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Introduction to artboards

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  1. Illustrator User Guide
  2. Get to know Illustrator
    1. Introduction to Illustrator
      1. What's new in Illustrator
      2. Common questions
      3. Illustrator system requirements
      4. Illustrator for Apple silicon
    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. Safe Mode
      20. View artwork
      21. Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
      22. 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. Generate scenes, subjects, and icons using text prompts
      2. Generate vector patterns using text prompts
      3. Generate vector shape fills using text prompts
      4. 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 web (beta)
    1. Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
    2. Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
    3. Troubleshooting issues FAQ
    4. Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
    5. Create and combine shapes on the web
    6. Add and edit text on the web
    7. Apply colors and gradients on the web
    8. Draw and edit paths on the web
    9. Work with cloud documents on the web
    10. Invite collaborators to edit on the web
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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 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. Group and expand 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 art 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. Reflow Viewer
      3. Create bulleted and numbered lists
      4. Manage text area
      5. Fonts and typography
      6. Convert text within images into editable text
      7. Add basic formatting to text
      8. Add advanced formatting to text
      9. Import and export text
      10. Format paragraphs
      11. Special characters
      12. Create type on a path
      13. Character and paragraph styles
      14. Tabs
      15. Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
      16. Arabic and Hebrew type
      17. Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
      18. Creative typography designs
      19. Scale and rotate type
      20. Line and character spacing
      21. Hyphenation and line breaks
      22. Spelling and language dictionaries
      23. Format Asian characters
      24. Composers for Asian scripts
      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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Automate tasks
    1. Data merge using the Variables panel
    2. Automation with scripts
    3. Automation with actions
  10. Troubleshooting 
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash issues
    4. Recover files after crash
    5. File issues
    6. Supported file formats
    7. GPU device driver issues
    8. Wacom device issues
    9. DLL file issues
    10. Memory issues
    11. Preferences file issues
    12. Font issues
    13. Printer issues
    14. Share crash report with Adobe
    15. 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 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. If you have more than one design, you can add or create multiple artboards. 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 the below options to activate the panels after you create or open a document:

Windows > Artboards

Artboards panel
Artboards panel

Windows > Properties

Properties panel
Properties panel

Windows > Controls

Control panel
Control panel

Create an artboard

Let's say, you want to develop your design, export, or print them 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. Click the Artboard tool   in the tool panel, or press Shift + O.

    Preset ot custom
    Artboard tool

  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. Click the Artboard tool   and double-click your artboard.

  2. In the Artboard Options dialog, 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 W and H fields to modify the width and height of the artboard.
    Preset ot custom
    Artboard Options

  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

Follow these steps to add new artboards to your document:

  1. Click the Artboard tool   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.

Select artboards

Selecting multiple artboards can save your time while duplicating, copying, moving, or deleting them.

Follow these steps to select multiple artboards:

  1. Click the Artboard tool   and do any of the following:

    • To select an artboard, click the artboard.
    • To select multiple artboards, Shift-click the artboards.
    • To select all the artboards, press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd+ A (macOS).
    Select artboards
    Select multiple artboards

Resize, rename, and duplicate artboards

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


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

Resize artboards

Resize artboard
Resize artboard

Select the artboard and drag the bounding box to resize your artboard.

Rename artboards

Preset ot custom
Rename artbaord

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

Duplicate artboards

Duplicate artboards
Duplicate artboards

Select your artboard. In the Artboards panel, click More options > Duplicate Artboards. Press Esc to exit the artboard-editing mode.

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.
    Scale Options

  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.

    Reference point
    Reference point grid

  2. Specify width and height values.

Delete artboards

Artboards are the base of your designs. You can remove artboards that are inessential or do not contribute to your artwork. However, your document needs at least one artboard in it. 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. Click the Artboard tool  .

  2. Select one or multiple artboards that you want to delete and click the   icon 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:

    1. Click More options in the Artboards panel.
    2. Select Delete Empty Artboards.

Tips and tricks

Learn more

Watch 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

More like this

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