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Introduction to artboards

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Illustrator

Illustrator

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  1. Illustrator User Guide
  2. Get to know Illustrator
    1. Introduction to Illustrator
      1. What's new in Illustrator
      2. Latest performance enhancements
      3. Illustrator release notes
      4. Work with Illustrator (Beta)
      5. Common questions
      6. Illustrator system requirements
      7. Illustrator for Apple silicon
      8. GPU performance
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Create documents
      3. Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
      4. Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
      5. Toolbar
      6. Default keyboard shortcuts
      7. Customize keyboard shortcuts
      8. Introduction to artboards
      9. Manage artboards
      10. Customize the workspace
      11. Properties panel
      12. Set preferences
      13. Touch Workspace
      14. Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
      15. Undo edits and manage design history
      16. Rotate view
      17. Rulers, grids, and guides
      18. Accessibility in Illustrator
      19. View artwork
      20. Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
      21. Files and templates
    3. Tools in Illustrator
      1. Tools at a glance
      2. Select tools
        1. Selection
        2. Direct Selection
        3. Group Selection
        4. Magic Wand
        5. Lasso
        6. Artboard
      3. Navigate tools
        1. Hand
        2. Rotate View
        3. Zoom
      4. Paint tools
        1. Gradient
        2. Mesh
        3. Shape Builder
      5. Text tools
        1. Type
        2. Type on a Path
        3. Vertical Type
      6. Draw tools
        1. Pen
        2. Add Anchor Point
        3. Delete Anchor Point
        4. Anchor Point
        5. Curvature
        6. Line Segment
        7. Rectangle
        8. Rounded Rectangle
        9. Ellipse
        10. Polygon
        11. Star
        12. Paintbrush
        13. Blob Brush
        14. Pencil
        15. Shaper
        16. Slice
      7. Modify tools
        1. Rotate
        2. Reflect
        3. Scale
        4. Shear
        5. Width
        6. Free Transform
        7. Eyedropper
        8. Blend
        9. Eraser
        10. Scissors
        11. Dimension
    4. Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
      1. Illustrator generative AI FAQs
      2. Generate scenes, subjects, and icons using text prompts
      3. Generate vector patterns using text prompts
      4. Generate vector shape fills using text prompts
      5. Generate graphics to expand artwork and fill the bleed area
      6. Recolor your artwork using text prompts
    5. Quick actions
      1. Retro text
      2. Neon glow text
      3. Old school text
      4. Recolor
      5. Convert sketch to vector
  3. Illustrator on the iPad
    1. Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
      1. Illustrator on the iPad overview
      2. Illustrator on the iPad FAQs
      3. System requirements | Illustrator on the iPad
      4. What you can or cannot do on Illustrator on the iPad
    2. Workspace
      1. Illustrator on the iPad workspace
      2. Touch shortcuts and gestures
      3. Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the iPad
      4. Manage your app settings
    3. Documents
      1. Work with documents in Illustrator on the iPad
      2. Import Photoshop and Fresco documents
    4. Select and arrange objects
      1. Create repeat objects
      2. Blend objects
    5. Drawing
      1. Draw and edit paths
      2. Draw and edit shapes
    6. Type
      1. Work with type and fonts
      2. Create text designs along a path
      3. Add your own fonts
    7. Work with images
      1. Vectorize raster images
    8. Color
      1. Apply colors and gradients
  4. Cloud documents
    1. Basics
      1. Work with Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Share and collaborate on Illustrator cloud documents
      3. Share documents for review
      4. Upgrade cloud storage for Adobe Illustrator
      5. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Troubleshoot Illustrator cloud documents issues
  5. Add and edit content
    1. Drawing
      1. Drawing basics
      2. Edit paths
      3. Draw pixel-perfect art
      4. Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
      5. Draw simple lines and shapes
      6. Draw rectangular and polar grids
      7. Draw and edit flares
      8. Trace images
      9. Simplify a path
      10. Symbolism tools and symbol sets
      11. Adjust path segments
      12. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
      13. Create and edit a perspective grid
      14. Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
      15. Use objects as symbols for repeat use
      16. Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
    2. Measurement
      1. Measure distance and area
      2. Measure and plot dimensions
    3. 3D objects and materials
      1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
      2. Create 3D graphics
      3. Map artwork over 3D objects
      4. Create 3D Text
      5. Create 3D objects
    4. Color
      1. About color
      2. Select colors
      3. Use and create swatches
      4. Adjust colors
      5. Use the Adobe Color Themes panel
      6. Color groups (harmonies)
      7. Color Themes panel
      8. Recolor your artwork
    5. Painting
      1. About painting
      2. Paint with fills and strokes
      3. Live Paint groups
      4. Gradients
      5. Brushes
      6. Transparency and blending modes
      7. Apply stroke on an object
      8. Create and edit patterns
      9. Meshes
      10. Patterns
    6. Select and arrange objects
      1. Select objects
      2. Layers
      3. Expand, group, and ungroup objects
      4. Move, align, and distribute objects
      5. Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
      6. Snap objects to glyph
      7. Snap objects to Japanese glyph
      8. Stack objects    
      9. Lock, hide, and delete objects
      10. Copy and duplicate objects
      11. Rotate and reflect objects
      12. Intertwine objects
      13. Create realistic mockups
    7. Reshape objects
      1. Crop images
      2. Transform objects
      3. Combine objects
      4. Cut, divide, and trim objects
      5. Puppet Warp
      6. Scale, shear, and distort objects
      7. Blend objects
      8. Reshape using envelopes
      9. Reshape objects with effects
      10. Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
      11. Work with Live Corners
      12. Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
      13. Edit clipping masks
      14. Live shapes
      15. Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
      16. Global editing
    8. Type
      1. Add text and work with type objects
      2. Add basic formatting to text
      3. FAQs on fonts in Illustrator
      4. Fonts and typography
      5. Create type on a path
      6. Create bulleted and numbered lists
      7. Manage text area
      8. Add advanced formatting to text
      9. Format paragraphs
      10. Character and paragraph styles
      11. Special characters
      12. Tabs
      13. Scale and rotate type
      14. Line and character spacing
      15. Hyphenation and line breaks
      16. Spelling and language dictionaries
      17. Format Asian characters
      18. Arabic and Hebrew type
      19. Composers for Asian scripts
      20. Reflow Viewer
      21. Preview, add, or replace missing fonts
      22. Import and export text
      23. Identify the fonts used in images and outlined text
      24. Creative typography designs
      25. Create text designs with blend objects
      26. Create a text poster using Image Trace
    9. Create special effects
      1. Work with effects
      2. Graphic styles
      3. Appearance attributes
      4. Create sketches and mosaics
      5. Drop shadows, glows, and feathering
      6. Summary of effects
    10. Web graphics
      1. Best practices for creating web graphics
      2. Graphs
      3. SVG
      4. Slices and image maps
  6. Import, export, and save
    1. Import
      1. Place multiple files
      2. Manage linked and embedded files
      3. Links information
      4. Unembed images
      5. Import artwork from Photoshop
      6. Import bitmap images
      7. Import Adobe PDF files
      8. Import EPS, DCS, and AutoCAD files
    2. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator 
      1. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
    3. Save and export
      1. Save artwork
      2. Export artwork
      3. Create Adobe PDF files
      4. Adobe PDF options
      5. Use Illustrator artwork in Photoshop
      6. Collect assets and export in batches
      7. Package files
      8. Extract CSS | Illustrator CC
      9. Document info panel
  7. Printing
    1. Prepare for printing
      1. Set up documents for printing
      2. Change the page size and orientation
      3. Specify crop marks for trimming or aligning
      4. Get started with large canvas
    2. Printing
      1. Overprint
      2. Print with color management
      3. PostScript printing
      4. Print presets
      5. Printer's marks and bleeds
      6. Print and save transparent artwork
      7. Trapping
      8. Print color separations
      9. Print gradients, meshes, and color blends
      10. White Overprint
  8. Automate tasks
    1. Data merge using the Variables panel
    2. Automation with scripts
    3. Automation with actions
  9. Troubleshooting 
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash issues
    4. Recover files after crash
    5. Repair damaged documents
    6. Safe mode
    7. File issues
    8. Supported file formats
    9. GPU device driver issues
    10. GPU performance issues
    11. Wacom device issues
    12. DLL file issues
    13. Memory issues
    14. Preferences file issues
    15. Font issues
    16. Printer issues
    17. Media issues
    18. Missing plugin issues
    19. Share crash report with Adobe
    20. Unable to apply effects in Illustrator
    21. Improve Illustrator performance

Learn how to create and work with artboards.

Artboards let you streamline the design process and work on designs on an infinite canvas. In Illustrator, an artboard is like a sheet of white paper that forms the base for your artistic work. You can use the provided presets for popular devices or create custom-sized artboards to design your artwork. You can also export or print them.

When you create a document or open a new file in Illustrator, you can choose your artboard's preset and dimensions. You can add or create multiple artboards if you have more than one design. You can also resize, rename, replicate, and remove artboards according to your requirements.

Adobe Illustrator deeplink

Try it in the app
You'll get a sample file to follow along with as you learn how to use the Artboards panel.

Open Illustrator

Keep your Artboards, Properties, or Control panel handy to start with the artboard. Choose from the options below to activate the panels after you create or open a document:

Window > Artboards

Artboards panel
Artboards panel

Window > Properties

Properties panel
Properties panel

Window > Control

Control panel
Control panel

Create an artboard

Let's say you want to develop your design, export, or print it on multiple pages. Instead of creating multiple documents, you can create multiple artboards in the same document. You can create an artboard using the Artboard   tool or add new artboards to design your artwork. 

  1. Select the Artboard   tool in the toolbar , or press Shift + O.

    Artboard tool selected in the toolbar, with a new artboard being drawn on the canvas using a blue dashed outline.
    Draw a new artboard by selecting the Artboard tool and dragging across the canvas.

  2. To apply preset or custom dimensions, use the artboard options or press Esc to exit the artboard-editing mode.

Use the artboard options

To use Artboard Options, do the following:

  1. Select the Artboard   tool in the toolbar, and double-click your artboard.

  2. In the Artboard Options dialog box, specify the Name of your artboard and do any of the following:

    • Select an option from the Preset drop-down list.
    • Enter values in the Width and Height fields to modify the width and height of the artboard.
    Artboard Options dialog box showing fields for name, custom width and height, X and Y position, orientation, and display settings.
    Customize artboard name, size, position, and orientation in the Artboard Options panel.

  3. Select Landscape or Portrait to set the Orientation of your artboard.

    If you want to modify the display settings of the artboard, see the additional artboard options.

Add new artboards

  1. Select the Artboard  tool in the toolbar, and do one of the following:

    add an artboard
    Artboards panel

    A. New Artboard B. More options 

  2. Press Esc to exit the artboard-editing mode.

Note

Illustrator highlights an active artboard with a thin black border for reference.

Duplicate artboards

  1. Select an artboard or multiple artboards, and then in the Artboards panel, select More options   .

  2. Select Duplicate Artboards to create copies of your artboard.

  3. Press Esc to exit the artboard-editing mode.

Add or duplicate artboards instantly

You can quickly create or duplicate artboards using the   buttons on the edges of a selected artboard. This makes it easier to expand your workspace in any direction without rearranging the artboards manually.

When the Artboard  tool is active, the   buttons appear on the edges of the selected artboard, only when there’s enough space on the canvas to add another artboard of the same size.

  1. Select the Artboard   tool in the toolbar.

    • To add a new artboard with the same dimensions, select the   button on the edge of your artboard. 
    • To duplicate a selected artboard, hold Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) while selecting the   button. 
Artboard in Illustrator with the + buttons active for adding or duplicating artboards.
Duplicate or create a new artboard using the + buttons, then adjust its size to fit your artwork layout.

Select artboards

Select multiple artboards to save time when duplicating, copying, moving, or deleting them.

Artboard tool selecting multiple artboards on the canvas.
Select multiple artboards for faster actions like duplication and alignment using the Artboard tool.

Resize and rename artboards

While working with designs on multiple artboards, you'd want to resize, rename, delete, or manage artboards to provide a convenient layout for your artwork. An artboard's name appears in its upper-left corner.

When you want to resize, rename, or delete artboards, ensure that the Artboard   tool is selected.

Resize artboards

You can resize an artboard to fit content, adjust layout, or create different canvas sizes without starting over. Select the artboard and drag the bounding box to resize your artboard.

ReNAME artboards

In the Properties panel, enter the new name in the Name field.

Rename Multiple artboards

  1. Select Window > Artboards.

  2. In the Artboards panel that opens, select the artboard(s) you want to rename.

  3. Select Rename in the More Options   menu.

  4. Type the new name in the Name field, and then select OK.

Artboard Options dialog box in Illustrator with the name field changed to "Main Artboard".
Rename artboards in the Artboard Options dialog to stay organized across multiple design screens.

Scale artwork with artboard

When designing for multiple screen sizes like desktop, tablet, and mobile, scale the artboard and artwork together to maintain layout integrity and proportions and ensure a consistent experience across devices.

  1. Select the object you wish to scale and then select the Artboard   tool.

  2. In the Properties panel, select Scale artwork with Artboard.

    Adobe Illustrator workspace showing the Properties panel with the "Scale artwork with Artboard" option checked.
    Select Scale artwork with Artboard to resize both the artboard and its content proportionally.

  3. Drag the bounding box to resize your artwork and artboard proportionally.

How to set reference points when resizing artboards?

A reference point allows you to hinge a corner or center of an artboard when you resize it.
To set a reference point, do the following:

  1. In the Artboards Options, click one of the nine reference points in the reference point grid.

    Selected artboard with blue handles and the reference point grid icon highlighted in the control panel.
    Click the reference point to adjust how X and Y coordinates apply when resizing or positioning the artboard.

  2. Specify width and height values.

Delete artboards

Artboards are the base of your designs. You can remove inessential artboards that don't contribute to your artwork. However, your document needs at least one artboard. If you try to delete all the artboards, the artboard that's numbered 1 will remain.

Follow the steps below to delete your artboards:

  1. Select the Artboard   tool.

  2. Select one or multiple artboards that you want to delete and select Delete  in the Artboards, Properties, or Control panel.

    Artboards panel
    Artboards panel

    A. Delete Artboard B. More options 

  3. To delete all empty artboards at once, select More options in the Artboards panel and then select Delete Empty Artboards.

Tips and tricks

Learn more

Play these 4-minute videos to learn how to create and edit artboards in Illustrator. To learn more, see Work with artboards.

Create artboards

Edit artboards

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