Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
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4724 results found
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Option to turn Overprint Preview on as the default preview in Preferences
I'm doing a lot of package design for flexo printing, always struggling with overprint preview accidentally turned off. This is also a massive issue in conventional offset printing, especially with white accidentally set to overprint (e.g. when changing colors of many objects from black to white at once, or similar situations). This option would be a huge relief.
22 votes -
Ellipse tool, circle pie, Shift snap to angles
Make the pie feature of the circle support snap to angle.
Example
https://i.gyazo.com/bbf718e29c9eb4af8af65a8d837de353.mp422 votes -
Remove the window below the artboards that reads "Select an artboard with graphics and try Generative Expand to extend the artboard"
With whatever update came out, there is now a message that reads "Select an artboard with graphics and try Generative Expand to extend the artboard" on the artboards panel. This limits how many artboards you can see, and I am a person who has files with 40+. I tried using the feature to see if it would get rid of the message, but it still sits there. Please make this message removeable so I can get back to a quicker workflow and see all my artboards without having to scroll precisely. Thank you!
21 votes -
Tab now shifts to toggle buttons in Layers Panel instead of renaming the next layer
In the newest update (29.6) the layers panel has some changes. When you hover over the toggle buttons, they highlight. Before updating, I could double-click to rename my layer, then hit Tab to rename the next layer. Now, Tab just moves to the toggle buttons and the tools at the bottom of the panel. I think this should be adjusted back to make renaming layers a smoother process.
21 votes -
Objects on Path needs a way to control spacing / gaps precisely, with a value
At the moment we can’t control spacing (gaps) between objects on path ion the new Objects on Path type of object (what a beautiful sentence).
We can only eyeball it with a slider, which is incrementing by points (despite me having set millimeters as my ruler units).
There is no field I can type something like 0.125 mm, or at least a modifier key (like Cmd/Ctrl) to make the slider go slower ×10 (or any other value I choose somewhere in Preferences or at least in Adobe Prefs file, buried in Ai’s folders).
Perhaps yo should also allow us to dobule-click the slider itself and enter the number directly in the field there on canvas, but having one in Contextual Task bar will do (otherwise why having it).
At the moment we can’t control spacing (gaps) between objects on path ion the new Objects on Path type of object (what a beautiful sentence).
We can only eyeball it with a slider, which is incrementing by points (despite me having set millimeters as my ruler units).
There is no field I can type something like 0.125 mm, or at least a modifier key (like Cmd/Ctrl) to make the slider go slower ×10 (or any other value I choose somewhere in Preferences or at least in Adobe Prefs file, buried in Ai’s folders).
Perhaps yo should also allow us to…
21 votes -
An ability to disable Text to Vector Graphic feature and any other generative options
I'd like to be able to turn off the new feature for "text to vector graphic (beta)" and others like it if possible, or for these to be disabled from the start, with an AI-free build.
21 votesTwo related requests:
1. Disable all "Generative AI" marketing popups — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/47696468
2. Remove Text to Vector from Properties panel — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/47638688
Please upvote them, if you agree.
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Allow to see and edit colors in a selection, just like with Selection Colors in Figma
Figma displays a full list of colors used in a selected art in its right sidebar: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042553434-View-and-adjust-colors-in-a-mixed-selection
It allows quickly evaluate the selection, edit colors right there, even swap — without the need of using bulky Recolor. Illustrator can't offer the same quick tool, neither in Color panel nor with the Properties.
Please make this possible in Ai, and make it better.21 votes -
Edit a Brush like a Symbol, on canvas
To edit a brush stroke, we have to do the following:
1. Edit the panel
2. Grad the brush and drag it onto the canvas
3. Edit
4. Alt+drag it over the original brush
5. Think about applying changes to existing art if the brush is already usedMeanwhile, editing a symbol looks like this:
1. Double-click a symbol
2. Pass the warning (or disable it once)
3. Edit a symbol
4. Double-click on the canvas or hit Escape to finishLooks like almost the same length... but clicking is faster than dragging and aiming. Why no use the same approach for brushes?
Double-click the brush stroke in the panel, get a Brush Option dialog that is not modal and allows to work with the canvas below, give a brush stroke in the isolation mode, finish on clicking OK/Cancel or Back, with Save confirmation.To edit a brush stroke, we have to do the following:
1. Edit the panel
2. Grad the brush and drag it onto the canvas
3. Edit
4. Alt+drag it over the original brush
5. Think about applying changes to existing art if the brush is already usedMeanwhile, editing a symbol looks like this:
1. Double-click a symbol
2. Pass the warning (or disable it once)
3. Edit a symbol
4. Double-click on the canvas or hit Escape to finishLooks like almost the same length... but clicking is faster than dragging and aiming. Why no use the same…
21 votes -
Consider a document as 'unsaved' (dirty) when a linked image gets updated
Illustrator think that updating a link is not an operation.
This leads to problems with documents that use PDF-compatibility option.Imagine you have an already saved document that have some linked images in it. You open it in Ai and then Edit a linked image in Photoshop. Make some changes in the image, save them in Ps, go to Ai and agree to update the link...
But Ai still considers the document as non-'dirty', as if no changes were made.
You can’t save the document and re-write the PDF content, to see these changes appear, say, in the InD document, where this Ai-documnet is placed in another document. You can only re-Save-As is, which is a not convenient operation. And if you close it — Ai does NOT offer you to save! And you have a document that you though HAVE an updated image in PDF-layer, while in fact it does NOT.
InDesign treats this right in same circumstances.
Again, if you had an .ai document that uses a link, that has been updated before you open this .ai document — Ai will tell you nothing about the change, and you have a file that has two version of image — one in Ai layer, and one in PDF one.
Very error prone.
Illustrator think that updating a link is not an operation.
This leads to problems with documents that use PDF-compatibility option.Imagine you have an already saved document that have some linked images in it. You open it in Ai and then Edit a linked image in Photoshop. Make some changes in the image, save them in Ps, go to Ai and agree to update the link...
But Ai still considers the document as non-'dirty', as if no changes were made.
You can’t save the document and re-write the PDF content, to see these changes appear, say, in the InD document,…
21 votes -
Spring Loaded tools
Over in Photoshop, it's possible to hold the single-letter shortcut for activating a tool, and to then release the key to return to your previously-used tool.
In many ways, this is not useful in Illustrator, but in several, it's invaluable. The Zoom tool, in particular--I'd like to be able to hold Z, adjust the zoom, and release Z to be back on the selection tool (or whatever i was previously using).
The Hand tool already works this way: Take out a tool like Selection (v), and then hold spacebar to get the Hand tool. Drag the canvas around, then release Space to return to using the selection tool.
This "spring loaded" behavior is great in the hand tool and could be similarly useful in the following tools, where a quick "adjustment" with the mouse would naturally be made while the tool key is held.
Zoom
Eyedropper
Paintbrush/Pencil
Eraser
Shape Builder
Direct SelectionAdditionally, these functions would benefit, but are not single-key shortcuts by default:
Width tool
Rotate, Scale, Shear
Blob Bush
Bloat, Pucker, Warp, Twirl, Scallop, Crystalize, WrinkleThere may, of course, be others, but these are the main ones I can think of that do not rely on a modal settings box or panel to do their work, and which primarily involve visual adjustments by clicking and dragging with the mouse and without (usually) needing modifier keys. As such, each would benefit greatly from being "spring loaded."
(Symbol Sprayer and its variants might also benefit, but generally require modifier keys)
Over in Photoshop, it's possible to hold the single-letter shortcut for activating a tool, and to then release the key to return to your previously-used tool.
In many ways, this is not useful in Illustrator, but in several, it's invaluable. The Zoom tool, in particular--I'd like to be able to hold Z, adjust the zoom, and release Z to be back on the selection tool (or whatever i was previously using).
The Hand tool already works this way: Take out a tool like Selection (v), and then hold spacebar to get the Hand tool. Drag the canvas around, then release…
21 votes -
New artboard adjustable spacing
When the New Artboard button in Control panel is clicked, an artboard is created next to the current one. The spacing between these is not tweakable (unless you choose to create more than 1 artboard, to get the field with the spacing active, tweak it, and then change the number to 1 again).
I work in metric units, on 10×10 millimeters grid. The space between artboards’ edges is 7.056mm. Yeah, I know, it’s 20 points, sure, but why should I care about points when units are millimeters? Why can’t I use a value that makes sense to me?
Furthermore, it is dangerously close to 7 and looks like an integer until you check it.
Please, allow to set a spacing manually in Artboard Options or elsewhere — and KEEP the value, per document, per document profile, per workspace, per settings set, any reliable way. You have a lot of work to do with default values...
When the New Artboard button in Control panel is clicked, an artboard is created next to the current one. The spacing between these is not tweakable (unless you choose to create more than 1 artboard, to get the field with the spacing active, tweak it, and then change the number to 1 again).
I work in metric units, on 10×10 millimeters grid. The space between artboards’ edges is 7.056mm. Yeah, I know, it’s 20 points, sure, but why should I care about points when units are millimeters? Why can’t I use a value that makes sense to me?
Furthermore, it…
21 votes -
Touch Type improvements
Touch Type is a nice tool that is still unfinished.
- Can’t select several glyphs at once (not by Shift+clicking, not with a marquee)
- Can’t constrain rotations to 45° by holding Shift
- Can’t constrain movements to axes by holding Shift
- Can’t select a glyph when it’s even partially obscured by another one next to it
- Can’t reset selection to original states via on-screen controls
- Snap to Glyphs obviously doesn’t work with it (imagine if it would have)
- There is no way to apply changes to one glyph without shifting all glyphs to the right (relative/absolute mode) — previously reported at https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/34552057-make-the-touch-type-tool-work-both-sidesTouch Type is a nice tool that is still unfinished.
- Can’t select several glyphs at once (not by Shift+clicking, not with a marquee)
- Can’t constrain rotations to 45° by holding Shift
- Can’t constrain movements to axes by holding Shift
- Can’t select a glyph when it’s even partially obscured by another one next to it
- Can’t reset selection to original states via on-screen controls
- Snap to Glyphs obviously doesn’t work with it (imagine if it would have)
- There is no way to apply changes to one glyph without shifting all glyphs to the right…21 votes -
Improve Shape Builder by adapting the Corel’s Smart Fill functionality (Paint Bucket)
Whoever came up with the idea of the Shape Builder, they did utilize not that popular Live Paint in a great way. Make it even better!
Steal and add to Ai the Smart Fill from Corel Draw (see the GIF attached). You don’t have to create a live paint, you just click over the intersection, just like Shape Builder does, and you have your new shape over the original paths. Steal it and make it better — CorelDraw doesn’t understand click and drag here, and it’s less comfortable to set a color (while Ai won’t have any problem here). Like now Shape Builder does nothing when the art is not selected — make it do this instead of nothing.Whoever came up with the idea of the Shape Builder, they did utilize not that popular Live Paint in a great way. Make it even better!
Steal and add to Ai the Smart Fill from Corel Draw (see the GIF attached). You don’t have to create a live paint, you just click over the intersection, just like Shape Builder does, and you have your new shape over the original paths. Steal it and make it better — CorelDraw doesn’t understand click and drag here, and it’s less comfortable to set a color (while Ai won’t have any problem here). Like…21 votes -
Allow us to customize/choose features/controls/order in Control panel
A Feature that can be used by any Tool or Panel which is most common (like Fill & Stroke), that should not be active in the both (Control Bar & Properties Panel )sides at a time.
When Text Object is selected by Arrows.
If you have selected Text by using Arrows/Selection Tools, you should have good options in the Right Click's menu, like Spell Checking which is logical according to selection.
It would be also better if these features will be added in Control Bar by replacing redundant Features Like Fill & Stroke which can be used by Panels and Tool Bar or These Options (Spell Checking) according to selection (Text) should be in the Properties Panel with the properties of current tool selected/Active, (hope Properties Panel would be converted into Tools Properties Panel)A Feature that can be used by any Tool or Panel which is most common (like Fill & Stroke), that should not be active in the both (Control Bar & Properties Panel )sides at a time.
When Text Object is selected by Arrows.
If you have selected Text by using Arrows/Selection Tools, you should have good options in the Right Click's menu, like Spell Checking which is logical according to selection.
It would be also better if these features will be added in Control Bar by replacing redundant Features Like Fill & Stroke which can be used by Panels and…21 votes -
Custom Bleed amount for each Artboard
Custom Bleed for each Artboard
Sometimes I have alot of different arboards.. Business cards and Banners.. the business cards need 1/8" bleed but the banners need 1/4"
being able to customize bleed per artboard would be very helpful
21 votes -
Make live hint with color values for the Eyedropper tool
Right now clicking with Eyedropper results in a blind result: until it's clicked, there is no way to predict what will be picked exactly. Why not to show properties to be picked in floating thingy next to the cursor? PS does it great in separate panel, why AI can't steal that?
21 votes -
Allow transitions between freeform gradients control points to be linear
Originally named 'Freeform gradient shows RGB values when you work in CMYK space' and based on this message:
https://twitter.com/Vonster/status/1056247934855991298?s=1921 votes -
Stop nag windows
Provide the option to stop nag windows appearing - offering to take a tour of Illustrator, or to use the new tools instead of the old ones. I already use most of the new tools, but I would like to occasionally use some of the old ones without being reminded that other options exist. Especially after the 200th time...
21 votes -
Export for screens should exclude template layers
When exporting for screens, any layers which are set as template or non-printing should be excluded from the output without having to first turn off that layer.
21 votes -
Show reference point locator in Scale/Rotate/Shear/Reflect tool dialogue
I wonder, why 'Transform each' has one, while normal transform tools haven't. This would be so useful!
21 votes
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