Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4731 results found
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Annoying "learn more"
Your instruction and tutorial always pop up and ask me to "learn more". I know the functions already. It is very annoying and I don't want to use Illustrator anymore if I have any alternative.
I cannot find how to close the pop-up and it affects my efficiency a lot. Disturb me every 5 min. It is a very very poor UX experience.
6 votes -
Pin individual color chips in Recent Colors sections
Recently Ai added Recent Color sections (the request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/44772598) to Swatches and Color panels (with an ability to disable them — thanks!)
Some choices these remember are more important than others — but not enough to be included into the actual Swatches panel. For example, I have a Magenta global color I sometimes want to be added into certain projects, when needed. Pinning it in Recent would allow me to quickly grab it, without dancing with Persistent panels.
Or I could have pinned a brand color of a client I often work with, and have it there.I’d like to have an ability to hold Opt/Alt or Shift and pin a recent chip with a click.
There is a second related request, about deleting one/all chips, so it can use the other modifier — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/50279421Recently Ai added Recent Color sections (the request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/44772598) to Swatches and Color panels (with an ability to disable them — thanks!)
Some choices these remember are more important than others — but not enough to be included into the actual Swatches panel. For example, I have a Magenta global color I sometimes want to be added into certain projects, when needed. Pinning it in Recent would allow me to quickly grab it, without dancing with Persistent panels.
Or I could have pinned a brand color of a client I often work with, and have it there.I’d like…
6 votes -
Illustrator and Photoshop show fractional CMYK color values differently
I have a CMYK document, and it has a linked image in it, with an intentionally chosen profile, with some specific colors set for the background, and these have to be the part of the background, because of blending modes used.
Now I need to grab those colors form the clear parts of the background to quickly transfer them into vector part of the design. But when I try — Ai lies about values.Instead of
70-15-0-0
0-35-85-0
0-95-20-0
I get
69.8-14.9-0-0
0-34.9-85.1-0
0-94.9-20-0Not much, right? Just 0.2%, why are you mad?
But these would be enough to break Select Same Fill later, duplicate swatches if added next to existing ones in other documents, drop my trust level for the tool and force me cleaning this mess in the time I need I can’t spend. Sure, there are methods to help with this, but it’s not MY error. It’s Ai’s lie....later Ton Frederiks suggested it’s Photoshop that is rounding numbers.
To quote: if the placed file gets rasterized, it gives the fractions in Illustrator. But if the file gets exported from Illustrator as .tif, Photoshop will show the same rounded numbers it started with. Photoshop will not allow fractions and force round numbers when we try to enter percentages like 69,8%. CMYK values go from 0-100 while image values have a range from 0-255.Indeed, I tried to rasterize a rectangle with fractions in CMYK color (55.69) and opened the image in Photoshop — and got integers, 56...
But then I mix the very same color in Ps, making integers manually, fill half of the image with this new color and try to pick colors from this image in Ai: Ai still picks the original 55.69 from the original half of the image... and 56.08 from the half I flooded with Ps’s 56!
And Ps SEES them as different color when Color Picker is used, displaying different Lab, RGB, HSB values, but CMYK stays the same, rounded.In my experiment below I did a similar thing: created these in Ai first (but no fractions), rasterized it, used to make a composition and placed back into Ai.
Double conversion and forcing integers (visually) would explain it.So Ai is rather precise... but the irritation stays.
Now the question would be — what to do with the uncomfortable truth? 'Fighting ignorance' is my favorite choice, but...I don’t have a clear solution to this — and I invite others to a discussion — but perhaps the Eyedropper can get an option to Emulate Photoshop Eyedropper (round CMYK values)?
I have a CMYK document, and it has a linked image in it, with an intentionally chosen profile, with some specific colors set for the background, and these have to be the part of the background, because of blending modes used.
Now I need to grab those colors form the clear parts of the background to quickly transfer them into vector part of the design. But when I try — Ai lies about values.Instead of
70-15-0-0
0-35-85-0
0-95-20-0
I get
69.8-14.9-0-0
0-34.9-85.1-0
0-94.9-20-0Not much, right? Just 0.2%, why are you mad?
But these would be enough to break…6 votes -
Add Axis Constraints, to restrict transformations to a chosen axis
Some 3D editors allow to limit moving to a chosen axis/axes.
3DS Max has a dedicated floating panel with buttons, and Blender allows to hold a key to force it: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/scene_layout/object/editing/transform/control/axis_locking.htmlIn Ai we can hold Shift, but the axis chosen depends on the position of the cursor, and it’s not the same.
Please make it possible to use X/Y keys (similar to the recent E key for Enclosed selection Mode) to actually choose a preferred axis. Perhaps Z can be used for 45°? :)Original idea by Junior Rocha
6 votes -
Allow to customize color of text used by Distance Guides
Recently Illustrator received Distance Guides (can be disabled in Preferences > Smart Guides > Invoke Distance Guides), thanks to this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34302196 (it uses Opt/Alt, not Cmd/Ctrl)
For some reason the color of text in these is black — while the lines use the one set for object guides (magenta by default today). It makes it very hard to see when working with dark designs.
Dimension Tool uses magenta color for the same text... I think it should be either magenta as well, or a separate option should be used to set the color.
6 votes -
Configurable Trim Marks
TL/DR: It would be incredibly helpful and relatively simple for AI's developers to let users configure the parameters of auto-generated trim marks.
I've been using AI for three decades and somehow, even though I have been doing this the hard way that entire time, it never dawned on me until today to request this: configurable Trim Marks, both in Object: Create Trim Marks and Effect: Trim Marks. This is similar to the following request except that that one doesn't include the why that I feel is important:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/41926273-set-the-size-and-offset-of-effect-crop-marks-whiAI specifically creates trim marks in one very specific way: .5" .3pt lines that are .25" from the boundary of the selected element. That's fine for typical press output and "good enough" for most home/in-office usage, but far from great. That combined distance of .75" is pretty significant overkill for anyone printing a lot of small to-be-cut items on a single printed page (i.e., small designed pieces on a 13x19 sheet), forcing someone who wants to maximize their usage of the media and knows they only need very small marks/offsets for that purpose. When that person is me, for example, I will typically cut the marks down to .15" long with a .07" offset, vastly shrinking the footprint of the combined object.
A great set of configurable parameters would be:
- trim mark length
- trim mark offset
- trim mark stroke weight
- save/edit/delete presets (including Default, which would be what you currently have)Thanks for your time!
TL/DR: It would be incredibly helpful and relatively simple for AI's developers to let users configure the parameters of auto-generated trim marks.
I've been using AI for three decades and somehow, even though I have been doing this the hard way that entire time, it never dawned on me until today to request this: configurable Trim Marks, both in Object: Create Trim Marks and Effect: Trim Marks. This is similar to the following request except that that one doesn't include the why that I feel is important:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/41926273-set-the-size-and-offset-of-effect-crop-marks-whiAI specifically creates trim marks in one very specific way: .5" .3pt…
6 votes -
Allow to exclude handles from being snapped to grid
I remember it being a bug, when handles were not snapping to grid... but sometimes it’s actually useful! Currently we have to undo, disable the grid, and tweak the handle.
There should either be a hard option we can toggle (preferably with an ability to assign it to a hotkey), or a hotkey to toggle this behavior on the fly, the one we can tap while dragging and disable snapping for this operation only... or both!Please take a look at this related request as well:
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only when points are close enough to grid intersections
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49616738
This should also apply to handles, of course.I remember it being a bug, when handles were not snapping to grid... but sometimes it’s actually useful! Currently we have to undo, disable the grid, and tweak the handle.
There should either be a hard option we can toggle (preferably with an ability to assign it to a hotkey), or a hotkey to toggle this behavior on the fly, the one we can tap while dragging and disable snapping for this operation only... or both!Please take a look at this related request as well:
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only…6 votes -
Allow to snap to middles of straight and curved segments in paths
We need middles to get detected with Smart Guides.
The latest Beta 29.5.0.15 got this report fixed — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/39380149 — and now allows to detect these for straight two-point lines (as 'intersect', not 'middle') but it doesn’t work for straight segments within a larger path or curved segments at all.The team ignored the rest of the comments and did the bare minimum the report stated :( Hope this will get more votes to prove we need it still.
6 votes -
Add an option for Curvature tool to prioritize the currently selected path
Curvature is one of the more recent tools Illustrator introduced (well, in 2014... time flies). Unlike older tools, it tries to be smart. One of this 'smart' behaviors is an ability to both select and edit paths. It prevents us from placing the next point of the currently selected path right above an existing unselected path — the tool treats it as an attempt to select the latter.
There is an existing request to tweak the continuation tolerance, similar to what Pencil has: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34578331
But to be fair, I’d love more options for the tool in general. So far it has ONE only, and it’s hidden within Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display: Enable Rubber Band... it should not be an app-level option! it’s a tool’s option! and it should be put in Curvature Tool Options dialog, called by Enter or double-click on the tool’s icon, just like every other tool allows...
And another option it should get must be 'Prefer selected path'.
With this checked, when nothing is selected — allow the tool to select path... but is something is already selected, prevent it from selecting, until I choose to. I’d even recommend to make this the default behavior.Curvature is one of the more recent tools Illustrator introduced (well, in 2014... time flies). Unlike older tools, it tries to be smart. One of this 'smart' behaviors is an ability to both select and edit paths. It prevents us from placing the next point of the currently selected path right above an existing unselected path — the tool treats it as an attempt to select the latter.
There is an existing request to tweak the continuation tolerance, similar to what Pencil has: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34578331
But to be fair, I’d love more options for the tool in general. So far it…
6 votes -
Add Black and White color chips in Color Picker dialog in Color Models mode
For some reason, the Color Picker dialog is the default way of setting a color in several color induced effects: Drop Shadow, Inner and Outer Glow.
Most of times these effects are used, we need to toggle between black and white. These are more or less OK to pick quickly, if we change the mode of the dialog to Color Swatches.
But each time this dialog is called when editing a color for the effect, the dialog open in the first mode, Color Models.
And to set black or white in this mode we need to click the spectrum field and drag the point into a corner. You get accustomed to this, and realize you can move the mouse beyond the the dialog, making the precision gesture 'infinite' — and this is what MANY users do, if you watch tutorials or timelapses.But this is bullshit. We just need black and white, without fiddling with the spectrum. More of it, in a CMYK document setting black like this would make it rich black, and not K100 — which one would have to set manually, by typing it.
Since there is a request about adding Recent Colors, perhaps into Swatches or Color (http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/44772598), perhaps we should be given an option to see these in Color Picker as well (a lot of users prefer it to Color+Swatches panels). In this case, just make Black and White always there, as a fixed choices.
Another solution would be just to display the same 'Color UI' used for any other place in Ai, the Swatches + Color Mixer (minus Gradient and Generative Pattern, obviously).
For some reason, the Color Picker dialog is the default way of setting a color in several color induced effects: Drop Shadow, Inner and Outer Glow.
Most of times these effects are used, we need to toggle between black and white. These are more or less OK to pick quickly, if we change the mode of the dialog to Color Swatches.
But each time this dialog is called when editing a color for the effect, the dialog open in the first mode, Color Models.
And to set black or white in this mode we need to click the spectrum field…6 votes -
Stop covering the document tabs with expanded docked panels
If I dock panels to sides of the application frame, expanding the ones from the top panel groups will cover the document tabs, like the GIF shows.
In a situation when it’s important to know what is the current document (they can differ slightly) this is especially irritating.Please nudge them down a bit!
6 votes -
Add a 'Single Midpoint Anchor' Tool in Illustrator
Request: Add a tool or command that allows users to add a single anchor point precisely at the midpoint of any selected path segment without affecting the entire shape.
Why It’s Needed: Illustrator currently lacks an intuitive way to place an anchor point exactly between two existing anchor points. The "Add Anchor Points" command applies to all segments, and the Smart Guides often fail to indicate an accurate midpoint. Manually calculating coordinates is impractical.
Suggested Implementation:
A new "Add Midpoint Anchor" option in Object > Path that works on a single segment.
A modified behavior in the Pen Tool (P) or Add Anchor Point Tool (+) that automatically snaps to the true midpoint of a selected path segment.
A shortcut key (e.g., Shift + Click with the Add Anchor Point Tool) that forces an anchor to be placed at the segment’s exact center.
This is a basic function that would streamline workflows for designers working with precise vector geometry. Other software, such as Affinity Designer, already offers this feature.
Request: Add a tool or command that allows users to add a single anchor point precisely at the midpoint of any selected path segment without affecting the entire shape.
Why It’s Needed: Illustrator currently lacks an intuitive way to place an anchor point exactly between two existing anchor points. The "Add Anchor Points" command applies to all segments, and the Smart Guides often fail to indicate an accurate midpoint. Manually calculating coordinates is impractical.
Suggested Implementation:
A new "Add Midpoint Anchor" option in Object > Path that works on a single segment.
A modified behavior in the Pen Tool (P)…
6 votes -
Move items inside/outside hidden and locked layers.
I want to move items in and out of locked and/or hidden layers.
I use the lock and hidden options to not accendently modify them on the canvas, but I do neet to rearrange them in the layers, or need a copy of an item.6 votes -
Don’t require hitting Find before Replace All becomes active in Find and Replace dialog
Illustrator’s Find and Replace dialog is bad.
One of the issues is that we can’t immediately Replace All after we enter text. We have to press Find first.Why? If it’s nothing to replace — replace nothing (and perhaps show a message, preferably a shy one, not a clunky modal dialog).
6 votes -
Do not select both the clipping mask and the clipped contents with Select All while in isolation
When we isolate a clipping group, it’s like we are jumping in a whole in a canvas and start dealing with what’s behind it. Whatever we move while inside isolated, would be visible through the hole.
So when we say Select All while being isolated, we usually don’t mean 'Select the stuff behind the hole and the hole itself' — it’s about clipped content only. Otherwise why isolate in the first place?
Select contents only first and and the clipping mask to the selection only when Select All is called again, if the clipped content is fully selected already. Display a hint to guide users.
When we isolate a clipping group, it’s like we are jumping in a whole in a canvas and start dealing with what’s behind it. Whatever we move while inside isolated, would be visible through the hole.
So when we say Select All while being isolated, we usually don’t mean 'Select the stuff behind the hole and the hole itself' — it’s about clipped content only. Otherwise why isolate in the first place?
Select contents only first and and the clipping mask to the selection only when Select All is called again, if the clipped content is fully selected already. Display…
6 votes -
Escape should cancel an execution of a script / plugin
If we run a script or a plugin operation and the execution of it takes a long time, there is no real way to abort it other than killing the whole Ai process completely (since there is no dedicated one). This can loose us data, and saving each time before running a script or a plugin is paranoid and is hardly a solution.
We need to be able to hit Escape when a script or a plugin makes Ai freeze and expect for it to be stopped, perhaps with a confirmation.
6 votes -
Allow to snap to points of a compound shape with Dimension Tool
It turns out Dimension Tool can’t snap to points of a live compound shape — the cursor displays a 'forbidden' icon and a click does nothing.
The tool should treat the shape as every other tool does and allow to snap to all points (including those to be removed on expand) and intersections, and stay live when the shape is modified (when possible, until the topology changes too much to maintain the connection).
Thanks to René Andritsch for the discovery.
6 votes -
Allow to use units other than points for Thickness in Pathfinder Trap or Pathfinder Options dialogs
Illustrator is an international application.
But for some reason we still have places in its UI when we are hardbound to specific units, like points in Pathfinder Trap, or PPI as the only resolution unit (while Photoshop allows PPCM — please upvote this request here, http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/32403901)
No, this value can be anything, and we need other units than points.
No, it does not get automatically recalculated.
No, it’s not 1998 now.6 votes -
Gradient Tool Needs Custom Angle Increment Option
There should be an option to define the angle increment that you want Shift to lock to when creating or modifying a gradient. Such as 15 degree increments (0º, 15º, 30º...). Come on Adobe!
6 votes -
Revisit the interactions of gradients, brushes, and patterns.
You can't make pattern swatches with gradients in them. This limitation probably made a lot of sense back in 1996 when gradients were new and complicated. Does it still make sense in 2024, with thirty years of CPU manufacturers fighting to keep Moore's Law valid?
You can't apply a gradient stroke to an art/pattern/scatter brush. Again, this limitation probably made sense back in 2012 when gradient strokes were added to Illustrator. Does it still make sense in 2024?
I'm pretty tired of working around both of these limitations.
6 votes
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