• Basic Tutorials - Adobe Illustrator

    8) Working with Artboards

    Understanding and navigating artboards

    In the video below, explore navigating artboards using the Artboads panel and commands.

     
    What you learned: Working with artboards
    • Artboards are similar to pages in Adobe InDesign CC or Microsoft Word and represent the printable area.
    • Artboards can be different sizes and orientations, be arranged how you like, and overlap.
    • The artboard you are working on is the active artboard. Commands such as View > Fit Artboard In Window apply to the active artboard.
    • The Artboards panel (Window > Artboards) is another way to navigate artboards.
    • The Artboard navigation menu in the lower-left corner of the Document window shows the same listing of artboards as in the Artboards panel.

    Creating artboards

    Learn how to add multiple artboards to a document using the Artboards tool in this video:

     
    What you learned: Add an artboard
    • Select the Artboard tool in the Tools panel. Drag to create an artboard. Choose an artboard preset from the Properties panel to the right of the document to resize the new artboard. Drag the artboard to position it.
    • To rename an artboard, double-click the artboard name in the Artboards panel (Window > Artboards), change it, and then press Enter or Return. In the Artboards panel, you can see all artboards in the document.

    Editing artboards

    Learn how to edit and duplicate artboards using the Artboard tool and Artboards panel in the video below:

     
    What you learned: Edit an artboard
    • With nothing selected, click the Edit Artboards button in the Properties panel on the right.
    • Click to select an artboard, and choose an artboard preset from the Properties panel to resize the artboard.
    • To duplicate an artboard, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (macOS) the artboard. Release the mouse button and then the key.