How to Change Artboard Size in Illustrator?
Adjusting the artboard size in Adobe Illustrator is a fundamental yet essential skill, useful for both new projects and existing designs.
With a few simple steps, you can easily change the artboard dimensions to fit your design needs.
Read on to learn how to change the artboard size in Illustrator, and make your creative process even smoother.
In this article, you will learn:
- What Is Artboard in Illustrator?
- How to Change Artboard Size in Illustrator?
- How to Make Artboard Fit Art Size?
- Final Thoughts About Changing Artboard Size in Illustrator
What Is Artboard in Illustrator?
In Adobe Illustrator, an artboard is your workspace where you can create and arrange design elements.
A document can contain multiple artboards, each with different sizes and settings, making it convenient to manage and output different versions of your design.
By the way, in Illustrator, the area outside the artboards is referred to as the "canvas." Objects placed on the canvas outside the artboards will be visible on the screen but won't print.
How can you differentiate between artboards and the canvas? Just look at their default colors. Artboards are typically white, while the canvas is usually shown in gray.
How to Change Artboard Size in Illustrator?
There are several simple methods in Illustrator to change the size of an artboard. You can choose the one that best fits your specific needs.
Method 1: Set Artboard Size in a New Document
If you haven't created a new document yet, you can set the desired artboard size before doing so.
Open Adobe Illustrator and go to File > New from the top navigation bar, or use the shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + N to bring up the New Document setup panel.
In the New Document setup panel, you can directly modify the Width and Height to adjust the size of your artboard as needed, as shown in the image below.
Method 2: Use the Artboard Tool
In the toolbar on the left side of the Illustrator document page, you'll find the Artboard Tool. With this tool, you can create a new artboard and easily adjust the size of existing artboards.
Simply drag the outer edges of the artboard to resize it, or enter the desired width and height values in the Properties panel that appears on the right.
By holding down the Shift key while dragging, you can maintain the aspect ratio of the artboard while resizing it.
If your document contains multiple artboards, select the artboard you want to resize, then use the Artboard Tool to adjust its size accordingly.
It's worth mentioning that in the Properties panel of the Artboard Tool, there is a "Presets" dropdown available for selection. You can also find this preset dropdown option in the floating Properties bar on the canvas.
You can choose specific artboard sizes from this dropdown, such as Letter, smartphone screens, tablet screens, and more.
If the artboard size you need is included in the preset list, you can easily select the preset item for quick adjustments.
By the way, besides selecting the Artboard Tool from the toolbar, you can also enter Artboard editing mode by clicking the "Edit Artboards" button in the Properties panel while using the Selection Tool.
Method 3: Use the Artboard Options
You can also adjust the artboard size in Illustrator using the Artboard Options.
First, locate the Artboards panel. If you can't find it, you can open the Artboards panel by selecting "Artboards" from the Window dropdown in the top navigation bar.
In the Artboards panel, click on the artboard icon next to the artboard you want to resize to open the "Artboard Options" panel.
Here, you can set the size by entering the width and height values for the artboard as before, or you can use presets as needed.
Method 4: Use Document Setup
Another way to change the artboard size in Illustrator is through Document Setup. This method is a bit more tedious.
To begin, go to File > Document Setup from the top navigation bar, or use the shortcut "Alt/Option + Ctrl/Cmd + P".
This will open a panel for document setup where you can find the Edit Artboards button.
How to Make Artboard Fit Art Size
If you want to eliminate extra space between your design objects and the artboard, or avoid scaling or clipping objects due to exceeding the artboard size, you can adjust the artboard's size to automatically match the size of your objects.
First, select the object you want the artboard to resize to using the Selection Tool. Then, from the menu bar, go to "Object" > "Artboards" and choose "Fit to Selected Art". This will resize the artboard to fit your art size automatically.
By the way, if you opt for "Fit to Artwork Bounds", the artboard size will change based on the size of all objects in the document.
Final Thoughts About Changing Artboard Size in Illustrator
Now that you've got the hang of changing artboard sizes in Adobe Illustrator, your design flexibility is set to soar!
Apart from tweaking artboard dimensions, here are some nifty tricks to streamline your Illustrator workflow:
- Utilize Multiple Artboards: Manage various design versions or layouts simultaneously.
- Use Artboard Presets: Employ artboard presets directly in some projects to save time adjusting artboard sizes.
- Leverage Align tools: Precisely position objects to achieve a more organized design.
By adding these extra tricks to your Illustrator arsenal, you'll breeze through projects with finesse. Keep exploring to uncover even more design possibilities!
Product Recommendation:
If you're looking to add flexibility and efficiency to your design and illustration work, you might appreciate TourBox, a creative controller beloved by many digital artists, illustrators, and designers.
You can map your commonly used Illustrator shortcuts onto the buttons of TourBox, enabling one-handed control and interaction with the software.
By using TourBox, you can break free from the need for keyboard shortcuts and accomplish the same tasks with fewer movements.
TourBox also supports macro functions, giving your actions more flexibility and possibilities. Additionally, TourBox offers presets for a wide range of digital software, making it easy to get started.
Imagine using a game controller instead of a keyboard for your creative work. It's bound to be a fun experience, and you'll surely appreciate the excellent operational experience that TourBox provides.
