Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4768 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 -
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 -
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 them still?
There is a script by John Wundes — https://github.com/johnwun/js4ai/blob/master/groupOverlappingObjects.js — which can do that, but it starts to skid on hundreds of objects and only does the boundaries check.
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 -
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 as implemented in FontLab:
https://help.fontlab.com/fontlab-vi/Tunni-Lines/
See this webpage for another examples, of each of these ideas:
http://www.corvelsoftware.co.uk/software/supertool/Note that I'm not suggesting that the illustrator team rip-off anybody else's software, but I think these sorts of tools/assists would be handy for quite a few users who require more than the typical "eyeball-it" precision illustrator offers currently.
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 -
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 -
An option to ignore locked layers with the Eyedropper tool
At the moment, if you have a locked layer above the layer you are working in, the Eyedropper tool selects colors and properties of the top layer — the locked layer — instead of the (unlocked) layer you are working on.
This causes frustration as every time you want to eyedrops something, you have to make a bunch of layers invisible first.
If an option could be added to the Eyedropper tool, such as "ignore locked layers", this problem would be gone completely and working with Illustrator would be a lot smoother and faster.
This could be an option under the Eyedropper preferences.
At the moment, if you have a locked layer above the layer you are working in, the Eyedropper tool selects colors and properties of the top layer — the locked layer — instead of the (unlocked) layer you are working on.
This causes frustration as every time you want to eyedrops something, you have to make a bunch of layers invisible first.
If an option could be added to the Eyedropper tool, such as "ignore locked layers", this problem would be gone completely and working with Illustrator would be a lot smoother and faster.
This could be an option under…
21 votes -
'Reverse Order' option for Transform Effect
When you set several copies in Transform effect, Illustrator makes them stack under original art, 'going backwards'. Sometimes it's better to have an opposite behaviour, with copies stacking up, 'towards' viewer.
Please add this checkbox near 'Copies" field.
21 votes -
Adjusting gradient on ONE selection adjusts ALL other objects with the same gradient
When I select ONE object with an existing gradient and then try to adjust it, it will change ALL objects that have that same gradient. Extremely frustrating.
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 -
An option to disable "Save as PDF compatible" as default when saving .ai files
I do a lot of large signage projects with a lot of imported large PSD files. For years I have pulled my hair out waiting for these files to save, even though the images were linked and not embedded. I finally discovered that if I turn off save as PDF compatible when I save the AI file, it saves a lot quicker! Please turn off the save as PDF compatible default when saving. AI files that are large.
Also when turning off PDF compatibility in an AI file, it would be nice to still have a finder preview.
21 votes -
Delete artboard(s) with content
Be able to delete artboard with content. One or many pages.
21 votes -
Copy/pasting text from illustrator into other text editors
I can't copy text from illustrator and paste into Word, gmail, Notes, Google Docs... anything! It makes it so I have to retype everything which is insane. I used to be able to copy from illustrator into other text editing tools. Why not anymore?
21 votes -
Allow freeform gradient points to leave boundaries
In the freeform gradient tool if points are dragged outside of the boundaries it deletes the point. Instead I think it would be better if the points worked outside boundaries to allow for smoother gradients.
See example on how a freeform gradient would appear if points could used outside of the borders (you can currently do it by using a clipping mask but it would be easier if it was built into the tool)
21 votes -
Make AI remember active layer and reselect it when file is opened
I have some templates, where working layer is not topmost (others are locked and/or hidden).
But AI always set focus on the topmost one when file is loaded. So when I or other people try to edit freshly opened/created file, they have have a message about lock/visibility.
Please make AI remember what layer is active when file is saved.21 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 -
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.
21 votes
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