Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4857 results found
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Remove Export Size Limit for PDF (200") or at least match it with the current maximum artboard size
I have designed a 206 Feet Wide banner Designed at 1:12 Scale (206") in illustrator, I am Literally Unable to Send it for Printing, Because i Can't Export it to PDF because its Exceeding 200"...
Illustrator itself can't design something Greater than 227 Inches, While more WORST thing is the Export to PDF file Size Limit, which is currently set to 200". Why to Leave Scaling on Printer RIP, Why Not send a Print Ready File. So if there's something wrong, we could catch and fix it, rather get it Printed.
The problem can be with the Repeated Background Pattern,…
22 votes -
Increase contrast between selected font and other fonts in Font list in Character palette
Not long ago the contrast between current font and other fonts in list in Character menu was quite sufficient (see image 1). Now it's barely visible (image 2). It makes locating current font in list rather difficult.
Please reconsider colors chosen.
22 votesThe contrast is much better in recent versions
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Last used script
Please, add a command inside File > Scripts (above the line) to execute last accessed script. A have tons of these and not all of them are bound to shortcuts and smarty palettes. Sometimes I have to apply same script several times and have to dig in all 4-5 folders inside to get right one.
And, please, make it shortcut-able.
22 votes -
Keyboard Shortcut to select locked objects
When needing to move a locked object, you currently only have the option of "unlock ALL" whereas sometimes you may have many things locked that you do not want unlocked - only one or two things you want to move.
It would be helpful if by holding a button (Say Alt or control) this would allow you to select locked objects, move or alter the object, and once you deselect it continues to be locked.
22 votesIn latest versions you can enable 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section.
This adds small lock icons for each locked object you can toggle right there without the need to unlock everything first.
This is not exactly the solution you asked for, no hotkeys involved (and there are no modifiers left to allow this), but it does the job.
Does it work for you? Please leave a comment.
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Alt+click in Appearance hides all effects except clicked one
Sometimes I need to isolate one particular effect and work on it.
I always try to alt+click it, like I do with layers in Photoshop, but fail, of course.
Why not to add this in AI?22 votes -
Illustrator support on Huion tablets
Illustrator is not compatible with huion tablets. The cursor moves when pen moves but no ink comes out when press down. This works in ALL other products (e.g photoshop) except illustrator. Several people have reported this issue.
22 votes -
Reversing order of objects
Sometimes it's useful to change order of selected objects, making bottom-most go topmost and vice versa.
I understand possible complications — what would AI do when selected objects have other unselected objects between them (meaning order)?
For example, I have these objects in Layers:
A
1
B
C
2
3
I select 1,2,3 and do proposed 'Reverse order' command.
I expect order to become this:
A
3
B
C
2
1
I see two fitting places for this command: Layers palette menu or Object > Arrange
It's scriptable, but I would like to have it by default.22 votes -
USE of .CXF FILES within adobe cc
As >cxf files will soon be the future of colour communication why do x-rite and adobe not integrate .cxf files with each other. The idea of a .cxf file is to help stabilise colour across various substrates, regardless of background hue, it allows the use of a spectrophotometer to read the colour and match it against a dE tolerance to make sure the colour is within specified range.
Hence pantone live was born as every pantone book differs in colour, however a .cxf file never changes.So pantone want you to use pantone live, which is fine until the colour…
22 votes -
A big persistent Color palette offering RGB and HSB and Grayscale at a glance.
When making Illustrations, I switch between RGB / HSB and Grayscale all the time. I have a 30" screen - room enough to show all mixers all the time.
Please make this possible.22 votes -
Bring back the ability to create a new artboard with a click of Artboard tool, just like it used to work in earlier versions
Bring back the ability to click to set the location of a new artboard. With 2018, I have to find wherever a new artboard appears and move it to where I want it.
In 2017 and prior, I'd just click to make a new artboard where I wanted it.
22 votes -
Add Reference Point to "Convert to Shape" effect
When using the convert to shape effect, it would be useful to be able to specify a reference point to the dialog, about which the effect can transform. For example, the current implementation distributes the effect from the centre across the height/width axes. A reference point would allow you to add extra dimension to the left/right/top/bottom (as required) and would be extremely useful in UI construction, among other things.
22 votes -
Cmd + H should hide Illustrator on Mac
Yes, CMD-H should be standardized across all of your programs. And kindly take Freehand out of its vault, study its pen/curve tool(s), and make Illustrator's pen tool work as well as Freehand's did.
22 votes -
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 -
Group Overlapping Objects
A very casual and time-consuming operation, especially because we lost Object Lasso (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/44462988-bring-back-object-lasso-tool) — drag a marquee around objects, hit Gtrl+G, drag another, group again... repeat dozens of time, especially if you draw icons or something similar for stocks.
What if Illustrator was able to do it for us?
Scan the selection, search for overlapping objects and create groups?What if it could do that in two modes: simple, by intersecting boundaries, and advanced, when true outlines being checked?
What if it could do that with a tolerance also? Like if object are, say, 10 pixels apart, group…
21 votes -
Add Fit to Artboard option to Rectangle Tool
In the current situation, enter the size of the Rectangle by writing numbers or drawing it manually
My suggestion is to add a feature inside the Rectangle box (Fit to artboard)
I think this feature will save a lot of time
For clarification, see the attachment
21 votes -
Curvature Combs and Tunni lines
Two ideas, both aimed at creating smoother curves:
curvature combs:
an additional visual aid that could be enabled/disabled via hotkey or option on a panel that assists the artist/user in evaluating whether a curve is continuously smooth, or whether it needs adjustment. See this blog for a quick coded breakdown:
https://observablehq.com/@jrus/curvature-comb
see this webpage for more traditional curvature combs with lines perpendicular to the curved path, in proportion to the path's curvature at that point:
http://www.bluesmith.co.uk/evaluateComb.htmTunni lines:
an additional assist/handle for helping a user more precisely adjust a curve (or multiple curves), both symmetrically and asymmetrically.
See this example…
21 votes -
Zoom is broken when using the new Rotate View tool
When using the new Rotate View Tool (v25.4.1) to rotate the view to e.g. 90°, Alt-scroll zooming doesn't zoom to the mouse pointer and the scroll bars are hyper sensitive.
Please see this screen recording:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2127o6786unbgf7/Screen%20Recording%202021-10-04%20at%2011.03.29%20PM.mov?dl=021 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…
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…
21 votes
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