Select Illustrator > Settings > General (macOS) or Edit > Preferences > General (Windows).
- What’s new
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Get started
- Learn the basics
- App preferences and settings
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Manage layers
- Create and organize layers
- Lock and hide layers
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Use generative AI
- Generate and apply patterns
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons
- Recolor artwork with generative AI
- Generate print bleed
- Options to expand the expanded artwork
- Generate shape fills
- Common questions about generative AI features in Illustrator
- Scenarios with repeat shape fill generation
- Generate similar variations without text prompts
- Manage generated variations
- Scenarios with linked variations
- Manage pattern variations
- Edit generated patterns
- Generate vector graphics to expand artwork
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Troubleshoot
- Application crash issues
- Known and fixed issues in Adobe Illustrator
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Add and import files
- Start new files
- Import from other apps
- Import other file types
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Draw shapes and paths
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Draw shapes
- Draw lines
- Draw line segments with the Pen tool
- Draw curves followed by straight lines
- Draw freeform paths with the Pencil tool
- Draw shapes with the Curvature tool
- Draw spirals
- Draw stars
- Draw straight lines followed by curves
- Draw two curved segments connected by a corner
- Pencil tool options
- Preview the path being drawn
- Draw curves with the Pen tool
- Draw arcs
- Connect two paths with the Pencil tool
- Reshape paths with the Pencil tool
- Combine two or more shapes
- Draw closed paths with the Pencil tool
- Extend paths with the Pencil tool
- Draw straight lines with the Pencil tool
- Learn drawing basics
- Modify live shapes
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Modify paths
- Auto simplify paths
- Copy paths
- Refine path segments with the Smooth slider
- Create smooth paths with the Smooth tool
- Erase parts of a path
- Manually simplify paths
- Use the Eraser tool options
- Select anchor points to modify paths
- Select and edit path segments
- Find and delete stray anchor points
- Turn off automatic addition or deletion of anchor points
- Average the position of the anchor points
- Simplify paths advanced options overview
- Simplify path benefits
- Cut paths
- Convert anchor points on a path
- Add or remove anchor points
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Draw shapes
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Create and manage artboards
- Add and edit artboards
- Organize and manage artboards
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Paint and fill
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Learn painting basics
- Apply fill colors
- Apply stroke colors
- Create Live Paint groups
- Fill and stroke controls
- Find and close gaps in Live Paint groups
- Live Paint Bucket tool options
- Paint with the Live Paint Bucket tool
- Resize objects or paths within Live Paint groups
- Add paths to a Live Paint group
- Isolate Live Paint groups
- Expand and release Live Paint groups
- Select faces, edges, and paths in Live Paint groups
- Merge paths using the Blob Brush tool
- Remove fills or strokes
- About Live Paint
- Blob brush options and best practices
- Create multiple fills and strokes
- Live Paint limitations
- About fills and strokes
- Convert strokes to compound paths
- Select objects with same fill and stroke
- Apply and edit strokes
- Create and edit gradients
- Create and edit meshes
- Create and edit patterns
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Learn painting basics
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Manage colors
- Apply transparency and blending
- Modify colors
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Design with text
- Add and manage text
- Edit and format text
- Work with fonts and scripts
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Use special characters and glyphs
- Snap with glyph guides
- Snap glyph to angles, anchor points, or text area
- Add stylistic sets to selected text
- Glyphs panel overview
- Insert special characters
- Insert white space and break characters
- OpenType panel overview
- Replace characters with alternate glyphs
- Snap to Glyph options
- Use ligatures and contextual alternates
- Use swashes, titling alternates, or stylistic alternates
- About character sets and alternate glyphs
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Manage objects
- Select objects
- Arrange objects
- Edit objects
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Reshape and transform objects
- Intertwine objects
- Create compound shapes with Pathfinder
- Edit areas of overlapping objects with Pathfinder
- Punch holes in objects
- Distort objects with envelopes
- Edit the contents of envelopes
- Envelope panel options
- Scale multiple objects
- Scale objects
- Shear objects
- Transform panel overview
- Distort object
- Transform objects
- Pathfinder panel overview
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Create traces, mockups, and symbols
- Create and place symbols
- Create or import symbol libraries
- Edit symbols
- Maintain proportions while scaling symbols
- Transform symbols
- Symbols panel options
- Edit mockups
- Save mockups as templates
- Create mockups for images
- Edit image trace results
- Image Trace panel options
- Save image trace presets
- Convert images to vector graphics
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Measure and align
- Plot and measure
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Use grids and guides
- Adjust grid cell size and grid extent
- Adjust horizon heights and grid planes
- Create perspective grid
- Define and manage perspective grid preset
- Modify perspective grid settings
- Perspective grid options
- Move the perspective grid and adjust its vanishing points
- About perspective drawing
- Align graphic objects with Tabs
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Apply special effects and styles
- Apply filter effects
- Create 3D graphics
- Apply graphic styles
Show or hide the Home screen
Last updated on
Sep 11, 2025
Learn how to set the option to see or skip the Home screen when opening Adobe Illustrator.
If you set the option to skip the Home screen, and then reopen Illustrator, you directly enter the workspace. However, you can still access the Home screen using Home in the upper-left corner of the Illustrator window when at least one document is open.
Select or deselect Show The Home Screen When No Documents Are Open.
Create designs with Illustrator online (beta)
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