Supported capability
Last updated on
Oct 27, 2025
Learn about the native accessibility-friendly features in Illustrator, including the options to customize the appearance.
Accessibility of an app involves features that help people with visual, auditory, speech, motor, cognitive, and mobility disabilities use it with less difficulty. Illustrator has some native capabilities that are accessibility-friendly.
Illustrator isn't accessibility-friendly for people with full vision loss. It does partially support people with limited vision.
Keyboard support
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Option |
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Panel navigation |
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Narration of the item name when using keyboard shortcuts |
During the invocation of the tool or option using a keyboard shortcut, VoiceOver on macOS announces its name. |
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Keyboard shortcut customization |
Keyboard shortcuts can be remapped or removed, but you need a mouse or touch to do so. Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts to remap keyboard shortcuts. |
Color contrast
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UI element |
Color contrast |
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Text |
Most text meets minimum contrast requirements except when tools are highlighted, the light blue text on the light gray background lacks sufficient contrast. |
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Non-text elements |
Most meaningful non-text content elements have sufficient contrast except in some functions, a control has a dark blue outline on a dark gray background. |
Illustrator does not fully support high contrast mode on Windows. Illustrator does not respond to high contrast mode except for title bars and menus.
Text resize
Illustrator allows operating system display scaling to resize text up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality for most functions. However, videos can have their controls disappear at that zoom level.
Appearance customization
You can adjust the appearance of the canvas and several UI elements.
Select Illustrator > Settings > User Interface (macOS) or Edit > Preferences > User Interface (Windows) to customize the user interface:
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Option |
Function |
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Brightness |
Select an icon to set the brightness of the user interface to Dark, Medium Dark, Medium Light, or Light. |
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Accessible Color Contrast |
Turn on the toggle for color contrast when the selected Brightness is Medium Dark. |
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Canvas Color |
Select Match Brightness for the canvas color to match the selected Brightness, or select White to change the canvas color to white. When you change the canvas color to white, the artboard color won't adjust automatically. |
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Share Button |
Select Match Brightness for the color of the Share button to match the selected Brightness, or select Blue for a blue-colored button. |
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Large Tabs |
Deselect to reduce the size of document tabs. |
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UI Scaling (screens with larger resolution only) |
Adjust the UI Scaling slider. |
Select Illustrator > Settings > Selection & Anchor Display (macOS) or Edit > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display (Windows) to customize the size and style of widgets:
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Option |
Function |
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Size |
Adjust the size of Anchor Points, Handle, and Bounding Box Display. |
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Handle Style |
Select Filled for a filled handle or Outline if you want unfilled handles. |
Select Illustrator > Settings > Appearance of Black (macOS) or Edit > Preferences > Appearance of Black (Windows) to customize the appearance of black:
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Option |
Function |
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On Screen |
Select Display All Blacks as Rich Black for rich black to appear on the screen. |
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Printing / Exporting |
Select Output All Blacks as Rich Black for rich black to appear in prints and exported files. |
Wacom support
To make Wacom tablets work with Illustrator, you must select Enable Wacom from Illustrator > Settings > Devices (macOS) or Edit > Preferences > Devices (Windows).
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