Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4370 results found
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Adobe Draw
I use the Adobe Draw app daily in unison with Illustrator and Photoshop. It would be hugely helpful if this app allowed for brush edge softness to be altered (much like in Photoshop.)
I use this app for hand lettering and iconography sketching in Illustrator, but mostly for Digital Painting in Photoshop. Brush versatility and customization is vital.
4 votes -
It would be great to have a densitometer
Similar to Indesign, to read the tints with the numbers in the separations palette. Currently when building we need to pop it into Indesign to take a reading, especially if there is transparency.
4 votes -
Preview Checkbox defaults to On rather than Off
I'm not sure if there is a reason for this, but for the 12 years I've been using Illustrator, the effects checkbox always defaults to "Off" and every time I make an edit to an effect, I have to switch it to "On". It never remembers my setting and there is no way to make it default to On. Either would be acceptable.
Many thanks for everything.
97 votesHi Everyone,
All the effect checkboxes have now been set to ON by default, and are sticky (meaning that if you disable preview, on next launch of Illustrator preview will remain disabled). This functionality now is available in our latest release build – 24.1.1 for Win and 24.1 for Mac which is available worldwide now.
What’s new in 24.1: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/whats-new.html
You can update to the latest release using Creative Cloud desktop App: https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/help/creative-cloud-updates.html
Thank you for all the feedback.
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Variable Fonts in Paragraph/Character Styles
This may well be planned already, but I would love to be able to edit variable font axes inside the paragraph style dialogue. This would be very valuable in keeping things consistent.
2 votes -
The "new update" popup message is gross
A. Add a "don't show this again" checkbox because I don't want to be reminded later nor do I want to update on anything but my own terms.
B. Add a space between the period and "Know more..."
C. Choose a different call to action that isn't "Know more" because what?
D. Actually just don't show popups for anything. I pay you to draw vector lines and that's about it.
8 votes -
Ai File icon turned upside down
Hi. I have updated the ai to version cc 2018 and all the icons of my files in ai format turned upside down. It makes me feel annoyed even it does not hinder me from opening and working on the files. May i know how this can be fixed?
Thank you.
1 vote -
Identify and name color swatches with human-readable names
There is a very handy tool in Yandex.ru search engine, named 'Колдунщик' (literally 'Sorcererer', with triple 'er').
The way it works with colors is briefly described there (in Russian):
https://yandex.ru/blog/company/94762What it does is binds color names with color values. Some are quite standard, 'light blue', some are familiar, like 'bordeaux' (but every man think of different shade or even tone, speaking of it), some are very uncommon, like 'The color of the thigh of a frightened nymph' (it is a real color — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisse_de_Nymphe).
What if AI could name colors in a same way, when swatch is created (working in pair with a value method)?
For example, I create swatch HSV 39-29-100 and AI offers variants for naming it: 'C=0 M=11 Y=35 K=0' or 'Peach' or 'C=0 M=11 Y=35 K=0 Peach' or 'Peach C=0 M=11 Y=35 K=0'.There is a very handy tool in Yandex.ru search engine, named 'Колдунщик' (literally 'Sorcererer', with triple 'er').
The way it works with colors is briefly described there (in Russian):
https://yandex.ru/blog/company/94762What it does is binds color names with color values. Some are quite standard, 'light blue', some are familiar, like 'bordeaux' (but every man think of different shade or even tone, speaking of it), some are very uncommon, like 'The color of the thigh of a frightened nymph' (it is a real color — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisse_de_Nymphe).
What if AI could name colors in a same way, when swatch is created…
21 votes -
Add numerical control over light sources in 3D Extrude & Bevel Effect Options
When applying and tweaking 3D Extrude & Bevel Effect, user has to manipulate light by precise mouse twitching over the small sphere.
It should be at least twice as big to provide fine control (I won't note this as separate request), but there should also be numerical fields to control the lights' position over sphere — angle, elevation, choose any.Also, why Depth and Height values there are immune to document Units settings? 56.96pt is nonsense to me, while 20mm makes sense.
19 votes -
Add ability to set grid settings while creating new document
First of all — I'm speaking about adding this feature to OLD New dialogue window, because new fancy one is a disaster.
I create new documents with a vision in mind, what will I do and what grid would I use. I'd like to have an ability to set it with defining size of a document.
Next, most new users have no idea about grids and don't understand, why use it. More of it, even intermediate users don't have a clue, and I have to deal with a lot of designs, made by these average designers. All of them can't skip new document dialogue window, and if grid settings would be there, I would less deal with documents created in metric units with a grid set in inches and stuff designed by eye, all with gaps and holes, like attached picture shows. I'm idealist, I know, but still hope people will educate and do less bad design.
First of all — I'm speaking about adding this feature to OLD New dialogue window, because new fancy one is a disaster.
I create new documents with a vision in mind, what will I do and what grid would I use. I'd like to have an ability to set it with defining size of a document.
Next, most new users have no idea about grids and don't understand, why use it. More of it, even intermediate users don't have a clue, and I have to deal with a lot of designs, made by these average designers. All of them can't…
17 votes -
Return greeking of vector graphics
AI is never fast enough. Pan is slow.
Why did you remove greeking completely? If I wanted to better have nice looking art while panning, I would tick an option in Preferences! But now there's no such an option.
InDesign still have greeking option fro both text and vector art.
Please return it back as an option (and add slider for quality, as ID has).17 votes -
Add the ability to select an object by clicking it's visual appearance (strokes, glyphs, effects)
Sometimes selection tools fail (seemingly) to pick up object.
For example, if you have an object with fat stroke, clicking to outside part of that stroke will select nothing (or object underneath stroke) — you have to select in/inside edge to do it.
Second example — type object, with an empty descender zone, behind baseline; you click below letters to select an object behind, but pick type object instead.
Third example — object with a subtle but wide drop shadow effect applied to it. Shadow is almost invisible (low opacity and light color), but when you click in it, AI selects object anyway, while you expect to select object behind it.I guess, it would be nice to have an option (and temp mode as well) for Direct selection tool to pick an object based on visual rather the structure.
You could set a tick in Control panel or hold some modifier key (as Photoshop does, when you toggle auto-select for Move tool).
Then you could pick an object, by clicking in outside part of the stroke, or clicking through letters, or clicking through enough transparent shadows.Sometimes selection tools fail (seemingly) to pick up object.
For example, if you have an object with fat stroke, clicking to outside part of that stroke will select nothing (or object underneath stroke) — you have to select in/inside edge to do it.
Second example — type object, with an empty descender zone, behind baseline; you click below letters to select an object behind, but pick type object instead.
Third example — object with a subtle but wide drop shadow effect applied to it. Shadow is almost invisible (low opacity and light color), but when you click in it, AI…23 votes -
Make ability to create Dead (not Live) shapes
I don't always need LIVE shapes. They have different controls, different treat of Control panel, they bite off Transform palette. Sometimes I just need rectangular path, as it was before, not Rectangle. Now I have to use Plain rectangle plugin on common basis, rebound to M hotkey.
I would like to use them if not a bug with Ctrl+Enter in Width/Height fields, while proportion constraint is off (Live shapes don't constraint it with Ctrl+Enter, as everybody else do, — I'm surprised I haven't reported it yet.)22 votes -
Add ability to use PPCM along with PPI, as Photoshop does
AI is used worldwide. Despite PostScript, based on points, based on inch, being de-facto a standard for most users, many people use metric system.
English inch, as you know, equals exactly 2.54cm.
This gives us, metric users, mantra for translating PPI into PPCM: 254ppi=100ppcmSince fractional values for resolution are impossible within AI (while Photoshop does!), we have to import via PS or work in scale and are very limited.
Please, add ability to use PPCM along with PPI, as Photoshop does.
16 votes -
Add ability to use fractional values for resolution everywhere
AI is used worldwide. Despite PostScript, based on points, based on inch, being de-facto a standard for most users, many people use metric system.
English inch, as you know, equals exactly 2.54cm.
This gives us, metric users, mantra for translating PPI into PPCM: 254ppi=100ppcmBut if we need lower value, such as 10 or 20 or 30 ppcm (working in scale with huge designs, such as ad bus wraps), we can't use it, because AI doesn't allow to enter fractional values anywhere inside! We can't use 50.8, 25.4, 76.2, Ai would round it to 51, 25, 76.
This will give us wrong result exporting rasters.That's why, until this change (fractional values) is made, we, metric people, won't have much benefit of large artboards' support you are thinking to implement.
Please, add support for fractional values for resolution everywhere.AI is used worldwide. Despite PostScript, based on points, based on inch, being de-facto a standard for most users, many people use metric system.
English inch, as you know, equals exactly 2.54cm.
This gives us, metric users, mantra for translating PPI into PPCM: 254ppi=100ppcmBut if we need lower value, such as 10 or 20 or 30 ppcm (working in scale with huge designs, such as ad bus wraps), we can't use it, because AI doesn't allow to enter fractional values anywhere inside! We can't use 50.8, 25.4, 76.2, Ai would round it to 51, 25, 76.
This will give…17 votes -
Make cursor instantly visible after jumping with arrows keys
While navigating text with arrows (or Ctrl/Cmd + arrows), especially in short word clusters, something like these:
mon-sun: 10:00–19:00
break: 13:00–14:00
it's quite hard to understand where cursor has landed after last jump, because cycle of blinking seem to stay the same or even elongate!
There's a second after jump until cursor is finally drawn.
Could you please add or fix it in such a way that cursor is immediately visible after any arrow jump?25 votes -
Make Ctrl+arrows jump to hyphen too
While editing text in Russian, I have quite many complex words separated by hyphen.
Pressing Ctrl+arrow ignores these and jumps to start and end of word.
Please add ability to respect hyphens while moving cursor with Ctrl+arrows.P. S. If you combine this with reported bug fix about Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End, it would be AWESOME
18 votes -
Add motion blur effect
We have radial, gaussian, but no motion blur. Please, add one.
50 votes -
Make blend profiles (acceleration) and better blend controls
Blend tool in AI is weak.
Please add acceleration for both attributes and positions for blended objects, as other competitors do.
Remove positioning by Bezier tension, people hardly use it (watch forums), — make separate curve control for it (or at least sliders!)40 votes -
Make ability to make warnings show in background and not in dialogue windows
Right now we can click OK/Enter every time interrupting warning dialogue pops up, or tick 'Never show again'.
I would prefer background message, same as 'Shape expanded' now appears.
For example, I use Ctrl+J combination to connect all my segments in one closed path. I can have two or more segments, and just press this combination several times to achieve my goal, rather then count how many times I should press it. But when path is finally closed, AI throws a warning at me. Usually my hands press keys one more time after that and AI beeps-blinks, which is awful — I expect this window to know my operation is done, but this is too much — this is no error, this is just awaited inapplicable operation. If AI would just pop up small gray badge 'Path is already closed' (AI knows exactly what I've selected), it would work so much better for me.Right now we can click OK/Enter every time interrupting warning dialogue pops up, or tick 'Never show again'.
I would prefer background message, same as 'Shape expanded' now appears.
For example, I use Ctrl+J combination to connect all my segments in one closed path. I can have two or more segments, and just press this combination several times to achieve my goal, rather then count how many times I should press it. But when path is finally closed, AI throws a warning at me. Usually my hands press keys one more time after that and AI beeps-blinks, which is awful…19 votes -
Improve and allow customize the 'Show' info slot in the bottom bar (next to horizontal scrollbar)
Show field next to zoom and artboard selectors below work area can now show 5 things:
current artboard name, which is nowhere else is seen except Artboards palette;
current Tool, that is usually visible if Tools panel is on;
current date-time, which is visible in system clock;
number of undos, which was quite useful when RAM was tiny;
current profile, which is visible in document header.
I mean, almost every info available is also available in other place!I would like to use this field as something exclusive:
number of selected objects (nowhere to be seen, only PathScribe plugin can show this in separate palette);
snapping status (grid/point/guides/smart on/off — we have to try now, or go to Preferences or drop down View command);
scaling effects/strokes status (on/off — try or go Preferences too);
current layer;
mouse clicks (I remember it was hidden, I miss it, it was useful as internal timer, but I don't miss eyes/moon/Ted/etc).Show field next to zoom and artboard selectors below work area can now show 5 things:
current artboard name, which is nowhere else is seen except Artboards palette;
current Tool, that is usually visible if Tools panel is on;
current date-time, which is visible in system clock;
number of undos, which was quite useful when RAM was tiny;
current profile, which is visible in document header.
I mean, almost every info available is also available in other place!I would like to use this field as something exclusive:
number of selected objects (nowhere to be seen, only PathScribe plugin can…18 votes
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