Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
- or
4666 results found
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I'd love for the pathfinder to be able to cut up bitmaps, avoiding having so many extraneous paths in a complex file
It would be nice if I could embed a jpeg or some other graphic format and then be able to use the pathfinder tools to change the shape of the image. Seems doable as the graphic imports as a path that happens to be filled with pixels rather than a color or pattern. The main reason I'd rather use the pathfinder for this over a clipping path is to reduce the number of paths in a complex document. When there are many elements in a file, having a lot of clipping paths makes the structure of the file difficult to parse due to the use of paths that have no stroke or fill.
It would be nice if I could embed a jpeg or some other graphic format and then be able to use the pathfinder tools to change the shape of the image. Seems doable as the graphic imports as a path that happens to be filled with pixels rather than a color or pattern. The main reason I'd rather use the pathfinder for this over a clipping path is to reduce the number of paths in a complex document. When there are many elements in a file, having a lot of clipping paths makes the structure of the file difficult to…
15 votes -
Artboard Dimension Limitation
One of the biggest complaints we hear from our franchisees is the artboard limitation of 227.541". Why is that the limit? Corel doesn't have a limit. Why Adobe? and why such an obscure number? I realize there is a PDF limitation of 200" so that is another issue.
15 votesThe maximal size of an artboard is limited by the canvas, which is limited to a 2^14 = 16384 points (16383, if you count from zero). It equals roughly to 227 inches or 577 millimeters.
Why this value? Because of math and a weighted decision the team had made long ago about storing coordinates, I assume.
Why is this still relevant? Because a lot of other stuff had been built upon this foundation. It’s extremely costly to make changes to this without making everything else crumble.
There is another request, now marked as completed, 'Remove Canvas Limit' — https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/20395555-remove-canvas-size-limit. To make it work, the team added an internal scale factor which allows 10x larger canvas, by removing one decimal space — which makes sense, since a user probably won’t need to deal with ten-thousands when working in tens of meters.
However, this request is still valid — but please give real-world examples of Large Canvas feature is not sufficient for your needs.
The maximal size of an artboard is limited by the canvas, which is limited to a 2^14 = 16384 points (16383, if you count from zero). It equals roughly to 227 inches or 577 millimeters.
Why this value? Because of math and a weighted decision the team had made long ago about storing coordinates, I assume.
Why is this still relevant? Because a lot of other stuff had been built upon this foundation. It’s extremely costly to make changes to this without making everything else crumble.
There is another request, now marked as completed, 'Remove Canvas Limit' — https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/20395555-remove-canvas-size-limit. To make it work, the team added an internal scale factor which allows 10x larger canvas, by removing one decimal space — which makes sense, since a user probably won’t need to deal with ten-thousands when working in tens of meters.
However, this request is still valid — but please…
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Make Ligatures OFF by default and have a checkbox in Preferences > Type
Please make it possible to turn off all ligatures within the Preferences > Type dialog box, then make it Off by Default.
15 votes -
Chinese text hyphenation alignment for punctuation marks in Illustrator text box
Punctuation marks justified alignment on textbox.
Need to automate the text alignment in the textbox for Chinese characters.
Because it is very time consuming to do manual kerning for each characters reiteratively, whenever there is amendment to the text in the box.15 votesAs per the comment within, this can be resolved like this:
1. In Preferences > Type > enable Show East Asian Options
2. In Paragraph panel choose Avoid Head and Tail, Strict
Please comment back if it works or not for you.
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Libraries - Add Ability to Drag-and-Drop Swatches from Library Panel to Swatches Panel
Add ability to drag-and-drop a color swatch from the Library Panel to the Swatches Panel.
The functionality exists in the Library Panel Menu, but can't be executed by drag-and-drop. Drag-and-drop swatches is a age-old UI convention in Illustrator and it feels broken that a user can't currently do this.
15 votes -
Copy the 'Indent to here' command from InDesign
'As it says on the tin'
So many times you start out creating a graphic and you're in two minds whether to use Illustrator for it's superior vector tools, or InDesign for its superior type control.
When I need to quickly add a couple of bullets it would be so much easier if I could fake the tab stop of the first line with an em dash and then an 'Indent to here' (Ctrl+) so that any wrapped text is quickly brought into line.
15 votes -
Make guides to be like in InDesign
Certain features of the guides are very disturbing. The fact that the guides are movable in the counter intuitive directions (horizontal guides can also be moved sidewise and vice versa) create situations when "objects" are being moved out of the canvas, which prevents curtain actions. Basically, the fact that guides behave like objects is a problem. Guides always get mistakenly grouped with objects, which leads to deleting objects when attempting to delete guides. Guides are being copied with objects when objects are chosen in hide guides mode - bad news. The feature of being able to align guides with objects is great but it's not worth the rest of the head ache.
thanks.Certain features of the guides are very disturbing. The fact that the guides are movable in the counter intuitive directions (horizontal guides can also be moved sidewise and vice versa) create situations when "objects" are being moved out of the canvas, which prevents curtain actions. Basically, the fact that guides behave like objects is a problem. Guides always get mistakenly grouped with objects, which leads to deleting objects when attempting to delete guides. Guides are being copied with objects when objects are chosen in hide guides mode - bad news. The feature of being able to align guides with objects…
15 votes -
Please give us a way to disable newbie help
I know the "Tour" window goes away if you skip it 3 times, but this is professional software we should have a way to disable ALL automatic help features. Also this doesnt need to reset when a new version of illustrator is sent out.
15 votes -
a way to nest objects on art board for sign makers
Idea: Take multiple objects, such as multiple copies of a logo or elements and nesting them within the artboard and a feature to say how much space you want between each object.
Reason: When it comes to signs or sending a print job to a plotter. Sign makers want to maximize the number of objects on a vinyl. Sure we can manually move objects or even use the distribute tool. but this takes to long and sometimes when selecting multiple objects you can not use the distribution tool to distribute both vertical and horizontal at the same time or objects int he middle.
Solution. There are companies out ther with a plug in however they are expensive and only work on windows computer. it would be easier for illustrator to just have the feature built in. to use on all platforms.
sample video of how it works
Idea: Take multiple objects, such as multiple copies of a logo or elements and nesting them within the artboard and a feature to say how much space you want between each object.
Reason: When it comes to signs or sending a print job to a plotter. Sign makers want to maximize the number of objects on a vinyl. Sure we can manually move objects or even use the distribute tool. but this takes to long and sometimes when selecting multiple objects you can not use the distribution tool to distribute both vertical and horizontal at the same time or objects…
15 votes -
Allow Illustrator scripts to run in background
I use a script to package a lot of ai files at once. Currently, the Illustrator window needs focus to run the script, or else the script will pause. If Illustrator could do this by itself in the background, it would eliminate the need to wait for the script to finish.
15 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)
15 votes -
Set export options to default to the same folder the native is housed in
Set default export or save as locations to start in the same folder as the native Ai file as opposed to previous locations. It can be rather cumbersome when switching to an entirely new project, then exporting that project and having the 'save as' default to the entirely other project's recent save.
15 votes -
Metadata enhancements for artboard to invidual file (save/export)
Wish - Metadata enhancements
1) Document level metadata to be exported and added when artboards are exported as individual files
2) Ability to add overrides at artboard level for metadata, which on export is carried forward into the individual files generatedScenario:
I often create a series of images by using arboards, as they are related and worked on as a mini-project (e.g. series of icons, part of online learning story-boards, series of progressive diagrams etc.). I export these for use by individual staff, who use graphics in PowerPoint, Word, LMS, InDesign projects etc.
Note: InDesign docs are converted to PDF and posted online and images must contain metadata (WCAG 2.0 requirement), which is easiest sourced from XMP using an Object style applied to the graphics etc.
IOW: Metadata is always required to travel with all graphics so it's easily retrieved at any stage when an image is used. e.g. for copyright info, description (used for Alt-text), Title (used for Title/hover text), Credit Lines etc.Current Issue:
* I add metadata at document level (File > File Info) that would be 'global'.
* When I export artboards (Export > Export for Screens) to individual graphics: all the metadata is stripped and I have to manually add it again to each graphic.
That's OK if you export artboards only once... BUT when you go through a change process, I find myself repeatedly copying and pasting metadata from the host file (AI).Feature Request:
(1) Please add the metadata that's added at File level (File > File Info), to exported individual graphics (regardless of file format used for export)
(2) Additional feature request: The ability to override certain global metadata fields, e.g. I might export 6 maps of Australia, each with different state highlighted, I'd have certain global metadata fields (entered through File Info), but would want to edit some at artboard level to indicate WHICH state is highlighted.Wish - Metadata enhancements
1) Document level metadata to be exported and added when artboards are exported as individual files
2) Ability to add overrides at artboard level for metadata, which on export is carried forward into the individual files generatedScenario:
I often create a series of images by using arboards, as they are related and worked on as a mini-project (e.g. series of icons, part of online learning story-boards, series of progressive diagrams etc.). I export these for use by individual staff, who use graphics in PowerPoint, Word, LMS, InDesign projects etc.
Note: InDesign docs are converted to…15 votes -
Ability to switch how letters overlap
By default, when letters overlap, each following glyph is displayed above the previous one.
When using text effects or OpenType-SVG fonts, this can lead to disappointing results, like shadows on the wrong direction.
Would love to be able to toggle the order in which all glyphs of a specific text selection are rendered: above or below the previous one.
Could even use the extra space in the Character palette to include the feature button ;)
15 votes -
Allow to set custom default Transparency Flattener Options settings when saving EPS
There is no way to tweak said default settings.
Even you create custom document profile from document with tweaked settings, it still come up as default-default when you try to save project, created from this profile.More on this here, for example:
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/245642515 votes -
Ctrl+Scroll to zoom instead of Alt+scroll in Windows
Can you please add an option or something to change the zoom shortcut from ALT+Scroll to CTRL+Scroll?
Because in Windows the ALT button activates the app menu which is pretty stupid! Or at least disable the activation of the app menu with the ALT button.For example I zoom in using ALT+Scroll and now I want to select the Type tool using T on the keyboard and I get the Type drop down menu from the top (see attached screenshot).
And as you can see this can become very frustrating especially when spending hours in Illustrator!Btw please don't suggest other zooming methods as I like this one the best since it's the most useful and quicker.
Also the same goes for Photoshop as well on Windows.Can you please add an option or something to change the zoom shortcut from ALT+Scroll to CTRL+Scroll?
Because in Windows the ALT button activates the app menu which is pretty stupid! Or at least disable the activation of the app menu with the ALT button.For example I zoom in using ALT+Scroll and now I want to select the Type tool using T on the keyboard and I get the Type drop down menu from the top (see attached screenshot).
And as you can see this can become very frustrating especially when spending hours in Illustrator!Btw please don't suggest…
15 votesEnabling 'Force Enable Pinch-to-Zoom on Touchpad' option in Preferences > General makes Ctrl + Scroll for zoom work
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Allow linked content within symbols
It would be nice to create symbols with linked content that would update when the linked content changes. Currently you have to embed anything within a symbol, images for example.
15 votes -
Add persistent Swatch libraries to Workspace settings + maintained across upgrades
Allow swatch libraries selected as persistent to be stored as part of a workspace (including palette group & position), and make them persistent across upgrades. I'm tired of having to recreate my palettes every **** time there's some minor 'agile' upgrade.
15 votes -
Remember scaling per file in Save for web
I design for printing and use 'Save for web and devices' to have crisp images.
E.g. I can have document 300x900mm, and then I export it as 600x1800px and have my snapped sharp lines to stay sharp.
But 'SfWaD' always immediately renders image at '100%' (which is not 100% at all at Windows — it's an another problem to be discussed), and I get 850x2551.
When my dimensions are bigger, AI sometimes can't even render an image and I get error message and pink fill in preview area.
I try to draw ten times smaller whenever is possible to avoid this, but sometimes it's not convenient.'Export for screens' doesn't provide direct custom scaling, only integers.
Proposed solution is too remember scaling in 'SfWaD'. In example given it could stick to the 70,6% after pressing 'Done' button.
But it will still require AI to render at 100% anyway, so the second better way is to skip immediate rendering and letting user to set values first (you can set an option for it).I design for printing and use 'Save for web and devices' to have crisp images.
E.g. I can have document 300x900mm, and then I export it as 600x1800px and have my snapped sharp lines to stay sharp.
But 'SfWaD' always immediately renders image at '100%' (which is not 100% at all at Windows — it's an another problem to be discussed), and I get 850x2551.
When my dimensions are bigger, AI sometimes can't even render an image and I get error message and pink fill in preview area.
I try to draw ten times smaller whenever is possible to avoid…15 votes -
Align panel: Objects touch edges
I draw as well as design web layouts in Ai, and I spend a lot of time sliding objects around on a pasteboard and using Smart Guides to snap them next to each other so they're touching. I'd like to add a set of features to the align panel that allow you to select two objets, define the target object with a second click, and then define which edge of the objects you want them to touch on: top, bottom, left, right.
15 votes
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