You can use the Artboard Tool or Artboards panel to create a new artboard in Adobe Illustrator. Besides adding a new artboard, you can also duplicate the artboard using the Option/Alt and drag shortcut.
If you want to delete an artboard, choose, the Artboard Tool, click on an artboard, and hit delete on the keyboard. Alternatively, you can click on the Delete Artboard button on the Artboards panel.
Creating designs with Adobe Illustrator revolves around artboards. Adding or deleting artboards while designing helps you to organize your workspace and work faster.
Hi, my name is Rita. I have been designing with Adobe Illustrator for over five years. I have used multiple artboards to create designs for different projects.
Working with multiple artboards means adding artboards and deleting them. Adding and deleting artboards in Adobe Illustrator is easy.
In this tutorial, I will show you four easy ways to add and delete artboards in Adobe Illustrator so you can work effectively.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Deleting an artboard is not the same as deleting elements (shapes, texts, etc.) on the artboard.
- You can access the artboard tool with the keyboard shortcut Shift + O.
- Press and hold Alt/Option + Drag after clicking on the artboard icon to duplicate an artboard.
- You can export multiple artboards as an independent document in Adobe Illustrator.
4 Quick Ways to Add an Artboard in Adobe Illustrator
Let’s show you four quick ways to add and delete artboards in Adobe Illustrator.
Note: All the screenshots in this article were taken from Adobe Illustrator CC Windows version.
Method 1: Use the Artboard Panel
You can quickly add and delete an artboard in Adobe Illustrator in the artboard panel. Here is how you can do it.
Step 1: Click the Adobe Illustrator icon on your computer to get it started. Once it opens, click New File in the top left corner of your screen to create a new document (artboard).
Note: You can add the number of desired artboards when you open a new file. In the display window, click on More Settings to enter your preferred number of artboards.
If you don’t want to add artboards through this process, you can add a new artboard from a previously existing document.
Step 2: Click on Window > Artboard to open the Artboard panel.
Step 3: You can click on the hidden menu and choose New Artboard or click the + icon to add a new artboard or multiple artboards.
Once you click on the plus sign to add a new artboard, an artboard with the same preset as the previous one will appear. You can repeat this step to create as many artboards as you want.
You will see all the artboards you created displayed like this.
Method 2: Use the Artboard Tool
Another quick way to add an artboard in Adobe Illustrator is to click on the Artboard tool.
See how it works.
Step 1: Click the Artboard tool (keyboard shortcut Shift + O) in the toolbar.
Step 2: Click and drag on the space outside your artboard to add another artboard. Remember to hold the shift key while dragging to maintain the aspect ratio.
You will see the live height and width of the artboard while dragging.
Release the cursor to see your new artboard.
Method 3: Duplicate an Artboard
You can add artboards in Adobe Illustrator by duplicating an existing artboard. Use Alt/Option + Drag to duplicate an existing artboard.
You can create as many duplicate artboards as you want. Here’s how to duplicate an artboard in Adobe Illustrator.
Step 1: Open the Adobe Illustrator file that you want to duplicate.
Step 2: Click on the Artboard tool in the tool panel. If you can’t find the artboard tool, use the shortcut prompt Crtl + O or Command + O (if you are a Mac user) to open the artboard tool.
Step 3: Press and hold the Alt/Option key on your keyboard and use your cursor to click on your artboard and drag it to the side.
You will see the preview of the duplicated artboard. An artboard will appear once you let go of your cursor.
Don’t forget to let go of your cursor at your preferred spot. Keep dragging until you identify where to place the artboard before you let go.
Method 4: Control or Properties panel
When you have the Artboard tool selected, the Artboard section will appear in the Control panel. You will see a square with a cross in it. That’s the Add New Artboard button.
Alternatively, you can also add an artboard from the Properties panel.
When you have the Artboard tool selected, the Artboard section will appear in the Properties panel. You will see a square with a cross in it. That is the Add New Artboard button, so simply click on it to create a new artboard.
How to Delete Artboard in Adobe Illustrator
There are a few methods for deleting an artboard from your document. You can use the same tool and panels as adding an artboard.
Method 1: Artboard Tool
Navigate to the Tools panel, select the Artboard Tool, click the artboard you want to delete, and hit the Delete key on the keyboard.
Or with the tool selected, double-click the artboard you want to delete. This will bring up the Artboard options dialog box. Click Delete at the bottom and your artboard will be deleted.
Method 2: Artboards panel
The Delete Artboard button is the trashcan icon in the bottom right corner.
You can also use the flyout menu to Delete multiple Artboards or even delete all empty artboards.
Method 3: Control panel
When you have the Artboard tool selected, the artboard section will appear in the control panel. You will see a trash can icon. That is the Delete Artboard button.
Method 4: Properties panel
When you have the Artboard tool selected, the Artboard section will appear in the Properties panel. You will see a trash can icon. That is the Delete Artboard button.
You can also access the Artboard Options dialog box through a button at the very bottom of the Properties panel. The dialog box has a delete artboard button just like we saw above.
Can’t Delete an Artboard in Adobe Illustrator?
Deleting an artboard in Illustrator can be confusing when you can’t seem to delete an artboard.
Phew! That frustration.
The trash can icon will be greyed out if no artboard is selected. You need to have more than one artboard to delete an artboard by clicking on the trash can icon.
You won’t be able to delete an artboard by pressing Delete on your keyboard if the artboard is not selected.
Final Thoughts
Adding and deleting artboards with any of the methods works well. Knowing the number of artboards you want to use and adding them while creating a new file will help you work faster.
Which of the methods did you prefer? Let me know in the comment section below.
