How to Use Artboards in Adobe Illustrator

If you’ve ever found yourself juggling multiple Illustrator files just to keep different design elements organized, let me introduce you to your new best friend: artboards.

Imagine having all your design variations, mockups, and assets neatly laid out in a single file, ready for quick edits, comparisons, and exports. Sounds like a dream, right?

Artboards in Adobe Illustrator are a game-changer when it comes to workflow efficiency. Whether you’re designing social media graphics, branding assets, or website layouts, using artboards helps you stay organized, streamline revisions, and speed up the entire process.

No more flipping through endless files or losing track of your latest design iteration.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how artboards work, why they make designing so much easier, and how you can use them to level up your workflow. Let’s dive in!

What Are Artboards

The word “Artboard” means a surface or area where you place your artwork to be published.

You can work anywhere you want within the Illustrator’s canvas, but to keep your designs in place and publish them to a specific dimension, you will have to publish your designs on the artboard eventually.

Artboards in Adobe Illustrator are essentially individual pages within a single document that can be used to create different parts of a design project.

They allow creators and designers to work on multiple pieces of a project within the same file, making it easier to maintain consistency across designs and to organize related components together.

Default artboard settings

Artboards are a fundamental feature of Adobe Illustrator that enhances the versatility and efficiency of the design process, making it easier for designers to create complex, multi-faceted projects within a single, manageable file.

When you open a new document in Adobe Illustrator, you’re greeted with your first artboard by default.

A blank, so-called digital paper where your design process will unfold.

To select an artboard, change its size, colors, and more, look for the Artboard tool on the left toolbar and select it.

Or via the Artboards panel on the right, which helps you manage the number of artboards you have.

If you don’t see the Artboard panel, click on Windows in the top menu and select Artboards in the dropdown menu for it to appear.

You can add artboards to one Illustrator file, as many as you want until the size limit that the Illustrator canvas can support.

Navigating the Control and Properties Panels

Once your artboard is set up, you’ll need to head to the Control panel or Properties panel to tweak your settings further.

You’ll find options for changing the size of your artboard, color mode, and even background color in these panels.

Working with An Existing Illustrator Artboard

To move artwork or change the size of an existing artboard, use the Artboard tool and access the bounding box to resize or move.

You can even duplicate artboards . Then bring the Artboard tool over your artboard until the cursor changes to a Move tool.

Then hold down the Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) key and click and drag the newly duplicated artboard away from the original artboard.

Each individual artboard has a unique artboard name for easier management.

Related: 4 Easy Ways To Delete Artboard In Illustrator

Layers and Artboards

While each artboard can contain different elements, all artboards share the same layers, accessible through the Layers panel.

You can use new layers to better manage the different elements on your different artboards.

Saving and File Formats

When you’re satisfied with your work, use the Save As option by going to File > Save As… in the top menu to choose your preferred file format.

Your Illustrator file will include all your artboards, making it easy to manage your project in a single document.

How To Create Multiple Artboards

Adding a new artboard is simple! Here’s your quick guide:

Step 1: Launch Adobe Illustrator and either open an existing file or create a new file by going to the top menu bar and selecting File > New.

Step 2: Go to the Toolbar, and select the Artboard Tool (the icon looks like a crop symbol).

Related: What Is The Artboard Tool In Illustrator?

Or open the Artboard Panel by going to the top menu bar and selecting Window > Artboards.

Click the New Artboard Button: You can find it at the bottom of the panel or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N.

Step 3: Click and Drag on the workspace to create a custom-sized artboard manually.

How to Check Artboard Size in Illustrator?

The easiest way to check artboard size in Illustrator is to select the Artboard Tool in the Toolbar. It’s represented with a rectangle shape icon and a set of crop marks on one corner. You can do this after you’ve added an artboard.

With the Artboard Tool cursor, click on the selected artboard. Then go to the control panel above the document, and refer to the width and height to know the artboard size.

Artboards in Adobe Illustrator serve as the canvas size where your creative magic takes place. Here, you can create new artboards and even manage different sizes for your design projects.

Method 1: the Panel Menu

Step 1: Open Adobe Illustrator and load your Illustrator project.

Step 2: Locate the Menu Bar at the top of the window and go to Window from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Select Artboards to display the Artboards panel on the side.

Here you can see basic info like the number of artboards and each artboard’s dimensions.

Method 2: the Control Panel

Step 1: Select the Artboard Tool from the tools panel or press Shift+O as a keyboard shortcut. If you’re unsure, look for this tool on the toolbar panel.

Step 2: Once the selected artboard is active, you’ll notice the control panel at the top of the document window updates in real-time.

Step 3: Here, check the Width (W) and Height (H) dimensions displayed on the control panel.

The numerical value for these height fields and size values gives you the exact size of the artboard in your preferred unit, like pixels or inches.

Method 3: Using the Artboard Options Dialog Box

Step 1: Click on the Artboard Tool or use Shift+O as a quick keyboard shortcut.

Step 2: Double-click on the artboard whose size you want to check.

Step 3: An Artboard Options Dialog Box will appear, showing you the existing artboard dimensions.

If you’re dealing with multiple artboards of different page sizes in a single document, click on each to view their individual sizes in the Artboards panel.

How To Move Artboards In Illustrator?

Through the Artboard Tool, the Artboards Panel, and additional options in the Control Panel, you can efficiently add new artboards, align, and even change the size of your artboards to suit your project needs.

The Artboard Tool and Control Panel

In Illustrator CC, you use the Artboard Tool found in the Toolbar (Tools Panel) to select and move artboards. The Control Panel at the top gives you various artboard options, like checking artboard size and dimensions.

Artboards Panel

The Artboards Panel allows you to select individual artboards, renumber artboards, and even create a new artboard using the ‘new artboard icon.’

Smart Guides

Smart Guides are incredibly useful in aligning your artboards accurately. They appear automatically and help you in positioning objects and artboards.

To enable Smart Guides, go to the top menu bar and click on View > Smart Guides.

Once enabled, you won’t see anything visibly yet. But when you take actions such as expanding your object to the edge of your artboard, you will see guidelines and the word “intersect” appearing.

These are signs from the Smart Guides telling you that your object is aligned accurately with the artboard.

Here are the steps to move artboards in Illustrator:

1. Using the Artboard Tool

Step 1: Open your Illustrator document and go to the Toolbar.

Step 2: Select the Artboard Tool.

Step 3: Click on the selected artboard in the document window to make it the active artboard.

In the Control panel above your document, make sure to select the Move/Copy Artwork with Artboard button if you wish to move your artwork together with the artboard.

Step 4: Drag the active artboard to the new location.

If you’ve selected the Move/Copy Artwork with Artboard button, you will see your artwork stuck to the artboard and moving together with it.

Otherwise, only your artboard will move and your artwork will stay where it is.

2. Using the Artboards Panel

Step 1: Open the Artboards Panel.

Step 2: Select the individual artboard you want to move.

Step 3: Use the move/copy artwork options to shift it.

3. Changing The Reference Point

Step 1: Select the artboard with the Artboard tool.

Step 2: Go to the Control panel above the document and change the numerical values in the Reference Point boxes labeled with “X:” and “Y:“.

X represents the horizontal position from the center of the canvas. The higher the number, the more your artboard will be positioned on the right side of the canvas.

Y represents the vertical position of the artboard from the center of the canvas. The higher the number, the more the artboard will be positioned on the bottom of the canvas.

For more advanced options like changing the artboard size or preset, you can access the Artboard Options Dialog Box by clicking on the menu button on the top right-hand corner of the Artboards panel. Then, select Artboard Options.

How To Rotate Artboard In Illustrator?

The best way to rotate an artboard in Illustrator is to select the Artboard Tool, then hold down the Shift key and spacebar together. Next, drag the Artboard Tool cursor left or right to rotate your artboard at an angle.

Here are a few ways you can rotate an artboard in Illustrator:

1. Using the Artboard Tool and Keyboard Shortcut

The Artboard Tool is unique to Illustrator and doesn’t directly allow you to rotate the artboard. However, you can rotate the artboard with the Artboard Tool together with keyboard shortcuts.

Related: What Is The Artboard Tool In Illustrator?

Select the Artboard Tool from the Toolbar.

You will see dashed lines surrounding your artboard.

Then, hold down the Shift key and spacebar on your keyboard. Your cursor will change to a hand icon with a curved arrow and angled artboard. This is the Rotate View tool.

Still holding down the Shift key and Spacebar (Shift + Spacebar), bring your cursor over the artboard and drag it left and right. You will see your artboard rotating in the direction you drag your cursor to.

Without holding down the Shift and Spacebar keys, the default Artboard Tool can be used to move your artboards and change the artboard size.

2. The Rotate View Tool

Here, the Rotate View tool comes in handy. It’s symbolized by a hand icon in the tools panel or Toolbar.

This tool is the same tool used in the first method where you can temporarily change your canvas view without affecting the object on the artboard.

3. Manually Edit Rotate View

Besides using keyboard shortcuts, the Artboard tool, and the Rotate View tool, you can also rotate your artboard with more precision.

Go to the bottom of your Illustrator file. You will see a field with a zoom-in percentage on the left. Next to that field is the Rotate View field. The default angle is 0°.

Click your cursor in the Rotate View field and manually type in the angle you wish to rotate your artboard. Then, press the Enter or Return key. You will see your artboard rotated to the angle you’ve given.

How To Rotate Content Without Rotating Artboard?

Now that you’ve learned the various methods on how to rotate an artboard in Illustrator, you may be wondering if you could rotate only the content without rotating all the artboards.

To rotate the content inside the artboard, utilize the selection tool (Shortcut V):

1. Confirm: Release to apply the rotation to your selected artwork.
2. Select the Content: Using the selection tool or Ctrl+A, select all objects.
3. Locate the Rotate Tool: In the tools panel, find the rotate tool or press R.
4. Set the Anchor Point: This is your reference point for the rotation.
5. Perform the Rotation: Drag to alter the rotation angle of the selected object or multiple objects.

How artboards help streamline design workflow

Here’s a more detailed look at what artboards are and how they are used:

• Multiple Workspaces: Artboards provide multiple workspaces within a single Illustrator file. This means you can work on different design elements or variations of a project side by side. For example, if you’re designing a branding package, you can have separate artboards for the logo, business cards, letterheads, and other elements all within the same document.
• Customizable Sizes and Orientations: Each artboard can have its own size and orientation, which is particularly useful for projects that include a variety of item sizes, such as print materials, digital graphics, and more. You can customize artboards to match the specific dimensions required for each part of your project.
• Efficient Workflow: Having multiple artboards in a single file streamlines the design process, as it reduces the need to switch between different files. This is especially useful when creating variations of a design (like different color schemes or layouts) or when working on projects that require multiple assets in various sizes and formats.
• Export Flexibility: Illustrator allows you to export artboards as separate files or as a combined document. This flexibility is useful when you need to send specific parts of a project to a client or a printer, or when you need to generate multiple assets from the same Illustrator file.
• Organizational Tools: Illustrator includes features for managing artboards efficiently, such as the Artboards panel, which lets you rearrange, rename, add, and delete artboards. There are also options to automatically arrange artboards in a grid and adjust the spacing between them, which can help in keeping your projects organized and accessible.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, your crash course on artboards in Adobe Illustrator!

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed juggling multiple files, trust me, artboards are about to become your new best friend. They keep everything in one place, make revisions a breeze, and save you from that dreaded Where did I save that version? moment.

So, go ahead to experiment with different layouts, organize your designs like a pro, and make your workflow way more efficient. The more you use artboards, the more you’ll wonder how you ever designed without them.

Now, it’s your turn! Open Illustrator, play around with artboards, and see how they transform your design process. You got this!