Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4704 results found
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Allow to create Swatch Info object using a hotkey
Currently to create a Swatch Info object you need to dive into the Swatches panel’s flyout menu and locate a command. We need a way to assign a hotkey to this.
Actually, we need a way to assign hotkeys to ALL commands hidden in the panel menus — here is a general request about this: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/46432486 (and even a larger request to hotkey everything at all: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31609237)
More of it, we need to be able to create Swatch Info objects with drag-n-drop (as Von Glitschka originally requested: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/40192993).
There is now a separate request specifically about this, to…5 votes -
Allow to copy the area value from the Info panel
Why can we copy a HEX color from the Color panel, but can’t copy the area of it (or any other value as well)?
In some cases we need to get the value to share with someone, and now Ai wants us to retype it.
Sometimes we also need these to be placed on canvas — but I think it’s a job for the Dimension tool? Why Measure and Dimension are different tools in the first place?
5 votes -
Remove quantization / rounding for the Curvature tool
Curvature tool is handy, but it places new points based on a hidden grid. The grid is screen-spaced, and it means the step of it stays the same on the screen, no matter what level of zoom we have.
Once a point is places and the mouse button / pen is released, we can move this point freely, with no rounding!
Why can’t we have this behavior for new points? Why limit new points in precision?5 votes -
Allow Illustrator to remain in native file mode after saving to PDF
Currently, saving a PDF from Illustrator keeps the saved PDF open in Illustrator. If you edit the file that is still open, you're editing the PDF and not the native Illustrator file. It is difficult to see that you're working in PDF other than just remembering that Illustrator does this (when other Adobe apps do not), and/or to look at the extension on the file tab.
Feature request is to change this function so that Illustrator remains open in the same Illustrator file format instead of switching to working in the saved PDF via Illustrator. This would be similar to…
5 votes -
Always call guides as 'guides'
Open Layers and Control panels.
Enable rulers and drag a guide from one.
Take a look at how the selected guide is called:
— <Guide> in Layers
— Path in ControlNow create a rectangle and a line, and also draw a path with the Pencil.
Convert all three to guides with View > Guides > Make Guides (Cmd/Ctrl + 5).
Compare the names:
— <Rectangle> and <Line> but <Guide> in Layers
— Rectangle and Line but Path in ControlSure, these first two are technically live shapes (and have dedicated controls in Control)... but also are guides. Why Ai…
5 votes -
Add Fresco Vector Brush technology into Illustrator
Not sure why this still hasn't happened yet, but the vector brush in Fresco is superior to any of the vector brushes Illustrator currently provides for traditional style drawing/inking. Be great to have it for desktop vector drawing. Especially if there aren't' any intentions of bringing Fresco into OSX...
5 votes -
Make Document Info Panel show Objects by default
It was suggested that I post this here:
Is it possible to have the 'Document Info' panel show Objects by default? It's literally the only thing I need from that panel and I want it open all the time, every time. Thanks!
5 votes -
Support wildcard characters in Find & Replace
My only wish for the text Find & Replace would be able to use wildcard characters. That was such a great option in the TexEdit (not TextEdit) word processor and I have yet to find something similar for the Mac.
5 votes -
Find and Replace should immediately count occurrences of the Find field contents in a document, before hitting Find
Why not showing us how many occurrences of a searched text the document has as we type the text? Why every browser can do this, but a professional tool will smack you with the loud alert only after you hit Replace All? How can I count matches without replacing?!
5 votes -
Add a Recent section in the Find/Replace Font dialog
Sometimes we have to use the same font as a replacement font.
Find/Replace Font dialog remembers none of our previous replacement searches. And since Search / Filter is missing too (here is the request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/45057382), we are doomed to scroll the list every time.
Just remember the choices at least!5 votes -
Make a way for Scale Artwork with Artboard mode to NOT scale strokes and effects
It’s good to finally have Scale Artwork with Artboard option (http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31500847), but I really wish for it to respect Scale Strokes & Effects option.
For now Scale Artwork with Artboard behaves as if it’s always enabled... I realize scaling strokes is natural for this mode, but the current way means if we need to scale an artboard, but NOT scale the strokes — we can’t do that.
It almost feels like it should be a separate option specifically for it.5 votes -
Align is immune to Constrain Angle
If we change Constrain Angle in Preferences general, our grid gets rotated, all shapes get create as rotated...
Pretty powerful, right? Read more about it here, in the Rotate the x and y axes of a document:
https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/rotating-reflecting-objects.htmlHowever, even though it’s an old feature, it was never completed, it seems.
Align functions just ignore it, making alignment to an angle a rather cumbersome endeavor: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/39019732This also makes Rotate View pretty useless (which does not counter-rotate the Constrain Angle, unless you use free Direct Prefs plugin by Astute Graphics to handle it automatically, among other things) — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/44001624
While…
5 votes -
Add "Embed Images" to Menu/Actions
Working with multiple print files requires manual embedding of each linked image, which is time-consuming. Please add "Embed Images" to either:
- The Actions panel for batch processing, or
- The menu system to allow keyboard shortcut assignment
This would significantly improve workflow efficiency in print production environments.
5 votes -
There should be a dedicated Object > Dimension menu, with all the commands Properties panel has
With the Dimension tool and dimension objects we got several important commands that deal around not having presets for these: Apply to All and Set as Default.
These commands are available only as buttons, and are not accessible from anywhere else, including Control panel (here is a request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49010126) and top menu.
In case Properties doesn’t work (as it doesn’t for me) and another case a user just doesn’t like the panel (since it’s still very raw and buggy), we can’t get to these in any other way, and can’t assign a hotkey (since Ai just doesn’t…
5 votes -
Allow to apply different join corners for a live stroke per point
There is an existing request to allow to have different caps for start/end of a stroked path, made by Von Glitschka: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/39306955
I think an ability to choose corners per point can be very helpful as well.
Original idea by Stuart McCoy.
5 votes -
Automatically pick a key object from a selection as a target path when using Object > Object on Path > Attach command
Illustrator allows us to set a key object by clicking one of selected objects, to perform align and distribute operations (sadly, a very underutilized method!)
But Objects on Path doesn’t use this method at all, technically being an align & distribute operation.
If I have a selection and marked one object as a key one already, after calling Object > Object on Path > Attach command I STILL have to click a target path! I already made my choice before running the command, why does it force me to make a choice twice and precisely click again?
A clear miss.…
5 votes -
Select > Object > Dimension
It’s quite easy to accidentally convert a live dimension object into a dead group (reported here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/47739104)
When it happens, there is no way to tell if a dimension is live or dead but to try and select it, or view in Layers, selectin them one by one.
What we need (even if the bug above get fixed) is an ability to select all the dimensions at once.
The powerful and free Select Menu plugin (https://rj-graffix.com/downloads/plugins/#selectmenu) doesn’t have this item yet as well.
5 votes -
Add more icon types in History and stop calling some operations just 'Undo'
We finally got our History panel, hooray, thanks to this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31139326
But it’s been 2 years now, and yet still some operations are called just 'Undo' and have generic 'something from a menu' icon.
Move? Menu icon.
Copy? Menu icon.
Applying an effect? Menu icon.
Creating a repeat? Menu icon.
Deleting a a portion with Shape Builder? Menu icon.
Applying a swatch? Menu icon.
Applying a graphic style? You guess.
These are all quite distinct, yet a generic icon is used.Calling a script? 'Undo' as well, as if Ai doesn’t know about scripts.
I know it’s quite consistent…
5 votes -
Rename a document from its tab
Illustrator allows to to set a name for a new document in File > New dialog (both modern and classic one). But once a document is created, you no longer can change the name until it’s saved.
If a user want to set a name, but not ready to save, they have no other choice other then save. While it’s OK to have an unsaved document with a specified name, you are given the chance to name it once until then. Not fair.
Perhaps you should allow users to rename any document for it’s tab?
Probably not with a single…5 votes -
Arrange selection in Grid
I would like to be able to select multiple objects.. for example 50 circles. and hit a button to arrange these objects in a Regular Grid of rows and columns. where I can set the QTY per row and column and its spacing and it would move the objects into a grid formation. also the option for a hexagon or Honeycomb grid. would save a lot of time from doing it manually
5 votes
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