Can You Make A Round Artboard In Illustrator? 3 Easy Steps

Q: Does Illustrator Have Curves?

Yes — Illustrator offers a variety of ways to create and manipulate curves. The most commonly used tool for this is the Pen Tool , which allows you to place anchor points and adjust handles to create curves. Additionally, you can use the Anchor Point Tool to further refine the curves.

Q: Where Is The Curvature Tool In Illustrator?

The Curvature Tool in Adobe Illustrator is easily accessible and located in the tool panel on the left side of the Illustrator interface. You'll find it hidden under the Pen Tool (the icon looks like a nib). Just click and hold the Pen Tool icon and a dropdown will appear. From here, you can select the Curvature Tool .

Q: How Do You Make A Bell Curve In Illustrator?

Creating a bell curve in Illustrator can be done using the Pen Tool or the Curvature Tool for more complex curves. You can also use graph tools if you have specific data points to plot.

In this article, you’ll learn why you can’t make a round artboard in Adobe Illustrator and what alternative approaches you can take.

can you make a round artboard in illustrator

How To Make A Round Artboard In Illustrator?

You can change the artboard size but you can’t make a round artboard in Illustrator. The great is, that there is a workaround to this.

The Illustrator artboard works like an imaginary frame. It’s a guideline to show you the size and placement of your design. You won’t see it published.

While the artboard remains square or rectangular, Illustrator does offer tools like the “Rounded Rectangle” tool or Ellipse Tool and “Live Corners” for drawing shapes with rounded corners within the artboard.

If you need your designs to be rounded, you don’t have to make a round artboard. Rather you must contain your design in a rounded shape instead.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Create a New File

Open Adobe Illustrator and create a new file with a square artboard. Go to the top menu, click on File and select New in the dropdown menu.

start new document in illustrator – how to set dpi in Illustrator

Step 2: Draw a Circle

With your blank artboard or canvas on your screen, go to the toolbar on the left. Click on the Rectangle Tool and the Ellipse Tool (L) in the dropdown to draw a circle on your artboard. You can also press the keyboard shortcut letter L.

ellipse tool to draw a circle in adobe illustrator

Step 3: Make a Clipping Mask

Make sure the circle layer is above your design. Then, select your design and the circle, then go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

go to object and click on clipping mask and make to wrap a design with a shape in Adobe Illustrator

Your design will now be wrapped in a circle shape.

Next, export your design as PNG with transparent background or PDF. You won’t see the square or rectangle artboard, but only the design in the circle shape.

Using Other Tools for Designing Circular Shapes

The Pen Tool and Anchor Point

The Pen Tool allows you to draw custom shapes while the Anchor Point tool enables you to manipulate the corners of an object for customized rounded corners.

The Gradient and Colour Tools

Gradient and colour tools can be employed to enhance your circular design, adding depth and dimension.

3D Objects and Vector Drawing

For more advanced work involving 3D objects or detailed vector drawing, Illustrator’s comprehensive toolset has you covered, albeit still without the round artboard option.

Working with Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Designer

Both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Designer, like Illustrator, don’t natively support round artboards. But you can use a similar workaround of drawing a circular shape to mimic a round artboard.

Exporting Your Work

When it’s time to export your Illustrator file, use the “Export” options to save it either as a .png or .jpg. If you’re integrating this into a Photoshop action, make sure the background color is set to transparent.

Advanced Tips for Design Precision

Smart Guides

Utilize Smart Guides for aligning objects perfectly within your artboard.

The Pencil and Brush Tools

For freehand drawing and more artistic touches, the Pencil and Brush tools can be particularly useful.

Final Thoughts: Making A Round Artboard In Illustrator

While Adobe Illustrator doesn’t offer round artboards, various tools and techniques within the app can help you create circular designs.

By exploring options like rounded rectangles, the ellipse tool, and vector drawing features, you can achieve the rounded effect you’re seeking.

So there you have it: Although a round artboard is not a native feature in Illustrator, with a little creativity and the right tools, you can make your designs as circular as you wish.

Rounded Artboard In Illustrator: FAQs

How Do I Make A Curved Artboard In Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator doesn’t allow for curved artboards as of now. However, there are clever workarounds to give the illusion of a curved workspace.

You can use the Pen Tool or the Anchor Point tool to draw a curved shape on your rectangular or square artboard. Then, you can design within that curved shape, essentially treating it like your artboard.

Once you’re done, you can export the image with a transparent background to maintain the curved design effect.

Steps for Creating a Curved Design:

Open a New Artboard: Go to File > New to create a new Illustrator document.
Draw a Curved Shape: Use the Pen Tool to draw your desired curve.
Design Inside the Curve: Place all your design elements within the curve.
Export with a Transparent Background: Save your file as a PNG with the background set to transparent.

Can I Change The Shape Of An Artboard In Illustrator?

No — The shape of an artboard in Illustrator is restricted to rectangles or squares. You can’t alter the fundamental shape of the artboard.

However, Illustrator offers various artboard options, including the ability to adjust the size through the Artboard Tool or the Artboard Panel . You can also create multiple artboards for different components of your project.

How To Manage An Artboard In Illustrator?

Resizing the Artboard: Use the Artboard Tool to change the dimensions.
Adding Multiple Artboards: Go to File > New and set the number of artboards you require.
Adjust Settings in Artboard Panel: Custom settings like orientation can be changed here.

How Do You Make A Rounded Corner Artboard In Illustrator?

As with the shape, the corners of an artboard can’t be rounded in Illustrator. You can, however, create a rounded rectangle shape within your rectangular artboard to simulate a rounded-corner artboard. Use the Rounded Rectangle tool or apply Live Corners to a regular rectangle for this effect.

How to Create a Rounded Rectangle Design:

New Artboard: Create a new Illustrator document via File > New.
Select Rounded Rectangle Tool: Found within the Shape Tool options.
Draw and Adjust: Draw your rounded rectangle and adjust the corners using the Live Corners option.
Design Within: Place your design elements inside this rounded rectangle.
Export: As always, if you want to maintain the rounded-corner effect, export your file as a PNG with a transparent background.

How Do You Make An Artboard With Rounded Corners?

Adobe Illustrator doesn’t offer an option to make an artboard with rounded corners. However, you can create the illusion of rounded corners by using the Rounded Rectangle tool within your square or rectangular artboard. This will allow you to work within a space that appears to have rounded corners.

Steps for Creating a Design With Rounded Corners:

Open a New Document: Go to File > New to create a new Illustrator document.
Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool: This is usually hidden under the Rectangle Tool. Click and hold the Rectangle Tool icon to see other shape options.
Draw the Rounded Rectangle: Drag to create the rounded rectangle shape. You can adjust the rounded corners using Live Corners to get the curvature you want.
Design Within the Shape: Add your design elements within the rounded rectangle to simulate an artboard with rounded corners.
Export as PNG: When you’re done, export your design as a PNG with a transparent background to preserve the illusion.

Does Illustrator Have Curves?

Yes — Illustrator offers a variety of ways to create and manipulate curves. The most commonly used tool for this is the Pen Tool, which allows you to place anchor points and adjust handles to create curves. Additionally, you can use the Anchor Point Tool to further refine the curves.

How To Make Curves in Illustrator?

Select the Pen Tool: The Pen Tool is your primary tool for creating curves.
Place Anchor Points: Click to place anchor points where the curve should start and end.
Drag Handles: Click and drag to adjust the handles and create a curve.
Modify with Anchor Point Tool: Further refine your curves by selecting anchor points and adjusting them.

How Do You Curve A Design In Illustrator?

You can curve a design in Illustrator using a variety of methods. One popular technique is using the Warp tool, found under Object > Envelope Distort > Make With Warp. You can also use Pathfinder options to combine basic shapes into a complex, curved design.

How to Curve a Design (Step-By-Step Guide)

Select Your Design: Make sure to group all the elements that you want to curve.
Go to Envelope Distort: Navigate to Object > Envelope Distort > Make With Warp.
Choose Your Curve: In the dialog that appears, choose the type of curve you want to apply.
Adjust Options: Use the sliders to adjust the degree of the curve.
Apply the Curve: Click OK to apply the curve to your design.

Where Is The Curvature Tool In Illustrator?

The Curvature Tool in Adobe Illustrator is easily accessible and located in the tool panel on the left side of the Illustrator interface. You’ll find it hidden under the Pen Tool (the icon looks like a nib). Just click and hold the Pen Tool icon and a dropdown will appear. From here, you can select the Curvature Tool.

The Curvature Tool (Step-By-Step Guide)

Open Adobe Illustrator: Start by launching the Adobe Illustrator app.
Locate the Tool Panel: The tool panel is usually situated on the left-hand side of the screen.
Find the Pen Tool: Look for an icon resembling a pen nib.
Click and Hold: By clicking and holding down on the Pen Tool, a dropdown menu will appear.
Select Curvature Tool: From the dropdown menu, choose the Curvature Tool.

What Is The Curve In Illustrator Called?

In Illustrator, curves are generally referred to as “Bezier curves.” These are defined using anchor points and control handles. When you’re using tools like the Pen Tool or the Curvature Tool, you’re essentially creating Bezier curves, adjusting their shape with anchor points and handles.

What Is A Bezier Curve In Illustrator?

Anchor Points: These are the points that “anchor” the curve. You click to place them on your canvas.
Control Handles: These appear when you click and drag an anchor point. They define the curve’s direction and steepness.
Curve Segment: The actual curve that spans between two anchor points is the curve segment.

How Do You Change The Radius In Illustrator?

Changing the radius of a circle or a rounded rectangle in Illustrator is straightforward. If you’re working with a rounded rectangle, you can adjust the corner radius using the Live Corners feature. For circles, you would need to uniformly scale the object.

How to Change the Radius In Illustrator?

Select the Object: Use the Selection Tool to select the object whose radius you want to change.
Live Corners: If it’s a rounded rectangle, you’ll see small circle indicators at each corner. Drag these to adjust the radius.
Scaling: For circles, go to the Object > Transform > Scale and adjust the percentage to change the radius uniformly.

How Do You Make A Bell Curve In Illustrator?

Creating a bell curve in Illustrator can be done using the Pen Tool or the Curvature Tool for more complex curves. You can also use graph tools if you have specific data points to plot.

How To Make A Bell Curve In Illustrator?

Create a New Document: Go to File > New to start a new Illustrator file.
Select the Pen Tool: Choose the Pen Tool from the tool panel.
Plot Anchor Points: Click to set anchor points at the start, peak, and end of your bell curve.
Adjust Control Handles: Drag out handles from the anchor points to create the curve shape.
Refine the Curve: You can further refine the curve by adding more anchor points and adjusting handles.