Artboards in Illustrator – Creating and Managing

In this guide, I help you understand the various options for creating and managing artboards in Adobe Illustrator. After the theoretical basics, it's finally time for practice: What are artboards, why are they important, and how do you efficiently create them?

Key insights

• Artboards (Artboards) represent the workspaces where you create your designs.
• You can create artboards directly when creating a new document.
• There are various methods for adjusting and managing artboards.
• Artboards can be renamed, duplicated, and deleted.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create Artboards on the Startup Screen

Start Illustrator and pay attention to the startup screen. Here you can create artboards directly under the presets. You will already find many pre-made formats, such as A4 or specific sizes for mobile devices. If you want to create a graphic for an iPhone, simply select the suitable model, like the iPhone 5, and click on it. This will automatically create an artboard in the appropriate size.

2. Create a New Artboard

If you want to start with a specific size, you can click the “New” button. A new window will open where you can select size and unit. Here you can specify the name of your artboard, set the profile to “Print,” and choose various print format options like A3 or A4.

3. Define Custom Dimensions and Bleed

In addition to the pre-made sizes, you have the option to enter your own dimensions. For instance, 800 x 500 pixels. You can also define a bleed to ensure that no white edges are visible in the printed version. If you define 3mm for each edge, this will be taken into account during trimming.

4. Set Color Mode and Raster Effects

An important decision is the color mode. Depending on whether you want to print or display digitally, you choose between CMYK and RGB. For web applications, a resolution of 72 ppi is sufficient, while 300 ppi is recommended for printing. Make sure to set these values according to your target platform.

5. Use the Artboard Palette

To better manage your artboards, open the artboard palette. You can find this under Window > Artboards. In it, you can view existing artboards, rename them, and add or delete new ones. Double-clicking on the name allows you to rename the artboard.

6. Adjust and Duplicate Artboards

In the artboard palette, you can click on a small icon to create additional artboards or duplicate existing ones. When duplicating, the content from an existing artboard is transferred to the new one, which can save you a lot of time.

7. Resize Artboards

When you select the artboard tool, you get the option to freely change the size of the artboards. You can use the handles on the corners and sides or enter more precise measurements at the top. Make sure that the artboards are not larger than the available workspace.

8. Delete Artboards

If you no longer need an artboard, you can easily remove it by clicking the small cross in the artboard tool. Alternatively, you can also use the artboard palette to delete the area.

9. Conclusion on the Difference Between New and Duplicated Artboards

Before you finalize your workflow, it's important to understand that a new artboard is always empty, while a duplicated artboard takes on the entire content of the original area. This can be particularly useful if you need multiple versions of a design but want to keep the basic design intact.

Summary

In this guide, you learned how to create, edit, and manage artboards in Adobe Illustrator. These comprehensive tools help you work efficiently in digital design, whether as a beginner or an advanced user.