3 . Working with Artboards
Artboards let you place designs on different size layouts, helping you visualize how they will appear on different size pages and devices.
Artboards are also useful for creating video storyboards or laying out animation elements.
Artboards Overview
An artboard defines the area that contains your document’s printable or exportable artwork (Figure 3.1 ).
FIGURE 3.1 Artboard selected with Artboard tool active and Artboards panel open
A screenshot of the Adobe Illustrator application frame shows two artboards open in the pasteboard. The artboard tool in the toolbar at the left is selected and highlighted. The first artboard in portrait orientation is selected. On the right pane, artboards panel is open at the top.
Access an artboard’s settings
Do either of the following:
Tip
Once artboard features are activated, they are accessible in the Properties panel and Control panel as well at the Artboards panel.
Open the Artboards panel
The Artboards panel helps you create, manage, and navigate through artboards. To access the Artboards panel, do the following:
FIGURE 3.2
A. Active artboard B. Artboard Options icon C. Panel menu D. Rearrange All Artboards button E. Move Up / Move Down buttons F. New Artboard button G. Delete Artboard button
A screenshot of the Artboards panel is shown. The first option is highlighted and it is labeled as 'A'. A document icon is present next to the option, this icon is labeled as B. An icon at the top-right corner of the panel is labeled as C. The rearrange all artboards button is present at the bottom-left corner. Up and down arrow icons are present on the bottom bar, these icons are labeled as E. The add button next to the icons is labeled as F. The delete icon next to the add icon is labeled as G.
Adding Artboards
All Illustrator files must contain at least one artboard. You can create up to 1,000 artboards for each file.
Add using the Artboard tool
Do the following:
Select the Artboard tool in the toolbar (Figure 3.3 ).
FIGURE 3.3 Using the Artboard tool to manually create an artboard
A screenshot represents the usage of artboard tool. An artboard in the pasteboard shows a logo and a text. The artboard tool in the toolbar on the left is labeled, this tool is selected. A second artboard is created by using the artboard tool. A frame is created by elongating the bottom-right corner. A second screenshot shows a blank artboard created beside the first artboard.
In the document window, click+drag to define the size and position of the new artboard.
Add using the Properties panel or Control panel
Do the following:
FIGURE 3.4 The Add Artwork icon in the Control and Properties panels
An application frame displays two artboards in the pasteboard. The properties panel is present on the right pane. The second artboard is blank and it is selected. The control panel is present at the top. An icon with a plus symbol is present in the control panel beside the delete button, the same icon is present in the properties panel within the artboards section. These two icons represent the add artwork icon and they are labeled out.
Add using the Artboards panel
In the Artboards panel, do either of the following:
Tip
The dimensions of artboards created using the Artboard panel are determined by the active artboard, or the top-level artboard if no artboard is active in the panel.
Modifying Artboards
Artboards can be modified in the Artboards Options dialog box (Figure 3.6 ).
FIGURE 3.6 The Artboard Options dialog box displaying the settings for the selected artboard
A screenshot represents the artboard options dialog box. The name field reads, letter full portrait. Preset drop-down list box is set to letter. Width, height, x, and y fields are present. Display and global sections contain several checkboxes. Cancel and O K buttons are present at the bottom-right corner of the window.
Open the Artboard Options dialog box for a selected artboard
Do any of the following:
Double-click the Artboard tool.
In the document window, double-click the artboard.
In the Artboards panel , click the Artboard Options icon or select Artboard Options from the panel menu.
From the Control panel , click the Artboard Options button (Figure 3.7 ).
FIGURE 3.7 The Control panel and Properties panel with Artboard Options highlighted
A screenshot represents the placement of artboard options in the control and properties panels. The artboard in the pasteboard is selected. The artboard options button is present on the right corner of the control panel. In the properties panel, the artboard options button is present within the quick actions section.
In the Properties panel , click Artwork Options under Quick Actions . (Figure 3.7 ).
Tip
An artboard must be selected to open its Artboard Options dialog box.
Rename an artboard
Do either of the following:
In the Artboard Options dialog box, enter a new name in the Name field, and then click OK .
In the Artboards panel, double-click the artboard label and type a new name. Then, press Enter or Return to apply the change (Figure 3.8 ).
FIGURE 3.8 Renaming an artboard using the Artboards panel
Three screenshots represent the process of renaming an artboard. In the first screenshot, the artboard 1 label within the artboard panel is clicked. The second screenshot shows a field in the label. This field reads, full letter portrait. The third screenshot shows the renamed label. The label reads, letter full portrait.
Tip
Applying descriptive names to artboards is useful when working with multiple sizes.
Change dimensions using presets
Presets determine the dimensions of the artboard using the appropriate settings for the document type.
With the artboard selected, do any of the following:
In the Artboard Options dialog box, select an option from the Preset menu (Figure 3.9 ).
FIGURE 3.9 Selecting a preset in the Artboard Options dialog box
A screenshot represents the selection of a preset in the artboard dialog box. The name field reads, artboard 1. The preset drop-down list box is open. The option, letter is already selected in the list box. The other presets are legal, tabloid, 'A' 4, 'A' 3, B 5, and so on.
In the Properties panel, under the Artboards section, select an option from the Preset menu.
From the Control panel, select an option from the Preset menu (Figure 3.10 ).
FIGURE 3.10 Preset menu in the Control and Properties panels
A screenshot labels the placement of preset menu in the control and properties panel. The preset drop-down list box is present next to the artboard label. The selected preset, i phone 8 over 7 over 6, is labeled out. The name field in the artboards section within the properties panel reads, artboard 1. This field is labeled out.
Change dimension and orientation options
In either the Artboard Option s dialog box, Properties panel, or Control panel, do any of the following:
Constrain dimension proportions
Do any of the following (Figure 3.12 ):
In the Artboard Options dialog box, select Constrain Proportions .
In the Properties panel or Control panel, click the Maintain Width and Height Proportions icon.
FIGURE 3.12 Artboard dimensions in the Control and Properties panels (with Maintain Width and Height Proportions deselected)
A screenshot labels the artboard dimensions icons in the application frame. Landscape orientation icon is present in the Control panel next to the preset drop-down list box. The lock ratio button is present to the left of the height field. The lock ratio button is present within the transform section of the properties panel. The landscape orientation button is present within the artboards section of the properties panel.
VIDEO 3.1
Customizing artboards
Change dimensions manually
With the artboard selected, do the following:
In the document window, select the artboard (Figure 3.13 ).
FIGURE 3.13 Manually changing artboard dimensions in the document window
A group of three screenshots illustrates the process of changing artboard dimensions. In the first screenshot, the artboard is large. The artboard is selected and the cursor changes to double-arrow when it hovers over the bottom-right corner of the artboard. The second artboard shows the resizing frame of the artboard. The resizing frame is represented by dashed lines. The third screenshot shows the artboard with cropped dimensions.
Hover over a corner or edge of the artboard boundary until the cursor displays as a double arrow .
Click+drag to adjust the dimensions.
Reposition manually
With the artboard selected, do the following:
Set artboard display options
In the Artboard Options dialog box (Figure 3.14 ), do any of the following (Figure 3.15 ):
Select Show Center Mark to display the center point.
Select Show Cross Hairs to display lines crossing the center of each edge
Select Show Video Safe Areas to display an artboard’s boundary lines for the video’s viewable area.
FIGURE 3.14 Artboard display options
A screenshot shows the artboard options dialog box. Preset and display sections are present in the dialog box. Display section consists of three checkboxes. This section is labeled out. The checkboxes are show center mark, show cross hairs, and show video safe areas.
FIGURE 3.15 Artboard display options
Three screenshots illustrate the three different artboard display options. In the first screenshot, a plus symbol is present at the center of the artboard. This screenshot represents the center mark. In the second display, four lines extend from the edges, one line for each edge, of the frame towards the center. This display option is cross hairs. The third screenshot represents video safe areas display option. Two layout frames are drawn near the edges of the artboard showing the regions which might be cropped out in different video formats.
Tip
Deleting an artboard does not remove its contents.
Managing Artboards
Organizing artboards helps maintain document efficiency.
Remove unused artboards
In the Artboards panel, do the following:
Delete artboards
With the artboard selected, do any of the following:
Press Delete .
Click the Delete Artboard button in either the Artboards panel, Properties panel, or Control panel (Figure 3.16 ).
FIGURE 3.16 Delete icon in the Control and Properties panels
A screenshot labels the position of delete icon in the control and properties panels. In the control panel, the delete icon is present next to the add icon. In the properties panel, under artboards section, the delete icon is present near the name field.
In the Artboards panel, select Delete from the panel menu.
Duplicate an artboard and its contents
With the artboard selected, do the following:
Select Move/Copy with Artwork in either the Control or Properties panel.
In the Artboards panel, select Duplicate Artboards from the panel menu (Figure 3.17 ).
FIGURE 3.17 Move/Copy with Artwork selected in the Control panel while duplicating an artboard and its contents
A diagram shows two screenshots. The first screenshot represents an artboard in the portrait format. The second screenshot represents the application frame. A copy of the artboard is created next to the original board. In the control panel, the move or copy with artwork icon in the control panel is highlighted. In the artboards panel on the right, the original artboard is clicked. This opens a panel menu with several options. The option, duplicate artboards is to be selected.
Select multiple artboards
With an artboard selected, do any of the following (Figure 3.18 ):
In the Artboards panel, shift+click to select additional artboards.
In the document window, press shift+click to select additional artboards.
In the document window, click+drag to select additional artboards.
FIGURE 3.18 Selecting an additional artboard using the Artboards panel
A figure illustrates the selection of an additional artboard. In the first step, the portrait artboard near the landscape artboard within the pasteboard is selected. Then, the two artboards are selected from the artboards panels. This reflects in the pasteboard. A frame covers both the artboards.
Redistribute artboards
Do the following (Figure 3.19 ):
Either select Rearrange All in the Properties panel or click the Rearrange All Artboards button in the Control or Artboards panel.
In the dialog box, customize the artboard arrangement settings as needed.
Click OK to redistribute the artboards.
FIGURE 3.19 Rearranging a document’s artboards using the Artboards panel
A figure illustrates the process of rearranging a document's artboards. The document contains four artboards of different aspect ratios. The portrait artboard is present on the left, the artboard resembling a 16 by 9 artboard is present at the far right. A landscape artboard is present between the two. A banner-like artboard is present below the landscape artboard. The artboards are selected from the artboards panel. Then, the rearrange button at the bottom-left corner of the artboards panel is clicked. This opens the rearrange all artboards dialog box. The columns combo box is set to 2 and the spacing combo box is set to 1 inch. Move artwork with artboard check box is selected. Then, the O K button is clicked. The pasteboard with rearranged artboards is shown. The 16 by 9 artboard is placed below the portrait artboard, aligned to the left. The banner artboard is aligned to the left too. The landscape artboard is aligned to the top margin.
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