects or projects where there may need to be many variations it just makes the AI file much more cumbersome to deal with.
…
2 votes -
Make Pattern Options work when stroke is selected in tool panel
You can't open the pattern editor from swatches panel or from shortcut if stroke is selected in tools panel. I shot screen grab to demonstrate.
I can see why it might be desired behaviour, but you can still select patterns to fill a selection, while stroke is selected in tools panel. so it doesn't seem to make sense.
If fill is selected, you can enter the pattern editor for a selected swatch, from the swatches panel independent of pattern swatches in use or active in project. But if stroke is active/selected you can not.
Uploaded unlisted full res screen capture…
2 votes -
Retain original, unexpanded art for pattern swatches.
"This pattern contains active content (symbols, effects, etc, it's a long list) that must be expanded to create a swatch. If you edit the pattern again, the expanded content will no longer be active."
There's a lot of clever, well-paid people at Adobe. I bet someone there can figure out how to store the original pattern art along with the expanded pattern art, and edit the former rather than the latter when I double-click on the pattern swatch. I have workarounds for this but they are tedious and annoying ones.
Also I would like to thank whoever wrote the dialogue…
2 votes -
A way to make a pattern's location match where it was originally created instead of aligning with the ruler origin
I like to use large patterns to create effects like "rays centered on a focal point of the image" in my artwork. Or to work around the fact that clipping masks can't have complex appearance stacks. These sort of patterns work best when they are precisely aligned to the artwork.
Currently the workflow to do this is as follows:
- Create some art to be a pattern that aligns with some important part of my drawing. Select it and do Object > Pattern > Create.
- Give it a name and close the pattern creation window.
- Make a large rectangle with this…
2 votes -
Add more modifier keys for Control bar to show alternate color UI
Currently the behavior of the Color UI in Properties is broken:
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/48691379Clicking the swatch drop down opens the different swatch color options.
Please update with these shortcut key options:
Shift + clicking the swatch drop down opens the Color Mixer options.
Option + clicking the swatch drop down opens the gradient options.
Command + clicking the swatch drop down opens the pattern options.2 votes -
Make it easy to colour pie charts using colour libraries.
Unable to use the libraries colour menu to colour a pie chart. This is ridiculous. I had to make a separate box on the page and use the eyedropper to transfer the colour to the pie chart. Even the Eyedropper wouldn't work directly with the colour in the colour library and that is where all our brand colours are stored.
2 votes
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