Creating artwork on a large canvas? Learn about common questions, known issues, and troubleshooting tips.
Common questions
How much canvas area do I get on moving to a large canvas?
Large-sized canvas lets you create multiple artboards with larger dimensions. It provides an increased canvas area of 2270 x 2270 inches, which means you get 100x more working space than the default canvas.
Can I copy my artwork from the large canvas to the default canvas?
Yes, you can copy-and-paste artwork from large-sized canvas to the deafult canvas. However, if the large-scaled artwork does not fit in the canvas or hits canvas bounds, the artwork is automatically scaled down to fit into the canvas size.
How do I optimize my canvas when my artboards are arranged by row or column?
While setting up your document through the More Settings dialog, you can use the Arranged by Row or Arrange by Column options to define the artboard layout. If the specified artboards do not fit into the given row or the column, but you still have space available on the canvas to accommodate the artboards, you change the document layout if you want to continue your work on the default canvas.
How do I change the default raster effects resolution for my large-scale document?
Applying raster effects on large-scale documents at a higher resolution might slowdown your workflows. To optimize the app performance and help you create efficient documents, Illustrator sets the document raster effect resolution for large-scale documents to 36ppi.
However, if you feel the need to change the default raster effects resolution, do the following:
- Choose Effects > Document Raster Effects Settings.
- In the dialog box, choose a resolution value from the Resolution drop-down.
For details about the Document Raster Effects Settings dialog box, see Rasterization options.
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You can also change the raster effects resolution while creating your document through the New Document dialog. Pick a resolution that works the best for you in the Raster Effects drop-down in the Advanced Settings section.
File open, save, and export FAQs
Can I open the large-scaled artwork in a legacy Illustrator version?
When you save or export the artwork created on a large-sized canvas in Illustrator version below 24.0, the artwork will appear ten times smaller so that it gets accommodated in the default canvas size. Note that it may also disable some editing features and change the text layout.
Save the artwork in the latest version to view it properly.
Can I save my large-scaled artwork as a PDF?
Yes, you can. However, when you save the large-scaled artwork with the PDF version 1.5 or below, the artwork is scaled down and appears ten times smaller on opening the PDF.
To view your artwork in actual size, use Acrobat 1.6 or later.
Why does my large-scaled artwork (.ai and .pdf) shrink on opening in a reader app or a browser?
When you save or export the .ai or .pdf documents created on a large-sized canvas, a scale is applied on the document. On opening this artwork if your reader app or browser is unable to read the scale, the artwork will appear ten times smaller.
- Ensure that you select the Honor Scale on PDF Import preference option so that scale is considered while opening the PDF.
- Even if the reader app is unable to read this scale factor, try a different browser or ensure that your reader app reads the large-scaled artwork.
Can I export my PDF containing large-scaled artwork through Asset Export?
You can export the PDF containing the artwork created on a large canvas through the Asset Export panel. However, the artwork will appear ten times smaller when you open it in a Acrobat version 1.5 or below.
To view it in actual size, use a PDF preset with Acrobat 1.6 or later.
Known issues
New units that are introduced for the large-sized canvas (feet, feet-inch, meter, yard) have representation issue for decimal numbers.
When you drag-and-drop an artwork created on a large-sized canvas of size less than 30x30px to the CC libraries, and then move the artwork from the CC libraries to back into the document, you may notice a large bounding box. This happens because when the artwork is placed from the CC library, it places the PDF and 30x30 px is the minimum dimension of saving a PDF created on large-scaled canvas.
When your artwork is created on large-sized canvas and has dimensions 30px or less, exporting it as PDF will preserve artwork's actual size, but export dimensions will be 30px for now.