3 Easy Ways To Get Out Of Outline Mode In Adobe Illustrator
Wondering how to get out of outline mode in Adobe Illustrator?
If you’re an Adobe Illustrator user, you might have come across the dreaded outline mode. In outline mode, all of your text and objects are displayed as outlines, making it difficult to see the actual content.
This can be frustrating when you’re working on a project but don’t worry, getting out of outline mode is easy. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to turn off Outline view in Illustrator.
The word “Outline” can refer to a few different things in Adobe Illustrator. If it means “text converted to vector”, known as Create Outlines, then you would be looking for how to undo outline text in Illustrator instead. Or it can refer to the colored stroke on the edge of an object. Both are completely different outcomes from the Outline Mode.
If your artwork looks something like this, with no other colors but black lines:
And you’d like to change the outline version to the normal artwork in Illustrator like this…
…read on, you are in the right place.
What Is Outline Mode
Outline Mode in Adobe Illustrator is a display or Preview mode that shows all text and objects as outlines.
This mode can be useful when you’re working on a complex design and want to see the overall structure, but it can be frustrating when you want to see the actual content.
Why Choose Outline Mode in Illustrator?
Although you may be at wits end right now and can’t wait to switch out of Outline Mode or Outline View, I must say it’s a useful function to improve the quality of your artwork.
When you view your artwork in the normal view, you are able to see how you want the outcome to be.
But the objects, shapes, and elements you have may overlap each other such that if you wish to make changes to the paths, lines, and anchor points, you won’t be able to find them easily in the normal mode.
With the Outline Mode, Illustrator allows you to see through all layers by taking away the opacity of all layers in bulk.
You don’t have to do this manually, layer by layer, yet you can see through all layers where are the paths you need to shift or adjust. These aren’t possible in the normal mode.
Outline Mode is also often used by designers to check the spacing and alignment of text and objects in their design.
Why Do You End Up In Outline Mode
There are several reasons why you might end up in Outline Mode in Adobe Illustrator.
One common reason is that you accidentally pressed the keyboard shortcut keys: Command + Y for Mac or Control + Y for Windows.
It’s easy to press the wrong keys especially when you try to work as fast as you can. This shortcut switches Illustrator to Outline Mode.
Another reason is that you may have selected the View > Outline option from the Illustrator menu.
How To Get Out Of Outline Mode In Adobe Illustrator?
The easiest way to get out of Outline Mode in Adobe Illustrator is to use the Outline Mode Illustrator shortcut by pressing Command + Y on Mac or Ctrl + Y on Windows. Or go to the top menu bar and select View > Preview.
Here are the detailed steps and methods on how to turn off outline view in Illustrator:
Method 1: Use the Keyboard Shortcut Keys
To exit Outline Mode with the keyboard shortcuts, press Command + Y for Mac.
Or press Ctrl + Y for Windows.
Method 2: From the View Menu
You can also undo Outline Mode by selecting View on the Illustrator menu, then choose Preview in the dropdown menu.
Method 3: From the Layers Panel
First, open the Layers Panel by going to Windows in the top menu. Then select Layers in the drop-done menu. Or go to Windows > Layers.
The Layers Panel will now open up. Then, press Command on your keyboard for Mac, and click the eye icon on the left column of the main layer at the same time.
Or Ctrl for Windows, and click the eye icon.
Final Thoughts on How to Get Out of Outline Mode In Adobe Illustrator
There are various ways to exit outline mode in Adobe Illustrator, and doing so is simple. You can quickly return to preview mode whether you like to utilize the shortcut key, the View menu, or the Preview button. Time to try this out for yourself.
FAQs Related to Outlines in Illustrator
How To Turn Off Outline View In Illustrator
The easiest way to turn off outline view in Illustrator is to use the keyboard shortcut by pressing Command + Y on Mac or Ctrl + Y on Windows. Or go to the top menu bar, select View and Preview in the drop-down menu.
How do I switch out of outline mode?
Before you switch out of Outline Mode, you will have to decide what mode would you like to switch to. There are a few modes you can switch to. Select View in the top menu of Illustrator and you can switch to another mode by clicking on any of the top few options: Preview, Overprint Preview, Pixel Preview, and Presentation Mode.
Why can’t i get out of outline mode Illustrator?
You may have gone to View in the top menu and selected Preview but still can’t get out of Outline Mode. You may have also received an error message that says: “Can’t finish previewing. Could not complete the Requested operation” or “The operation cannot complete because there isn’t enough memory (RAM) available”. In this case, the best way is to reinstall or update your Illustrator to the latest version. Reopen and try again.
How do I change an outline to normal in Illustrator?
Normal Mode in Illustrator has been commonly known as the Preview Mode where you can view your artwork normally like how the outcome should be. To change an Outline to Normal Mode, select View in the top menu and select Preview in the drop-down menu. This will help you change an Outline to Normal Mode in Illustrator.
How do I turn outlines back into text in Illustrator?
You can undo outlines with a few methods. If you have not saved the file, you can use the undo function. Otherwise, you can use Adobe Acrobat’s OCR technology to convert the outline text to editable text. You can also revert to the version when the text was not outlined using the Version History function.
