- What’s new
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Get started
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Learn the basics
- Illustrator on desktop technical requirements
- Supported file formats
- Homescreen overview
- Show or hide the homescreen
- Workspace overview
- Modify workspaces
- Manage workspaces
- Switch between the workspace and the homescreen
- Properties panel overview
- Set properties with precise values
- Control panel overview
- Contextual Task Bar overview
- Discover panel overview
- Learn faster with the Discover panel
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App preferences and settings
- Set app preferences
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Find custom keyboard shortcut files
- Export keyboard shortcuts list as a text document
- Delete keyboard shortcuts
- Built-in accessibility features of Adobe Illustrator
- Create accessible content in Adobe Illustrator
- Set up screen reader support
- MacBook Pro Touch Bar in Illustrator overview
- Illustrator controls and contextual operations in MacBook Pro Touch Bar
- Use Microsoft surface dial in Illustrator
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Learn the basics
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Add and import files
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Start new files
- New Document dialog overview
- Create documents using presets
- Create and save custom document presets
- Create documents using blank templates
- Create files with large canvases
- Create documents using templates from Adobe Stock
- Rotate canvas view
- Organize, share, and collaborate using Projects
- Access projects in the Illustrator workspace and other apps
- Find and edit Adobe Express templates
- Import from other apps
- Import other file types
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Start new files
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Use generative AI
- Common questions about generative AI features in Illustrator
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons
- Generate similar variations without text prompts
- Generate patterns
- Manage pattern variations
- Edit generated patterns
- Generate shape fills
- Scenarios with repeat shape fill generation
- Recolor artwork with text prompts
- Generate vector graphics to expand artwork
- Options to expand the expanded artwork
- Generate print bleed
- View 2D objects from new angles
- Manage generated variations
- Scenarios with linked variations
- Partner models in Adobe Illustrator
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Draw shapes and paths
- Learn drawing basics
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Draw shapes
- Draw lines
- Draw arcs
- Draw stars
- Draw spirals
- Draw freeform paths with the Pencil tool
- Draw straight lines with the Pencil tool
- Extend paths with the Pencil tool
- Reshape paths with the Pencil tool
- Connect two paths with the Pencil tool
- Pencil tool options
- Draw shapes with the Curvature tool
- Draw curves with the Pen tool
- Draw line segments with the Pen tool
- Draw curves followed by straight lines
- Draw straight lines followed by curves
- Draw two curved segments connected by a corner
- Preview the path
- Modify live shapes
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Modify paths
- Create smooth paths with the Smooth tool
- Refine path segments with the Smooth slider
- Select and edit path segments
- Select anchor points to modify paths
- Convert anchor points on a path
- Average the position of the anchor points
- Add or remove anchor points
- Turn off automatic addition or deletion of anchor points
- Find and delete stray anchor points
- Copy paths
- Auto simplify paths
- Manually simplify paths
- Simplify paths advanced options overview
- Simplify path benefits
- Cut paths
- Erase paths using the Eraser tool
- Erase parts of a path
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Manage objects
- Select objects
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Arrange objects
- Move objects
- Move multiple objects at once
- Move objects by specific distances
- Move or duplicate an object by pasting
- Paste an object relative to other objects
- Align or distribute selected objects
- Distribute objects by specific distances
- Expand objects
- Rotate objects
- Rotate multiple objects individually
- Rotate objects by specific angles
- Reflect or flip objects
- Reflect objects along an axis
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Edit objects
- Divide or split objects
- Cut objects with the Knife tool
- Duplicate objects
- Create duplicate objects using Offset Path
- Edit similar objects
- Edit groups with similar objects
- About clipping masks
- Create clipping masks
- Edit clipping masks
- Add, remove, or release objects from clipping masks
- Hide parts of objects with clipping masks
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Reshape and transform objects
- Pathfinder panel overview
- Edit areas of overlapping objects with Pathfinder
- Create compound shapes with Pathfinder
- Transform objects
- Transform panel overview
- Scale objects
- Scale multiple objects
- Distort object
- Distort objects with envelopes
- Edit the contents of envelopes
- Envelope panel options
- Shear objects
- Intertwine objects
- About perspective drawing
- Draw objects in perspective
- Perspective grid options
- Define and manage perspective grid preset
- Move the perspective grid and adjust its vanishing points
- Adjust grid cell size and grid extent
- Adjust horizon heights and grid planes
- Adjust the perspective grid and the active plane widget
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Create traces, mockups, and symbols
- Convert images to vector graphics
- Image Trace panel options
- Edit image trace results
- Save image trace presets
- Create mockups for images
- Edit mockups
- Save mockups as templates
- Create and place symbols
- Symbols panel options
- Edit symbols
- Create or import symbol libraries
- Maintain proportions while scaling symbols
- Transform symbols
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Measure and align
- Use grids and guides
- Plot and measure
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Paint and fill
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Learn painting basics
- About fills and strokes
- Fill and stroke controls
- Apply fill colors
- Apply stroke colors
- Create multiple fills and strokes
- Convert strokes to compound paths
- Remove fills or strokes
- Select objects with same fill and stroke
- Paint tools overview
- Merge paths using the Blob Brush tool
- Blob brush options and best practices
- About Live Paint
- Live Paint Bucket tool options
- Paint with the Live Paint Bucket tool
- Create Live Paint groups
- Isolate Live Paint groups
- Find and close gaps in Live Paint groups
- Expand and release Live Paint groups
- Resize objects or paths within Live Paint groups
- Select faces, edges, and paths in Live Paint groups
- Add paths to a Live Paint group
- Live Paint limitations
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Apply and edit strokes
- About brushes
- Brushes panel overview
- Draw paths with brush strokes
- Apply brush strokes to paths
- Remove brush strokes
- Add arrowheads to paths
- Customize arrowheads
- Paintbrush tool options
- Create brush libraries
- Import brushes
- Create brushes
- Create dotted or dashed lines
- Modify brushes
- Change the caps or joins of a line
- Convert brush strokes to outlines
- Create and edit gradients
- Create and edit meshes
- Create and edit patterns
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Learn painting basics
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Manage colors
- Learn color basics
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Select and adjust colors
- About selecting colors
- Color Picker overview
- Select colors using the Color Picker
- Color panel options
- Select colors using the Color panel
- Convert color modes
- Make colors printable or web safe
- Change colors to their inverse or complement
- Get precise spot colors using lab values
- Adjust saturation of multiple colors
- Adjust color balance
- Blend colors
- Change color tints
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Use swatches
- About Swatches
- Swatches panel overview
- Add colors to swatches
- Create swatches from the Color Guide panel
- Create process color swatches
- Create spot-color swatches
- Create gradient swatches
- Reorder swatches
- Duplicate swatches
- Replace, merge, or delete swatches
- Group swatches
- Move colors into swatch groups
- Create and open swatch libraries
- Edit swatch libraries
- Move swatches from swatch libraries to the swatches panel
- Share swatches between applications
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Modify colors
- Recolor artwork
- Recolor options overview
- Edit colors using Edit Colors dialog
- Modify colors in swatch groups
- Apply local or global changes to color properties
- Assign new colors to selected artworks
- View original colors in artworks
- Limit colors in artworks
- Color reduction options
- Edit swatch groups using the color wheel
- Add or remove colors from swatch groups
- Edit an individual color in color groups
- Delete swatch groups
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Apply transparency and blending
- Transparency panel overview
- Adjust opacity
- Opacity mask overview
- Adjust transparency using opacity masks
- Clip and invert opacity masks
- Deactivate, reactivate, or remove opacity masks
- Create knockout shapes
- Create transparency knockout groups
- View transparency in the artwork
- Blended objects overview
- Blending mode types
- Change and manage blending modes
- Create blends
- Blend Options overview
- Modify the spine of blended objects
- Reverse the stacking order in blended objects
- Release or expand blended objects
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Design with text
- Add and manage text
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Work with fonts and scripts
- Font browser overview
- Find and apply fonts
- Organize fonts using Creative Cloud Libraries
- Apply the fonts organized in Creative Cloud Libraries
- Find, apply, and adjust variable fonts
- Supported font file types in Adobe Illustrator
- Edit fonts
- Find and replace fonts
- Preview, add, or replace missing fonts
- Edit text without replacing missing fonts
- Identify fonts using Retype
- Apply Retype-suggested fonts to live text
- About Adobe Asian composers
- Justify text using Kashida and hyphenation
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Edit and format text
- Character panel overview
- Transform text
- Underline or strikethrough text
- Change case and capitalization styles
- Adjust kerning and tracking
- Vary font height
- Turn fractional character widths off or on
- Paragraph panel overview
- Align text
- Adjust word and letterspacing in justified text
- Indent text
- Adjust paragraph spacing
- Create bulleted or numbered lists
- Move or flip text
- Adjust text alignment and spacing on paths
- Apply effects to text on paths
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Use special characters and glyphs
- About character sets and alternate glyphs
- Insert special characters
- Glyphs panel overview
- Replace characters with alternate glyphs
- OpenType panel overview
- Use ligatures and contextual alternates
- Use swashes, titling alternates, or stylistic alternates
- Add stylistic sets to selected text
- Insert white space and break characters
- Snap to Glyph options
- Snap with glyph guides
- Snap glyph to angles, anchor points, or text area
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Create and manage artboards
- Add and edit artboards
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Organize and manage artboards
- Use the artboard context menu
- Cut, copy, and paste artboards
- Move artboards
- Rearrange artboards
- Reorder artboards
- Align and distribute artboards
- Lock artboards
- Modify display settings of artboards
- Set artboard views
- Apply colors to artboards
- Set video display options for artboards
- Export selected artboards
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Manage layers
- Create and organize layers
- Lock and hide layers
- Apply and modify layer effects
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Apply special effects and styles
- Apply filter effects
- Create 3D graphics
- Apply graphic styles
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Automate and visualize data
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Automate actions
- Actions panel overview
- Create new actions
- Insert non-recordable tasks into actions
- Insert stops in actions
- Exclude commands from actions
- Specify playback speed
- Add commands to actions
- Re-record actions
- Manage a set of actions
- Play actions on a batch of files
- Batch options
- Install and run scripts
- Merge data
- Set up data source files
- Import data source files
- Variable panel overview
- Work with variables
- Edit dynamic objects
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Visualize data
- Data sets and label options
- Create graphs
- Add graph data
- Add graph labels and data sets
- Adjust decimal digits and column width
- Format columns, bars, and lines
- Select parts of a graph
- Change graph types
- Change graph value axes
- Assign different scales to value axes
- Change the position of legend in graphs
- Combine different graph types
- Add drop shadows to graphs
- Apply marker designs to graphs
- Format pie graphs
- Format graph text
- Reuse graph designs
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Automate actions
- Troubleshoot
Adobe Illustrator on desktop release notes
Last updated on
Dec 12, 2025
Find out about the latest updates, new features, and bug fixes in the recent Illustrator on desktop releases.
December 2025 (Illustrator 30.1)
Feature updates
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons with partner models, such as GPT Image 4o, Ideogram 3, and Gemini 2.5 (Nano Banana), in Text to Vector Graphic (unavailable in mainland China).
- Convert a solid fill to a gradient to instantly access contextual and color-aware gradient presets in the dropdown, and explore creative options beyond the default black-and-white blend.
Note
Share your feedback on the color, artboard, snapping, and performance enhancements.
Fixed issues
Feature updates
- Use the enhanced font browser to find, apply, and organize fonts.
- Preview and pick colors faster with the enhanced color picker.
- Apply dithering to gradients to reduce banding and create smooth transitions.
- Use perceptual interpolation in gradients for more natural color blends.
- Start with ready-to-use gradient presets to speed up projects or spark inspiration.
- Snap lines tangentially to arcs or circles.
- Snap paths perpendicular to lines or curves.
- Access artboard actions like Duplicate, Rename, Lock, Export and more directly with a right-click.
- Export selected artboards directly from the canvas.
- Lock all objects on an artboard instantly to prevent accidental edits.
- Apply background colors to artboards for better visual clarity and easier workspace management.
- View artboard labels directly on the canvas and rename them in place for faster organization.
- Easily spot the active or selected artboard with a clearer black border.
- Save complex edits in your artwork faster with the enhanced Save in Background setting.
- Recover your work quickly and reliably after an unexpected crash with the enhanced Save in Background setting.
- Experience real-time on-canvas editing with move, scale, rotate, and duplicate operations without lag or interruptions.
- Create shared spaces in Projects to organize and collaborate on your files.
- Access Generation history from the Illustrator homescreen or workspace to work with the raster images generated on the Firefly website.
- Find the template you need directly from the Illustrator homescreen and refine it in Express.
- Choose between Firefly Vector 4 and Firefly Vector 3 models to generate scenes, subjects, and icons (unavailable in mainland China).
- Use the Generative AI button in the toolbar or the Object > Generative menu to access all generative AI features in one place (unavailable in mainland China).
- Hide the perspective grid easily with the new, distinct Hide Grid widget.
System updates
- With version 30.0, Illustrator has dropped support for macOS Monterey (version 12), Windows 11 v22H2, and v21H2 devices.
Fixed issues
- While dragging an artboard's anchor point to align with an object, the alignment snaps to the cursor rather than the actual anchor.
- All text objects in a document disappear unexpectedly upon opening the file.
- Image map URL links disappear in exported PDFs.
- Exporting files with large amounts of outlined text using the High Quality Print preset produces corrupted PDFs on macOS.
- Illustrator freezes or slows down during file save.
- Pattern fills don't scale with objects when transforming objects.
- Placed PNG image cannot be selected or moved after scaling.
- The Save dialog defaults to a PDF file instead of an .ai file for new documents.
- Function keys (F6 to F9) don't work for Japanese input conversion (e.g., Hiragana, Katakana, etc).
- Pressing the Esc key fails to exit text editing mode.
- Drop shadows render inconsistently.
This release includes fixes for font-related issues.
Fixed Issues
- In Illustrator 29.5.1, fonts get randomly substituted in existing files despite correct fonts being installed.
- In Illustrator 29.8.1, fonts may not render or may display incorrectly when using Japanese typefaces such as Kozuka, Shin Go, or Ryumin.
Feature updates
- Copy color values directly from the Color panel, Color Picker, New Swatches, or Swatch Options dialog box.
- Snap precisely to the endpoint, midpoint, and center of any object with Smart Guides.
- Use Snap to Grid to position objects freely inside grid cells while still snapping to lines or intersections when needed.
- Use Snap to Pixel to keep your artwork aligned to the pixel grid by eliminating half-pixel shifts and misleading alignment cues.
- Toggle between Snap to Grid, Snap to Pixel, Snap to Point, and Smart Guides from the Snapping Quick Access panel in the Control bar. Use the panel to change snapping preferences, like Alignment Guides and Snap to Glyph.
- Use Smart Guides to detect rotation angles for consistent alignment.
- Limit snapping to objects only within the active artboard, and snap to isolated objects from the Preferences panel.
- Use advanced settings in Smart Guides to customize how objects align and snap on the canvas.
- Experience a faster app launch.
Fixed issues
- Duplicating an artboard may unlock and display previously locked or hidden artwork.
- Fonts applied to portions of text may shift when navigating through slides, causing applied fonts to change unexpectedly.
- Copying objects can sometimes cause Illustrator to crash.
- Symbols may not move along with the artwork when an artboard is repositioned.
- In Illustrator 29.7.1, units may reset from pixels to points when opening documents.
- Changing documents can cause swatches to vanish from the Swatches panel.
- Recent color swatches may disappear and show as None when global or spot colors are used.
- Recent colors sometimes save an invalid swatch, showing None as K=0.
- Decimal values can’t be set in the keyboard increment field under Preferences.
- The font menu may not include specific font styles, such as Montserrat Bold, Arial Bold, or Myriad Condensed, and more.
- Opacity mask mode may only work when the Clip option is selected.
- Variable font content may not display correctly in edit mode.
- Images inside clipping masks may shift position when reopening a file.
- In Illustrator 29.5.1, fonts get randomly substituted in existing files despite correct fonts being installed.
- In Illustrator 29.8.1 and 29.9, fonts may not render or may display incorrectly when using Japanese typefaces such as Kozuka, Shin Go, or Ryumin.
Feature updates
- Add or duplicate artboards using buttons on any edge of an artboard.
- Rename multiple artboards together.
- Illustrator outlines the active artboard with a black border for easy identification.
- When you apply a gradient, Illustrator uses the object’s fill color as the starting point.
- Illustrator saves the recently used colors to the Color and Swatches panel.
- Use the Search Preferences bar in Preferences to locate any setting.
- Screen readers can now read and select previously inaccessible items on the Home screen and in the New Document dialog. They can also read document names, items in the menu bar and toolbar, and properties—along with their states and values—in the Properties panel.
- Tab key lets you navigate within the Properties and Layers panels.
- Cmd + F6 (macOS) or Ctrl + F6 (Windows) lets you switch between the Properties and Layers panels.
- Option to turn on color contrast when Brightness is set to Medium Dark.
Fixed issues
Feature updates
- Use Generative Expand to expand the dimensions of your vector artwork and to add print bleed in your own style (not available in mainland China).
- When using the Pencil tool, preview styles, effects, and curve fitting live as you draw.
- Repeat your last artboard action—move, duplicate, or scale— using Ctrl + D or Cmd + D.
- Paste objects directly onto selected artboards using Paste in Front, Paste in Back, or Paste in Place.
- Rearrange your selected artboards, anywhere on the canvas.
- Calligraphic Brushes and Art Brushes (Window > Brushes) render effects faster.
- Operations such as move, scale, rotate, and duplication are smoother and faster.
Fixed issues
- In Illustrator 29.4, images inside opacity masks shift to the artboard center when reopening files created in earlier Illustrator versions.
- In Illustrator 29.4 and 29.5, live path preview is missing for the Pencil tool.
- Exiting isolation mode causes objects to disappear.
- The Direct Selection tool can't move off-grid anchor points when Snap to Grid and Smart Guides are enabled.
- Visual elements outside the artboard are not captured while exporting assets.
- Illustrator displays a script error on startup due to an unmatched brace.
- Previewing documents in Illustrator 29.0.1, results in appearance processing errors.
- The Eyedropper tool samples incorrect colors from filled clipping masks.
- Illustrator files open with IllustratorDiagnosys by default instead of Illustrator, disrupting workflows.
Feature updates
- Use Generative Shape Fill to add detail and color to shapes and outlines in your own style, and edit them as needed (not available in mainland China).
- Use Text to Pattern to generate vector patterns and add them to your swatch library (not available in mainland China).
- Use Text to Vector Graphic to generate vector graphics in your own style, and edit them as needed (not available in mainland China).
- Apply colors using Hex codes. Enter simple numeric patterns for auto-completion using Hex codes; enter decimal values for auto-conversion to Hex codes; enter CSS color names for auto-conversion to Hex codes.
- Add file name as prefix when exporting artboards or assets using Export for Screens to easily identify them later.
- Top-level menus and context menus open and respond more quickly.
- Navigation in Type > Font and the context Font menu is smoother and faster.
- The Links panel offers a faster scrolling experience. The panel also updates in real time when you modify embedded and linked assets—including those from network drives.
- Transform (Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform), Warp (Effect > Warp), and Blend (Object > Blend) apply faster.
- Effects render faster on objects with multiple fills and strokes.
Fixed issues
- Anchor point selection fails when the point is below another path.
- The Direct Selection tool selects anchor points hidden beneath overlapping objects.
- In Illustrator (Beta) 29.5, pasted items automatically get deselected after pasting.
- Embedded fonts fail to preserve variant glyphs after the original font is uninstalled.
- Artboard dimensions automatically reset when entering width and height for artboard size.
Feature updates
- When you select a word, Retype highlights all the other words that have the same font. The Retype panel also includes a Show Favorite Fonts filter and an option to set the sample text size to small, medium, or large.
- Menus and menu items open and respond more quickly and smoothly.
Fixed issues
- Text alignment issues when adjusting character tracking.
- Area measurements display as negative values.
- Unable to drag an image from Photoshop to Illustrator.
- Blend modes display incorrectly when opening Illustrator files.
- Artboard view changes when rearranging artboards.
- Unable to add anchor points to straight lines in Illustrator.
- Colors appear differently when using View using GPU as compared to View using CPU on MacBook Pro with M1 chip.
- Exported PDFs incorrectly change RGB images to CMYK and affect transparency settings.
- Snap to Pixel distorts alignment when importing SVG files.
- The Eyedropper tool picks incorrect colors when sampling from placed vector artwork like PDFs or embedded files.
- The Eyedropper tool picks incorrect colour values from linked files.
- The Eyedropper tool picks edge colors instead of stroke colors.
- Additional assets are exported during asset export.
- Objects shift unexpectedly when using arrow keys with Snap to Grid.
- Large canvas scaling issues when using Export As.
- Snap to Grid doesn't align objects properly with artboard boundaries.
- In Illustrator 29.3, the Properties panel fails to display all controls.
- In Illustrator 29.3, embedding a locked placed object results in an error.
Feature updates
- Use Retype to find the fonts used in rasterized and outlined text.
- Import SVG files into Project Neo (Beta) to transform 2D designs into editable 3D artwork. Similarly, export 3D artwork from Project Neo as SVG files and send them to Illustrator (available in English, Japanese, German, and French only).
- When using Image Trace, switch to the enhanced presets for built-in support for the latest tracing options.
- Use Momochidori Japanese variable font for adjustable font weight, width, and slant.
- Add emojis and create gradient-filled, scalable text with customizable color effects using COLR fonts.
- When using East Asian text, convert the original text into outlines and view character position changes from the Reflow Viewer panel.
- Japanese text layouts have improved character positioning, precise kerning, and better alignment.
- Preview missing fonts without installation.
- Use the Measure tool to measure the area of one or more selected objects on the canvas, including compound paths.
- Start your design journey with the simpler, optimized Getting Started toolbar.
- Faster opening, placement, and drag-and-drop of PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and Photoshop files from your computer or network drives.
- Faster rendering of the five most used effects—Drop Shadow, Inner Glow, Outer Glow, Blur, and Rasterize.
- Smoother and faster layer management in the Layers panel, including hide/unhide and expand/collapse operations and panel scrolling.
Fixed issues
- Pantone solid spot colors imported from InDesign fail to display correctly in the llustrator Swatches panel.
- Global process colors added from a CC library appear as duplicates in the llustrator Swatches panel and convert to spot colors.
- When opening PDFs exported from InDesign in Illustrator, gradient fills fail to display correctly.
- In Illustrator CC 2018, the Eyedropper tool does not correctly sample color or appearance attributes from grouped elements or objects.
- The Tilde (~) key shortcut fails to modify patterns within objects.
- Unable to manually adjust gradients applied using the Live Paint Bucket tool.
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