3 Easy Ways To Hide Artboards In Illustrator

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the question, “Can you hide artboards in Illustrator?”

What Are Artboards In Illustrator?

First off, let’s clarify what are artboards in Illustrator. An artboard serves as the canvas where you create your design. If you’ve transitioned from Adobe Photoshop, think of it as a new layer for your entire project.

You can have multiple artboards within a single Illustrator file, which is incredibly useful for designing variations or different elements of a project. The artboards panel helps you manage these effectively.

Why You Might Want to Hide Artboards in Illustrator

You might be asking, “Why would I ever want to hide an artboard in Illustrator?” Here are several scenarios where this feature is useful:

• Reducing Clutter: When working with multiple artboards, hiding some can help you focus on specific tasks.
• Performance: Too many visible elements can slow down the software.
• Review & Presentation: Sometimes you may only need one active artboard to present a part of your project and keep other artboards hidden.

How to Hide Artboards in Adobe Illustrator CC

The easiest way to hide artboards is to press the keyboard shortcuts Shift + Command + H on a Mac, or Shift + Ctrl + H on Windows.

Here are other various ways you can do to hide artboards:

1. Using View Options

Go to the menu bar and select View.

In the drop-down dialog box, you’ll see an option called Hide Artboards. Click on it.

Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut by pressing Shift + Command + H on a Mac.

Or Shift + Ctrl + H on Windows.

2. Utilizing the Layers Panel

Open the Layers Panel.

Locate the layer containing the artboard you wish to hide.

Click on the eye icon next to it, which will serve as a clipping mask for that specific artboard, hiding it effectively.

3. The Navigator Panel

First, open the Navigator panel by going to the top menu bar. Then, select Window and click on Navigator.

The Navigator Panel, allows you to focus on a specific part of your artwork while ignoring the rest, similar to the trim view preview option and zooming in and out of your artboards.

Alternatives to Hiding Artboards

1. Using the Rectangle Tool and Transparency Grid

An alternative is to use the rectangle tool to create a shape that covers your artboard. Then, change its background color and adjust the transparency grid to mimic a hidden artboard.

2. The Artboard Tool and New Artboard Features

Utilize the artboard tool to manage multiple artboards. Create a new artboard if you need more space or delete an existing artboard to reduce clutter.

Related Features and Tools

• Affinity Designer: While not Adobe, it’s a good alternative for vector drawing.
• Pen Tool and Brush: These tools are for the more artistic aspects of your designs.
• Text and Swatches Panel: For color and typography.
• Mask and Guides: To better structure your objects.
• Apps: Adobe Illustrator CC has mobile apps for editing on-the-go.

Final Thoughts: hiding Artboards In Illustrator

Hiding artboards in Adobe Illustrator isn’t a built-in feature like it is in related apps such as Adobe Photoshop, but it’s manageable with some workarounds.

You’ve learned how to use the layers panel, selection tool, and even the keyboard shortcut to make your Illustrator artboard management more efficient.

From creating a separate layer to using the object and anchor point features, Adobe Illustrator offers you a range of options.

Now, you’re equipped with multiple ways to hide artboards in Adobe Illustrator, manage individual artboards, and even work with graphics and color in your Illustrator CC workspace.

Hide Artboards: Frequently Asked Questions

Using the Artboard Tool

1. Select the Artboard Tool: In your toolbar, find the artboard tool, usually represented by an icon that looks like a square with crop marks.
2. Choose the Artboard: Click on the artboard you want to remove. It should become active and you’ll see its border highlighted.
3. Press Delete: Simply hit the ‘Delete’ key on your keyboard, and the artboard is gone!

Using the Artboards Panel

1. Open the Panel: Navigate to ‘Window’ > ‘Artboards’ to open the artboards panel.
2. Select and Delete: In this panel, you can select the artboard by name and click on the trash bin icon to remove it.

Isolation Through Layers

1. Open Layers Panel: Go to ‘Window’ > ‘Layers’ to open the layers panel.
2. Hide Others: Find the layers corresponding to other artboards and click the eye icon to hide them. Only the desired artboard remains visible.

Using the Navigator Panel

1. Open Navigator Panel: Navigate to ‘Window’ > ‘Navigator’.
2. Zoom and Focus: Use the zoom feature to focus solely on the artboard you wish to isolate.

Creating a New Artboard

1. Use the Artboard Tool: Select it and click and drag to form a new artboard.
2. Via Dialog Box: Go to ‘File’ > ‘New’ and you can specify the number of artboards you need.

Arranging Artboards

1. Manual Drag-and-Drop: Use the selection tool to drag the artboards around.
2. Artboard Panel: Rearrange by dragging the artboard names into the order you prefer.

Renaming Artboards

Double Click: Double-click on the artboard name in the artboards panel and enter the new name.

Hide Artboard Borders

1. Go to View: From the menu, select ‘View’.
2. Hide Artboards: Choose this option to hide the borders.

Using the Layers Panel

1. Open Layers Panel: Head to ‘Window’ > ‘Layers’.
2. Hide Layer: Find the layer with the border and hide it by clicking on the eye icon.

Turn Off Guides

1. Navigate to View: From the menu, select ‘View’.
2. Guides: Under this option, you can choose to hide guides which sometimes are mistaken for borders.

Shortcut Customization

If for some reason you’re not a fan of the default shortcut, you can set a custom keyboard shortcut for hiding artboards. Navigate to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts, and customize it to a key combination that suits your workflow.

Sometimes, you might find that you have multiple artboards without consciously creating them. This usually occurs when you import files that have multiple pages or different sections, and Illustrator converts each into a separate artboard.

The Canvas for Your Creativity

Think of an artboard as your workspace or canvas in Adobe Illustrator where you create and edit your designs. It essentially defines the dimensions of the work you are doing, like a boundary within which your creative magic happens.

Flexibility in Design

Artboards offer unparalleled flexibility. Whether you’re designing for print or digital, you can create artboards in varying sizes, orientations, and even in differing units of measure, all within the same Illustrator file.

Managing Complex Projects

For projects that have multiple elements like a branding package, you can use individual artboards for each element: logo, business card, letterhead, etc. This makes it easier to manage, edit, and export your project.

Unlinking Via Artboards Panel

1. Navigate to the Artboards Panel: Go to Window > Artboards to open the panel.
2. Select the Linked Artboards: If artboards are linked, you’ll typically see a chain icon or similar indicator.
3. Unlink Them: Click on the chain icon or right-click to find an unlink option. Click to unlink the artboards.

Manual Unlinking

1. Select the Artboard: Using the Artboard tool, click on the artboard you want to unlink.
2. Remove Connections: If there are any visible lines or indicators showing a link to another artboard, you can manually delete or remove them.

In the Artboards Panel, you can use the Shift-click or Ctrl-click (Cmd-click on a Mac) method to select multiple artboards. However, Illustrator doesn’t have a built-in option for selecting all artboards with a single command.

Workaround with Layers

Another method to consider is selecting all objects across artboards. To do this, you can go to the Layers Panel and then select the layer that contains all your artboards and objects.

This effectively selects all objects on all artboards, although not the artboards themselves.

Isolation Mode is particularly useful for intricate designs with multiple overlapping elements. It allows you to focus on specific parts of your design, making it easier to edit individual elements without the risk of altering others accidentally.

Performance Considerations

While the software allows for a large number of artboards, it’s crucial to consider your computer’s performance. Handling too many artboards, especially with complex designs, could slow down your system.

Organization is Key

With the ability to use so many artboards, effective organization becomes crucial. Use the Artboards Panel to rearrange, rename, and manage your artboards to keep your project organized.