Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
- or
649 results found
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Add Distribute Spacing in Control and Properties panels
Distribute Spacing is for me the most used alignment option. Unfortunately, it doesn't show in the Control panel, so I always have to use the full alignment panel, just to use this one button while all the other alignment options are right at hand at the top of the screen. It would be great if it would be added there - maybe optionally.
8 votes -
Proportional Push & Rotate Tool
I’m relatively new to Illustrator, not sure if such a feature already exists, but I’d like to suggest a tool that allows selected objects to be proportionally pushed away from the group’s center point or a custom pivot point — without scaling them — and optionally rotate them around that same point. For rotation, it would be great to have options whether the objects keep their own rotation (independent) or rotate as children following the group’s rotation. Additionally, it would be helpful to allow setting horizontal and vertical movement ratios (e.g., move 1 unit horizontally while moving 0.35 units vertically…
2 votes -
Keyboard shortcut to hide/show selected layer / object
Option to assign a keyboard shortcut for hide/show selected layer / object. Currently you have to click on the eye icon, which is pretty cumbersome. (for eg Photoshop has this feature, I think).
(I'm on a project where you need to trace this huge sketch with ready made elements and so toggle layer visibility is a fast way to see how things are aligning.) Cheers!
13 votes -
Restore previous default Stroke alignment to center, or add a preference option for default alignment.
The default stroke alignment used to be centered in previous versions.
1 vote -
Highlight/Select values within box on panels on single click
I am unsure if this is OS specific or not, but it would be a welcome quality-of-life change. I use an Apple laptop and a Windows desktop.
Within Photoshop on Mac, if you click within the 'Character Size' box inside the Properties panel the entirety of the characters are highlighted to then be replaced. Unknown to me, this behavior is actually not consistent throughout every other Adobe program on Mac OS (as it should be).
It seems that on Windows, the behavior is set to only highlight on a double-click as well. This isn't the end of the world but…
11 votes -
Pulling content (text, etc) from a database into a layered template
Ideally, it would be advantageous to manage a database of content (like SQL) that could then be linked to content in Illustrator files. In that way, changes to the database such as address could then automatically change in the associated Illustrator files. I don't know if this is something already developed and if so, I'd love to hear more about it. I've heard about the Datamerge function, but I don't quite know all of its capabilities. I'd appreciate any comments on whether that is a viable solution. Thank you.
1 vote -
Font stack (like CSS)
As a user who frequently works with CJK texts, I often encounter challenges in managing fonts for multilingual documents. Currently, setting different fonts for mixed-texts is a cumbersome process.
When I work with mixed texts, it is common to set CJK texts in one typeface and English text in another, as it is usually the case for many brands. To do so, I have to set the fonts of the text twice (first English, then find all characters whose font is unchanged and set them to the CJK font). Sometimes, if the chosen CJK font…
3 votes -
InCopy Assignments
Just as InDesign lets designers can assign InCopy assignments to text blocks, can the same functionality be done for Illustrator?
2 votes -
Multiple Artboard Alignment at same time
My name is Mujtaba from Pakistan, And I have been working as a Professional Designer.
It is stated, that when we have multiple artboards, and when we need to arrange all the group or individual Object/Element in all artboard, we are enable to do so using Adobe illustrator CC 2021 yet.
For example: We have 20 artboards and 20 different objects, now someone like to arrange each object in their own artboard, then there should be option that the object inside each artboard arrange to it's self. We have to arrange individually abroad and object one by one which takes…3 votes -
Press Alt while creating a radius / diameter dimension to toggle these two mode on the fly
Currently Dimension tool requires you to orient your cursor when creating a radius or diameter: inside of the clicked shape to create a diameter or outside to make it a radius.
This is very nifty, sure.
But:The tool hardly tells you about it when you draw. The only hint Ai give us is a blue bar (that we all tired of seeing, because everything in Ai now pops and shouts and distracts — I’m speaking about use, Text To Vector!) — I attach the screenshot of it for those who blinked and missed it.
If I work with a…
9 votes -
Relative placement shapes in appearance panel
When you use shapes in appearance panel and save to reuse, then the look you get is depending on the text you type in as these shapes move in relation to the text. If I want to have a square that does not move with the text but at the beginning of text, no matter how long text, then that is impossible. Would be great with more options and fix regarding all this with shapes in appearance panel.
1 vote -
Default overprint black text is missing in AI 2020 v24.2.3.
Several generations earlier this feature was the default. Although type is filled black by default, it is NOW not set to overprint. I have to select all the black type and manually open Attributes panel and select "overprint fill." This is counterproductive.
1 vote -
Display Active Modifier-Key Command on Screen when holding Control, Shift, or Alt
When holding down any combination of Ctrl, Shift, or Alt, Illustrator should display on-screen text indicating which command is being invoked.
Moving or duplicating artboards requires the artboard toolbar to be selected, and then Shift+Ctrl+Alt keys to be held at once in order to drag a duplicate artboard parallel to the original. A simple on-screen text saying "Drag artboard, Drag parallel, Drag with Contents" or similar would help users intuitively understand which hot‑key action is being triggered, especially when working with multiple modifier keys where memorization can be challenging.
This can be used not just for artboard commands, but all…
3 votes -
Allow to customize created dimensions more: move and style text, reposition lines, change units and scale, etc.
The functionality of the Dimension Tool needs to be improved. I think this tool should be made even more customizable. Example: Numbers and fonts should be able to move, rotate, change its style (add stroke or box it). We need to be able to easily change the units of measurement directly in the settings of the tool itself. Also lines with dimensions should be able to move arbitrarily (up and down) with Direct Selection Tool.
2 votes -
Make the Touch Type Tool work both sides
OK, I'm having this "workflow" issue with the Touch Type Tool.
I like to be able to move 1 character at a time, rotate, move, scale.
But I'm a bit annoyed because SOMETIMES, I'd love it to NOT change the text after. So I usually have to reverse-compensate by making negative kerning on the next character.
See the image attached :
1. I justified my type between the 2 green margins.
-> Nice.
2. I change the H character (scale/rotation)
-> Getting out of the green margin.
3. I change the character after (negative kerning)
-> Back into nice green…8 votes -
Memorize Size & Position Tick Box of an Object
I would like to have memorized the size or position of some object by some tick box in the properties of AI this will help me compare with other object or move it later back where it was before.
Currently i must create 2 objects and align them by X/Y with main object so when i move the main object i must use those 2 objects to move back main object.
I hope you understand what i mean.
Also if this is in wrong category please move it in the proper one.2 votes -
Workspace remembers settings in floating windows
Having the ability to set parameters in floating windows would speed things up enormously. Setting a workspace for Arabic text, another for Western text – and being able to freely switch between them. Setting a workspace for a particular client, with their typefaces and brand colours already set in the palettes. Instead, every job requires a minute or so setting up the workspace before work can commence. CRM:02211000001504
2 votes -
Apply Stylistic Sets to all characters at once
Some fonts come with stylistic sets, would me nice to apply the set directly to a selected text, and not glyph by glyph.
2 votesThe dedicated Open Type panel allows to do that.
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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 -
Jumble Characters Option
I would love a feature where you could jumble characters in a text box to simulate what you see in many Children's based design elements of titles and such. Currently you have to outline your text and then start manually turning your letters slightly while pushing and pulling your kerning/spacing and baselines. Possibly three options; rotate clockwise, counter-clockwise and random with sliding scales for how extreme to turn them.
2 votes
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