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- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Create documents
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Trace images
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measurement
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Select objects
- Layers
- Group and expand objects
- Move, align, and distribute objects
- Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
- Snap objects to glyph
- Snap objects to Japanese glyph
- Stack objects
- Lock, hide, and delete objects
- Copy and duplicate objects
- Rotate and reflect objects
- Intertwine objects
- Create realistic art mockups
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Reflow Viewer
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Use the Contextual Task Bar to access the most frequently used next actions for the selected object and tool.
Get familiar with the Contextual Task Bar
The Contextual Task Bar is a floating bar on the canvas that provides the most relevant next actions for the object or tool you select. It ensures that your focus remains on the object you're working on.
You can move the Contextual Task Bar around to where you want it to be. You can also reset its position, pin it, or hide it by selecting More options . To enable it again after hiding it, navigate to Window > Contextual Task Bar.
Explore the Contextual Task Bar for different scenarios
Blank canvas
When you open a new document, the Contextual Task Bar gives you the tools and features to start your creative journey quickly. Use Draw (Pencil) to create freeform drawings, Generate Vectors to ideate on designs, or Place Image to import an image.
Generative AI features are available wherever Adobe provides services. It isn't available for users in mainland China.
Selection tool and paths
When you select a path with the Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you various editing options. You can use Gen Shape Fill to fill your selection with vector graphics, and Fill and Stroke to change the colors.
You get additional options based on what you select:
- Open path: Use Join Path to connect the ends of the path, and Edit Path to switch to the Direct Selection tool and make the necessary edits.
- Shape (closed path): Use Edit Path to make the necessary edits, and Lock Object to prevent accidental edits. For a basic shape created with tools such as the Rectangle tool and the Star tool, you get the option to adjust its properties instead of Lock Object.
- Multiple paths and shapes: Use Group to work on them as a single shape, and Align to arrange them in various ways. If the selected shapes are of different colors, you also get Recolor to refine their color scheme.
- Grouped paths and shapes: Use Ungroup to ungroup them, Isolate group to edit them in isolation mode, and Recolor object to recolor them.
Play this video to see an example of using the Contextual Task Bar to modify paths.
Selection tool and Compound Path
When you create a Compound Path and select it with the Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you Gen Shape Fill, Edit Path, Fill, and Stroke. Release lets you separate the shapes.
Basic shape tools
When you use the Rectangle tool, the Rounded Rectangle tool, the Ellipse tool, the Polygon tool, and the Star tool to add shapes to the canvas, the Contextual Task Bar gives you Gen Shape Fill, Edit Path, Fill, and Stroke. You can also adjust the properties of the shape you add.
With the Rectangle tool and the Rounded Rectangle tool, you also get Generate Vectors.
Direct Selection tool and paths
When you select a path with the Direct Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you options to edit the path and its anchor points:
- Use Simplify to reduce the path's anchor points and Smooth to adjust its curvature.
- Use Remove selected anchor points, Connect selected end points, Cut path at selected anchor points, Convert selected anchor points to corner, and Convert selected anchor points to smooth to work on specific anchor points.
Play this video to see an example of using the Contextual Task Bar to edit a star and smooth a path.
Text
When you use any of the Type tools to add text to the canvas, the Contextual Task Bar gives you various text formatting options, such as Set the font family, Font Style, Set the Font size, and Fill.
When you select the text with the Selection tool, you get additional options based on the type of text:
- Point text: Use Area type to convert the text to area text.
- Area text: Use Point type to convert the text to point text.
- Text on a path: Use Type On Path to add an effect and rearrange the text.
You can use Outline the text to work on the text like other vector shapes.
When you select the Touch type tool, the Contextual Task Bar disappears to let you use the tool's onscreen widgets.
Images
When you select an image with the Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you options for both vector and raster workflows. Image Trace lets you easily vectorize the image. Retype allows you to edit text within the image using suggested fonts. You can use Crop Image to remove unwanted parts of the image.
You get additional options based on whether the image is linked or embedded:
- Linked image: Use Embed Image to unlink the image from its source file, Relink to fix missing links, and Edit the image in Photoshop for advanced editing options.
- Embedded image: Use Relink to link the image to its source file.
Play this video to see an example of using the Contextual Task Bar to edit text and an image.
Images and vectors
When you select an image and a vector together with the Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you Clip Mask to create a Clipping Mask, Create Mockup to fit the vector on an object in the image, Align, and Group.
Clipping Mask
When you create a Clipping Mask using vector objects and select it with the Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you Edit Mask to edit it in isolation mode, and Release to release it. You can also use Gen Shape Fill.
Mockup
When you select a mockup group with the Selection tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you Edit Content to edit the vector object, and Release to release the vector object and the image. When you edit the vector object, you get Edit Symbol to edit the object's corresponding symbol.
Other tools
When you use the Artboard tool, the Smooth tool, the Free Transform tool, the Dimension tool, and the Objects on Path tool, the Contextual Task Bar gives you the relevant tool options.
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