How To Move Artboards In Illustrator: 3 Easy Ways
In this tutorial, you will learn how to move artboards in Illustrator in 3 easy ways.
Can You Move Artboards Around In Illustrator?
Yes — You can move artboards around in Illustrator to anywhere you like within the boundaries given.
If you aren’t able to move your artboards around, one possibility is that you have not selected the Artboard Tool, or you’ve not selected the correct artboard.
Related: What Are Artboards in Illustrator?
Tools for Moving Artboards
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.
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.
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.
Final Thoughts On Moving Artboards in Illustrator
Whether you are working with a new document or an existing one, being able to move your artboards around will significantly streamline your graphic design workflow.
Now you know how to make the most of the artboard tool, smart guides, and the Artboards panel. Whether you are working in Illustrator or considering a switch to Affinity Designer, mastering artboards will elevate your design game.
Moving Illustrator Artboards FAQs
How Do I Change The Artboard Placement In Illustrator?
First off, changing the placement of an artboard is a straightforward task in Adobe Illustrator. The placement refers to the location of the artboard within the Illustrator workspace. Knowing how to alter this is crucial for better workflow and organization. Here’s how to change the artboard placement in Illustrator:
Steps to Change Artboard Placement
Step 1: Open your Illustrator document and navigate to the Toolbar.
Step 2: Locate the Artboard Tool, usually represented by an icon that looks like a crop symbol.
Step 3: Click on the artboard you want to move to make it the active artboard.
Step 4: Simply drag and drop the active artboard to your desired location.
Can We Rearrange all the Artboards in Illustrator?
Absolutely, rearranging all the artboards in a project is possible and often necessary. This is especially useful when you’re working on complex projects that involve multiple artboards.
How Do I rearrange Artboards In Adobe?
Since Adobe has multiple software options, it’s crucial to specify that we’re discussing Adobe Illustrator. This platform offers the most versatile options for working with artboards compared to other Adobe Creative Cloud tools like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe InDesign. Here’s how you rearrange artboards in Adobe:
Steps to Rearrange in Adobe Illustrator
Step 1: Locate the Artboard Tool in the Toolbar or press Shift + O.
Step 2: Click on the artboard you wish to move.
Step 3: Drag it to the desired location.
Artboards Panel for Adobe Illustrator
You can also use the Artboards Panel, to rearrange individual or multiple artboards in Adobe Illustrator. The Panel allows you to drag and reorder your artboards easily.
Can You Move An Artboard?
Yes — you absolutely can move an artboard in Adobe Illustrator. Artboards are essentially your workspace within the software where your design comes to life. Moving them around can help you manage complex projects or simply make your workflow more convenient.
How Do I Manually Arrange Artboards In Illustrator?
Sometimes, you may want to manually arrange artboards to suit specific design needs or to keep things organized in a way that makes sense. Here’s how you manually arrange artboards in Illustrator:
Steps To Manually Arrange Artboards In Illustrator
Step 1: Open your Illustrator document.
Step 2: Go to the Toolbar and select the Artboard Tool.
Step 3: Click on the artboard you wish to move.
Step 4: Manually drag the selected artboard to your preferred position.
Step 5: Repeat for other artboards as needed.
How To Rearrange Artboards In Illustrator CS6?
If you’re using an older version like Illustrator CS6, the process is quite similar but with a slightly different interface.
Steps for Rearranging Artboards in CS6
Step 1: Open your Illustrator CS6 document.
Step 2: Locate the Artboard Tool in the Toolbar or use the shortcut Shift + O.
Step 3: Select the artboard you’d like to move.
Step 4: Drag and drop it to the new location.
Can You Move Artboards Around In Illustrator?
How Do I Change My Artboard Settings?
At some point in your design journey, you may need to adjust your artboard settings to better match your project’s requirements. Here’s how you change your artboard settings:
Steps to Change Artboard Settings
Step 1: Open your Adobe Illustrator project.
Step 2: Navigate to the Toolbar and select the Artboard Tool.
Step 3: Click on the artboard you wish to modify to make it your active artboard.
Step 4: Open the Artboard Options Dialog Box, usually available at the top in the Control Panel.
Step 5: In this dialog box, you can change various settings like artboard size (for logos or social media), orientation, and more.
How Do You Align Artboard In Illustrator?
Artboard alignment in Illustrator is a valuable feature, particularly when you’re dealing with multiple elements or when you need to align your artboard with a specific object. Here’s how you align the artboard in Illustrator:
Steps for Artboard Alignment
Step 1: Make the artboard active by clicking on it using the Artboard Tool.
Step 2: Select the object you want to align the artboard with.
Step 3: Go to ‘Object’ > ‘Artboards’ > ‘Fit to Selected Art’ to align the artboard around the selected object.
Utilizing Smart Guides
Smart guides can be a useful feature for this process. They help you align artboards with more precision.
Go to the top menu bar, and select View > Smart Guides. Then, allow the rulers to show on your document by selecting View > Rulers > Show Rulers.
Drag a guide from either the top or left side ruler and drop it anywhere you want on your document space. Then, use the Artboard tool to click and drag your artboard to the guide. You can feel your artboard snapping to the guide.
How Do I Align Multiple Artboards In Illustrator?
Here’s how you align multiple artboards in Illustrator:
Steps to Align Multiple Artboards
Step 1: Open the Artboards Panel via ‘Window’ > ‘Artboards.’
Step 2: Hold down the ‘Shift’ key and select the artboards you want to align.
Step 3: Right-click and choose ‘Arrange’ > ‘Align Artboards’ from the context menu.
Additional Options for Multiple Alignment
You can also utilize the ‘Rearrange All’ feature in the Artboards Panel to align multiple artboards based on specific criteria such as by rows or columns.
How Do You Arrange Artboards In Photoshop?
Artboards in Photoshop CC are a relatively new addition when compared to Illustrator but are just as useful. Whether you’re working on website layouts or multi-screen experiences, artboards are a helpful organizational tool.
Steps to Arrange Artboards in Photoshop
Step 1: Open your Photoshop CC document.
Step 2: Navigate to the Layers Panel, where each artboard is listed as a separate layer.
Step 3: Select the artboard layer you want to move.
Step 4: Using the Selection Tool, drag the artboard to your desired location within the Photoshop workspace.
Alternative Methods
Another approach to arrange your artboards is by selecting ‘Layer’ > ‘Arrange’ from the menu bar. You can also rearrange artboards directly in the Layers Panel by clicking and dragging them into your desired order.
Why Is My Illustrator Artboard Crooked?
There could be various reasons for a crooked artboard, such as a rotated view or misalignment with the Illustrator document grid.
Solutions for a Crooked Artboard
Solution 1: Reset the View
Navigate to ‘View’ > ‘Reset View.’ This will reset the rotation and position of your artboard to its default settings.
Solution 2: Check Smart Guides
Smart guides could be inadvertently aligning your artboard in a way that appears crooked. Turn them off by going to ‘View’ > ‘Smart Guides.’
Solution 3: Align to Grid
If your artboard seems slightly off, it might not be aligned to the grid. You can align it by selecting the artboard and then choosing ‘Object’ > ‘Align’ > ‘To Grid.’
Further Troubleshooting
If the above solutions don’t solve the issue, double-check your Control Panel to ensure no weird rotation or transformation options are selected for your active artboard.
