Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4701 results found
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Need Save As... in Edit Toolbar options
I use saved toolbars, but they are tedious to create because when you click New toolbar... you get a blank toolbar and then have to add each tool one by one. I would like to open an existing toolbar (like Advanced) and have the option to Save As... under a new name - then, I can remove the tools I don't want and save it. Better to work from a starting point, than have to start from scratch.
3 votes -
Local Artboard Editing Mode
Illustrator already notionally works on one artboard at a time... the one that's zoomed to with Cmd-0, or pasted to with Cmd-V...
Perhaps there could be a mode switch, similar to the 'Draw Inside' mode where all operations are confined to objects on the current artboard. Useful for Cmd-A for example. This would override unlocked artboards of course!
This mode of operation is already familiar in InDesign where only current spread-object appear in the Layers.
3 votes -
Lock Highlight (Unlock) mode
I've always wanted some kind of Lock Highlight feature:
Much like editing a Group after double-click (which grays out all other artboard objects while you edit only that grouped object), I'd like to be able to see a grayed out preview of all the locked objects.
With a keyboard shortcut (e.g. Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Click), you could Unlock individual elements, then exit Lock Highlight mode and keep working.
That would keep you from needing to go back around and relock other elements you didn't want to disturb.
3 votes -
Show gradient annotator for Live Paint selections
Version 29.3 finally allows to adjust gradients for individual Live Paint regions on canvas: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/35930962
While these can indeed be adjusted now, the annotator is still missing.
I suppose it requires more hacking to make it work, but still I’d like to see the controls on canvas, to tweak the look and not remaking it from scratch each time.3 votes -
A Node View mode for the Appearance panel, and a complete revamp of what it can do
I feel like I have a lot of things I want changed about the Appearance palette that cannot be done in the form of a one-dimensional list of effects.
I'd like to suggest something inspired by the "node view" in programs like Blender or Toon Boom or Unreal. Give me a 2d canvas upon which I can arrange strokes, fills, and effects, and let me plug them into each other in complex ways. Let me control exactly when a brush is applied to a stroke by moving its effect around. Let me dynamically generate an opacity mask for an entire object, and another one for three of the seven fills and strokes I have on it. Let me generate complex pieces of plumbing that do crazy things based on me drawing one simple path.
Keeping the Appearance palette around and adding a new Appearance Nodes palette would be fine. Or it could be a new mode in the existing palette. It's also perfectly fine if the existing Appearance palette can't edit Appearance Nodes and just displays a polite apology. There's a simplicity to the existing palette that might be worth retaining, I dunno, when it gets to the point of being in a beta, ask people how they'd feel about losing the old one, and be aggressive about hunting for ways it might break existing appearance stacks - ask us for our craziest piles of native and plugin effects and build a nice set of test cases!
I am probably asking a lot here. This is feels like a big enough change to be one of the top features of an entire release. Possibly even more. It'll probably involve changing some assumptions that are made deep in the parts of Illustrator nobody understands any more. And it's entirely for the most hardcore users, who're using it in the most esoteric ways. Good luck convincing the people who control the budget that a significant part of Illustrator's development budget for a year or three should be devoted to something that's got zero noob appeal.
But after about a decade of exploring its possibilities, I'm constantly butting up against the limitations of the Appearance palette. It's time for something to change. Maybe it's just time for me to figure out how to survive a couple months of zero productivity because I'm figuring out how to turn another, younger program into something I can whip out art even half as fast as I can do it in Illustrator. And probably get animation capabilities and some amount of 3d into the bargain. I dunno. I'm fifty years old and I've loved using this program as my main art tool for half my life. Change is complicated.
I feel like I have a lot of things I want changed about the Appearance palette that cannot be done in the form of a one-dimensional list of effects.
I'd like to suggest something inspired by the "node view" in programs like Blender or Toon Boom or Unreal. Give me a 2d canvas upon which I can arrange strokes, fills, and effects, and let me plug them into each other in complex ways. Let me control exactly when a brush is applied to a stroke by moving its effect around. Let me dynamically generate an opacity mask for an entire…
3 votes -
Scale tool with value input and custom anchor
I'm not necessarily looking for a script—I’m just curious if a tool could be developed to enhance Illustrator’s Scale tool. Specifically, I’d love the ability to input a custom scale value (e.g., uniformly 125%, 100% height, 20% width, etc.) while also being able to position a custom anchor point, as currently available in the Scale tool.
I understand that the Transform Each function allows users to select individual objects, input values, and place an anchor point. However, this feature has limitations:
The anchor point can only be placed within the object's bounds.
To uniformly scale multiple objects, users must group them first, apply scaling, and then ungroup—adding unnecessary steps.
I see a clear opportunity for improvement by integrating Transform Each features directly into the Scale tool. A simple checkbox allowing users to scale objects individually from their centers would make the tool significantly more powerful. Of course, I say "simple" without knowing the underlying complexities of Illustrator’s scaling system—perhaps that’s why these tools are separate in the first place.That said, I rarely use the Scale Options panel because Transform Each is generally more useful. The only reason I still use the Scale tool is its anchor feature. An additional note and one quite important, since Transform Each is only accessible through the right-click menu, many newcomers might overlook it, assuming the side panel contains all available scaling options.
Would love to hear thoughts on whether this kind of enhancement would be feasible!
I'm not necessarily looking for a script—I’m just curious if a tool could be developed to enhance Illustrator’s Scale tool. Specifically, I’d love the ability to input a custom scale value (e.g., uniformly 125%, 100% height, 20% width, etc.) while also being able to position a custom anchor point, as currently available in the Scale tool.
I understand that the Transform Each function allows users to select individual objects, input values, and place an anchor point. However, this feature has limitations:
The anchor point can only be placed within the object's bounds.
To uniformly scale multiple objects, users must group…3 votes -
Make an option to allow resizing artboards with their content to affect hidden and locked layers/objects
Current problems:
It does not resize hidden layers/objects
(huge problem, which I only realized later after unhiding a layer, and had to revert to a previous save. I see now there's a warning, but that doesn't solve the issue).It does not resize locked layers/objects
(It should work similarly to Resize Image in photoshop where everything resizes.)
3 votesIllustrator allows to affect hidden and locked object and layers when resizing artboards.
Go to Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display and enable Move Locked and Hidden Artwork with Artboard option.
I’d agree it should say 'Move and Scale', and there is a separate request to allow to toggle this option right next to the buttons that enable 'Move/Copy' and 'Scale' modes in Control and Properties panels — please upvote it.
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Allow to snap to points of a symbol with Dimension Tool
Is there any chance to make it works with symbols? Using multiple instances of a symbol is a basic workflow in many industries (especially in the fashion industry). Unfortunately you can’t work this way because the Dimension tool is not compatible with symbols.
Thanks to Daté Tetegan for the idea.
3 votes -
Show/Collapse Option for the Right-Click Menu Items
The Right-Click menu is getting too long. How about making an option to collapse or send to a fly-out window from the right-click menu, the least used tools/commands? Or, the ability to roll-up (or keep unrolled) the sections in the right-click menu? And the next time AI is started, the settings appear as they were from a previous session.
3 votes -
Edit Colors panel - drag and drop from document swatches
In the "Edit Colors" panel, users can already select a document's color palette. However, it would be incredibly helpful to allow dragging and dropping individual colors from the document's palette directly into the active color set of an object.
Currently, users have to manually input color values (e.g., RGB), which is time-consuming. Adding a drag-and-drop feature would make this process more efficient and user-friendly, greatly improving the workflow for designers.
Thank you for considering this enhancement!
3 votes -
Beim Ebenenbedienfeld sollte der Bereich grösser sein, wenn man mit der Maus eine Ebene sichtbar machen oder ausblenden
Beim Ebenenbedienfeld sollte der Bereich grösser sein, wenn man mit der Maus eine Ebene sichtbar machen oder ausblenden will oder wenn man sie sperren will. Der Bereich sollte das ganze Quadrat umfassen (s. roten Bereich) und nicht nur den blauen Bereich. Begründung: Beim Klicken schaue ich oft auf die Veränderung bei der Zeichnung. Wenn sich die Maus beim Klicken nur ganz wenig verschiebt, gerät man aus dem Bereich und es passiert nichts. Dann muss man die Maus neu ausrichten und wieder versuchen.
3 votes -
Make 3D material texture scale apply consistently across an entire group/compound path (replicating gradient behavior)
There is currently no way to have a design consisting of multiple disconnected shapes that "share" one single material texture scale in the 3D feature. The scale of the texture is determined by the size of each shape; small shapes have small, squished textures and large shapes have large, stretched textures. I understand that each shape is determining what size is "100%" scale, but the behavior should be like it is elsewhere in Illustrator. When you apply a gradient to multiple shapes, each shape has the entire gradient because each shape's dimensions determine what the 100% scale is. However, if you create a group or compound path, the gradient now applies across all the separate shapes.
There is currently no way to have a design consisting of multiple disconnected shapes that "share" one single material texture scale in the 3D feature. The scale of the texture is determined by the size of each shape; small shapes have small, squished textures and large shapes have large, stretched textures. I understand that each shape is determining what size is "100%" scale, but the behavior should be like it is elsewhere in Illustrator. When you apply a gradient to multiple shapes, each shape has the entire gradient because each shape's dimensions determine what the 100% scale is. However, if…
3 votes -
Allow adding of Freeform Gradients to CC Library panel
Allow adding of freeform gradients to CC libraries. Very inconvenient to have to re-open legacy files each time I need the gradient. This gradient is used consistently for our brand packaging across different products and designs.
3 votes -
Add export functionality directly in the Artboard Panel
Add export functionality directly in the Artboard Panel through either:
A right-click context menu option
Small export icons next to each artboard
A dedicated export button within the panel"The key benefits to highlight would be:
Reduced clicks/steps in the workflow
More intuitive location since users are already working with artboards3 votes -
Group all Gen ai features into one menu
Originally by René Andritsch
With the advent of more and more Gen AI features I highly wish that there is a dedicated Gen AI menu item in the object menu where all those features can be found.
And this can and should be redundant as the Pattern fill can be with the Pattern Command (and others where they are already) but they should also be found in this new Gen AI Menu to have everything AI related in one place. No guessing just a single place to look for these features and there will be more obviously.3 votesBeta 30.0.0.21 now has a dedicated Object > Generative menu with Generate Vectors / Expand / Recolor / Patterns, Print Bleed, Turntable and Generation History
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Effect > Distort & transform > Stacking order
Sometimes you have a group of objects that are not in the correct stacking order, and you have to expand the effects that generate these objects to fix it.
I propose a new effect that offers a few options to change this:
- reverse stacking order
- stack left-to-right, right-to-left, up-to-down, down-to-up, or maybe just an angle dial for stacking order? that'd be super useful for "I drew three balls and blended them to make a necklace and I don't want to have to split it into two blends to make the right ball be the nearest one".
- smallest-to-largest, largest-to-smallest
3 votes -
A way to access Window > Toolbars menu from any toolbar
I want to be able to swap toolbars directly from the Edit Toolbar drawer hidden under ellipsis button in each toolbar. Currently I’d have to close one I don’t need, then go to the menu and search it there.
At least they remember their positions...
I can’t use workspaces to swap tool panels, because reloading workspaces takes forever in Ai.3 votes -
Buttons in the script dialog UI lack rounding on macOS
I’m writing to report a bug in the macOS version of Adobe Illustrator 2024–2025. I’ve noticed that when running scripts with UI elements, the appearance of the UI does not match the default Illustrator UI style. Specifically, the buttons in the script dialogs lack the standard rounding that is consistent across the Illustrator interface.
3 votes -
Make fractal noise gradient
One of my favorite gradient types from the time of Xara was 'Fractal Nosie' and 'Fractal Plasma'. No fine-tuning, but pretty handy for adding quick perturbance, especially when used as a transparency mask.
It’s still there.
Today, VectorStyler app offers a similar gradient type: https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/gradients/We can do something similar using freeform gradient in Ai... but try to scale or rotate control points all at once, I dare you.
Also please take a look at this related request:
Make conical gradient
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/360036163 votes -
Eliminate the 2 different size canvas modes
There are scaling issues in large size canvas mode. For instance, when creating a file in large size canvas mode and saving as PDF with trim marks, the trim marks will be scaled up 1000%. Instead of them remaining .375", they scale up to 3.75" (http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/44115801)
Additionally, several third party plug ins do not work properly in large size canvas mode because of this scaling issue.
Ideally, Illustrator should eliminate the 2 different canvas modes and simply allow any document to be scaled up to the same dimensions as "large size canvas" mode but leave all scaling as it is in the normal size canvas mode.
CorelDRAW does not have this limitation. Why does Illustrator?
There are scaling issues in large size canvas mode. For instance, when creating a file in large size canvas mode and saving as PDF with trim marks, the trim marks will be scaled up 1000%. Instead of them remaining .375", they scale up to 3.75" (http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/44115801)
Additionally, several third party plug ins do not work properly in large size canvas mode because of this scaling issue.
Ideally, Illustrator should eliminate the 2 different canvas modes and simply allow any document to be scaled up to the same dimensions as "large size canvas" mode but leave all scaling as…
3 votes
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