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But the icon’s other function is a quick way to access the Artboard Options dialog box discussed above. The icon to the right of an artboard name in the panel indicates the orientation (portrait or landscape) of that artboard. If you double-click directly on top of the name, you can also rename the artboard. Double-click within the name field to fit the artboard in the window.
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Keep in mind, this only re-orders the boards’ numbering order, it doesn’t actually move them on the canvas.Īdd and delete artboards in the document by clicking the appropriate buttons at the bottom of the panel. You can re-arrange the order from the panel by clicking on an artboard and either dragging it, or using the up/down arrows in the panel. This number works like page numbers in InDesign, or tab-through order. In the left column is the artboard’s number. Existing artboards are listed in the panel in the order they were created. Open the Artboards panel (Window > Artboards) to easily manipulate and navigate around your document’s artboards. Once you’ve set your options, be sure to save it all as a preset for future use.
#Artboard illustrator how to
Other information indicates the number of artboards and how to create an artboard within another artboard. Global settings for all artboards-such as fading the area that lies outside the selected artboard-can be set here. Set options for the width and height of the currently-selected artboard with the option of constraining proportions, indicate the orientation, and add any video-specific marks you might need. Do this by double-clicking on the Artboard tool, either in the normal view mode or artboard editing mode. If you need more accuracy or extra specifications when creating a new artboard, open the Artboard Options dialog box. Hit the Escape key to exit the artboard editing mode. Use Illustrator’s Smart Guides to align to the grid layout, if needed. Create a brand-new artboard on the canvas by clicking and dragging with the still-selected Artboard tool. Resize any artboard by selecting it then dragging any of its handles. Delete an artboard by clicking the “X” in the upper right-hand corner. Each artboard’s name and number (assigned based on creation order) appears in a box at the upper left of the artboard.
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Select the Artboard tool from the Toolbox (or use Shift-O) to enter the artboard editing mode. Use this dialog box just to get you started. Once your document is set up, you can add, delete, re-arrange, and resize artboards. You can have a maximum of 100 artboards in a document. In addition, you can indicate how those artboards are laid out by creating a grid, row, or column how many columns the grid is arranged into and the initial spacing between the artboards. When setting up a new document, set the number of artboards to start with-you can always add more later-and indicate a size, bleed, and orientation. SET ARTBOARD OPTIONS WHEN CREATING A NEW DOCUMENT Understanding how to work with artboards is a fundamental skill that all Illustrator users should master. Having multiple artboards in one document allows you to maintain and edit multiple projects and different page sizes together for consistency and ease. Although they all sit on the same canvas, they act individually and they can be printed and exported as distinct items. Illustrator uses artboards, which are similar to pages in InDesign, for layout.
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