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Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator

About Creative Cloud Libraries

A Creative Cloud Library is a collection of design assets. Several types of design assets can be added to a Creative Cloud Library. With Adobe Illustrator, assets can be one of these types: Colors, Color Themes, Character Styles, Graphics, and Text.

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Explore Creative Cloud Libraries in a few simple steps.

Creative Cloud Libraries help you organize, browse, and access creative assets. For example, you may want to create a Creative Cloud Library that contains all the components most frequently used in a specific project.

  • Linked assets: Edit once - update everywhere.
    Always use the latest iteration or version of your asset with linked assets. No matter where your asset is used, if you edit the library copy, all your projects are updated with the edited asset. Adobe CreativeSync ensures that you get the right and updated asset – each time you reuse assets across desktop and mobile projects.
  • Everywhere access. All the time.
    Your libraries are available from within various Creative Cloud desktop apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Creative Cloud Assets and Adobe mobile apps like Comp and Draw — even when you’re offline.
  • Share and collaborate.
    Share assets and components from your libraries with other users. Allow others to work with items in your shared libraries, or share them with more users. Ensure consistency across projects with common assets like graphics, colors, character styling, or style guides.
  • Adobe Stock integration
    The new Adobe Stock service provides you with access to 50 million high-quality, royalty-free images, videos, and graphics. Using the Libraries panel, navigate to, license, and use images and graphics right from within Illustrator.
  • Organize.
    Categorize components into libraries that are meaningful to your workflows and creative projects.
  • The right asset. Every time.
    Reuse assets across desktop and mobile projects without worrying that you’ll grab the wrong versions or that you’ll delete or overwrite by mistake.
  • Easily save to Creative Cloud Libraries.
    Save assets directly to your libraries from Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and Adobe mobile apps and services like Shape, Brush, Color, Comp and Hue. Assets are automatically converted to the right formats for use in your desktop or mobile apps.

What are linked assets?

In Illustrator CC 2014 and earlier, every graphic asset, once dragged from the Libraries panel into an Illustrator document, was no longer linked in any way to the original asset. Consequently, modifying the original asset in a library had no effect on the copy used in the document. Illustrator assets dragged from a library were 'unlinked assets'.  

However, from Illustrator CC 2015 onwards, with the linked assets feature, an asset dragged from a library to a document is a 'linked asset'. This is the default behavior. Each modification made to the asset in the Library affects all its linked copies used in Illustrator document(s).

To bring graphics from library as an unlinked asset, press Alt/Option while dragging it from the Libraries panel.

Note:

All assets that were used in Illustrator CC 2014 are unlinked assets. To use the linked assets feature, drag the asset again from the Libraries panel in Illustrator CC 2015.

Libraries panel overview

Creative Cloud Libraries are displayed in the Libraries panel in Illustrator. If you create libraries on different computers while using the same Adobe ID, the assets and libraries are all visible in the Libraries panel across computers.

To open the Creative Cloud Library panel (Libraries panel), click Window > Libraries. Use the Libraries panel to:

  • Create, view, rename, remove, and use a Creative Cloud Library
  • Add, remove, edit, and rename assets in a Creative Cloud Library
  • Sort and view assets in a Creative Cloud Library
Illustrator Libraries panel with various labeled elements
Interact with your Creative Cloud Libraries through the Libraries panel

A. Personal library B. Invite to library C. More options D. Search current library E. Show edit options F. All up to date 

Work with a Creative Cloud Library

Open the Libraries panel

Do one of the following:

  • Click Window > Libraries.
  • In the Brushes panel (F5), select the Libraries panel ().

Create a Creative Cloud Library

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Click the dropdown in the Libraries panel, and then choose Create New Library.
    • Click  on the upper-right corner of the Libraries panel to expand the flyout menu, and then choose Create New Library.
  2. Type a name, and then click Create.

Delete a Creative Cloud Library

  1. Select a library using the Libraries panel dropdown.

  2. Expand the flyout menu, and then choose Delete.

Rename the Creative Cloud Library

  1. Select a library using the Libraries panel drop-down menu.

  2. Expand the flyout menu, and then choose the Rename.

Copy or move assets between libraries

  1. Select one or more assets in a library.

  2. Right-click an asset.

  3. From the context menu, select Copy To or Move To, and then choose the library you want to copy or move assets to.

Collaborate with Creative Cloud users

You can share your libraries with other users for them to view, edit, use, rename, move, or delete the contents of the shared library. If another Creative Cloud subscriber has shared a library with you, you can further share it with other Creative Cloud users.

Share a library

  1. In the Libraries panel, select a library from the drop-down menu.

  2. In the Libraries panel, expand the flyout menu, and choose Collaborate.

  3. In the browser page that opens up, provide an email address, and specify what kind of access you would like to provide:

    • Can Edit: The invited user can access the assets and modify them. 
    • Can View: The invited user can only use the assets from the Library. No editing is possible. This is read-only access.

  4. Add an optional message for the person you would like to share the library with.

  5. Click Invite.

Accept an invite

  1. Launch the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app and log in with your Adobe ID credentials.

  2. When a library is shared with you, you receive a notification in the Creative Cloud desktop app. Click the bell icon to access your notifications.

  3. Click Accept for each library collaboration invitation.

Cancel a share

  1. In the Libraries panel, select the name of a library that you would not like to share anymore from the drop-down menu.

  2. In the Libraries panel, expand the flyout menu, and choose Collaborate.

  3. In the browser page that opens up, delete the names of all the users that the Creative Cloud Library is shared with.

Leave a shared library

  1. In the Libraries panel, select the name of a library that you would not like to collaborate on anymore from the drop-down menu.

  2. In the Libraries panel, expand the flyout menu, and click the Leave library option.

Delete a shared library

Note: You can only delete a library that you own.

  1. In the Libraries panel, select the name of a library that you want to delete from the drop-down menu.

  2. In the Libraries panel, click the flyout menu, and click the Delete library option.

  3. Click Delete to confirm the action.

Work with library assets

Add a pattern or gradient

  1. Select the pattern or gradient you want to add.

  2. Select Add Elements   from the Libraries panel and choose Fill/Stroke Pattern or Fill/Stroke Gradient from the drop-down menu.

You can also add a pattern or gradient directly from the Swatches panel.

Colors

Note:

Hover the mouse pointer on an available color asset to view the name and hexadecimal code of the color.

Add a color

  1. Select an asset in the active Illustrator document.

  2. Select Add Elements   from the Libraries panel and choose Fill Color from the drop-down menu.

Add a color (New Swatch dialog)

  1. In the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches), select New Swatch.

  2. In the New Swatch dialog, define the name, type, mode, and values for the color.

  3. After you define the color, select the Add To My Library checkbox. Select a different Library, or choose Create New Library, if you do not want to use the current Library.

  4. Click OK.

Add a color theme (from Color Groups)

  1. In the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches), select a Color Group.

    Note:

    To add a Color Group as a Color Theme, your Color Group must have a minimum of one color, and a maximum of five colors.

  2. In the Swatches panel, select Add to Library  , to add the current Color Group as a Color Theme in your library.

Add to Swatches panel

  • In the Libraries panel (Window > Libraries), right-click a Color Theme, and choose Add To Swatches.

Use a color

Select an object in the active Illustrator document, and then do one of the following:

  • Select a color in a library from the Libraries panel. The color is applied to the active proxy (fill or stroke).
  • To apply a color fill, right-click the color and choose Set Color.
  • Use the proxy to determine what the color is applied to - the object's fill or stroke properties.

Edit a color

  1. In the Libraries panel, do one of the following:

    • Double-click a color
    • Right-click a color and choose Edit.
  2. Select a color using the Color Picker dialog and then click OK.

Rename a color

  1. In the Libraries panel, do one of the following:

    • Double-click the name of a color.
    • Right-click a color and choose Rename.
  2. Type a new name for the color and press Enter.

Delete a color

Select a color and then choose Delete.

Character Styles

Note:

When you add a Character Style to your Creative Cloud Library, more than 50 attributes of a piece of text are stored.

Add a Character Style to a library

  1. Select a text object in the active Illustrator document.  Add Content  in the Libraries panel is activated.

  2. Select Add Elements  and choose Character Style from the drop-down menu.

Note:

All the attributes available in the Character Style Options dialog (Window > Type > Character Styles > Double-click a character style) are copied as part of the Character Style.

Add a Character Style to the Character Style panel

Right-click a Character Style in a library, and click Add to Character Styles.

Apply a Character Style

  1. Select a text object in the active Illustrator document.

  2. In the Libraries panel, do one of the following:

    • Click a Character Style.
    • Right-click a Character Style, and choose Apply Character Style.
Note:

If a Character Style does not have the font associated with it on the local computer, a warning icon is displayed at the bottom right corner of the Character Style thumbnail.

Rename a Character Style

  1. In the Libraries panel, do one of the following:

    • Double-click the name of a Character Style.
    • Right-click a Character Style and choose Rename.
  2. Type a new name for the Character Style and press Enter.

Delete a Character Style

  • Select a Character Style and then choose Delete.
Note:

You can also use a Character Style in the document (Use in Document option), so the copy and the Character style are placed into the active document.

Graphics

You can store objects and assets from your document in the Creative Cloud Library. The assets you store as a Graphic in a Creative Cloud Library retain their vector form. When you reuse a Graphic from a Creative Cloud Library in another Illustrator document, it is in vector form.

Add a graphic

With an active Illustrator document open, do one of the following:

  • Drag and drop the art into the Libraries panel.
  • Select the art and select Add Elements  in the Libraries panel. Then, choose Graphic from the drop-down menu.

License or preview an Adobe Stock image

  1. In the Libraries panel, in the Search Adobe Stock box, type a keyword related to an image that you are searching.

  2. From the results displayed, select an image. You can also choose to either buy the photo or save a preview of the photo to your current library. If you place the pointer on selected image, the License and Save to downloads and Save Preview to Downloads icons are displayed. If you select the license option, the following pop-up appears for confirmation.

For more information on working with Adobe Stock images with your libraries, see Using Adobe Stock.

Use a graphic

Do one of the following:

  • Right-click a graphic in the Libraries panel, and choose the Place Copy option from the context menu.
  • Right-click a graphic in the Libraries panel, and choose the Place Linked option from the context menu.
  • In an active Illustrator document, drag an asset from the Libraries panel and place it on the artboard using the Placegun tool. You can load multiple items in the Placegun tool and add them to the layout.

Edit a graphic

  1. Do one of the following in the Libraries panel:

    • Double-click a graphic
    • Right-click a graphic and choose Edit.
  2. Edit the component when it opens up in an Illustrator document window.

  3. Save the document.

    The graphic is updated in the Creative Cloud Library, and the thumbnail is automatically refreshed. Also, if the asset was created in Illustrator CC 2015 or later, it is a Linked Asset, and Adobe CreativeSync ensures that it is updated across all locations where it is used.

Rename a graphic

  1. In the Libraries panel, do one of the following:

    • Double-click the name of a graphic.
    • Right-click a graphic and choose Rename.
  2. Type a new name for the image and press Enter.

Delete a graphic

In the Libraries panel, right-click a graphic and then choose Delete.

Add and share text assets

You can add text objects from your document to Creative Cloud libraries and then share them with other users and across applications. Text assets in a library retain the character/paragraph styles and other attributes originally applied to them. You can reuse text assets in libraries across Illustrator or InDesign documents.

If a text objects has effects and appearances applied to it, you must add it to the library as a graphics asset to preserve them.

Add a text asset

In an active Illustrator document, do one of the following:

  • Select a range of text or a text frame and select Add Elements   in the Libraries panel. Then, choose Text from the drop-down menu.
  • Select a range of text or a text frame. Right-click the text and choose Add To Library from the context menu.
  • Drag and drop the text object into the Libraries panel. By default, the asset is added as a text asset to the Creative Cloud library.
  • To add the text object as a graphics asset, press Control (Windows)/Command (Mac) key while dragging the selection to the Libraries panel.

Use a text asset in a document

Do one of the following:

  • Right-click a text asset in the Libraries panel. Now, choose Place Copy from the context menu.
  • To place text in your document without any styles applied to it, right-click the text asset in the Libraries panel. Now, choose Place Without Styles from the context menu.
  • Position the insertion point in the text. Then, in the Libraries panel, right-click the text asset and choose Place Inline from the context menu.
  • Drag one or more text assets from the Libraries panel and place it in your document using the Placegun tool. Then, do one of the following:
    • Click a text object to add the text asset to it.
    • Click anywhere within the canvas to place the text asset in a separate text frame.
Note:

By default, Illustrator brings the text asset into the document with its character/paragraph styles and attributes preserved intact. If you want to use the text asset in your document as plain text without any of these associated styles, right-click the text asset in the Libraries panel and choose Place Without Styles from the context menu.

Integration with InDesign

Text assets added to libraries are also available from within the Libraries panel in InDesign. You can edit and use text assets across these two applications. In the Libraries panel List view, the icon to the right of the text asset in the Libraries panel indicates the application in which it was created.

For more information, see Rendition of shared text assets in Illustrator and InDesign.

Edit a text asset

In the Libraries panel, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the text asset and then choose Edit.
  2. Edit the component when it opens up in an Illustrator document. 
  3. Save the document.

Alternatively, you can double-click the text asset to edit it in the application in which it was created.

The text asset is updated in the Creative Cloud Library and the thumbnail is automatically refreshed. Also, the asset is updated across all locations where it is in use.

Rename a text asset

In the Libraries panel, do the following:

  • Right-click the text asset and choose Rename.
  • Type a new name for the image and press Enter.

Delete a text asset

In the Libraries panel, right-click a text asset and then choose Delete.

Find stock images visually similar to a library element

The visual search functionality in the Libraries panel lets you quickly find stock images similar to a library element. Follow these steps:

  • In the Libraries panel, right-click an element and then select Find Similar from the context menu.

Illustrator displays the search results right within the Libraries panel.

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