How to Quickly Change Your Artboard Size in Adobe Illustrator

As a designer, you know that artboards are the backbone of your Illustrator projects. They define the canvas size, shape and layout of your designs, from business cards to billboards. But what happens when a client needs a different size or you want to repurpose a design? That‘s where knowing how to change artboard sizes becomes a crucial skill.

According to a survey by Creative Bloq, 72% of designers report needing to change artboard dimensions during a project. Whether it‘s adapting to new specs, creating alternate layouts or optimizing for different devices, the ability to quickly modify artboards is essential.

In this in-depth guide, I‘ll show you two expert methods for resizing artboards in Illustrator. With these techniques in your toolkit, you‘ll be able to handle any artboard challenge with ease. Let‘s get started!

Artboard Basics: Your Design Blueprint

Before we dive into resizing, let‘s define what an artboard is. Simply put, an artboard is a fixed work area in Illustrator where you create and arrange design elements. It acts as a container for your artwork, defining the boundaries and final output size.

Artboards come in all shapes and sizes, from standard print formats like Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and A4 (8.27 x 11.69 in) to common screen resolutions like 1920 x 1080 px for HD monitors. You can also create custom artboard sizes for unique projects.

Here are some examples of when and why you would use artboards:

• Designing a multi-page document like a brochure or report
• Creating a series of graphics at different sizes for social media
• Mocking up a website design with artboards for each page or screen
• Packaging design with dielines for cutting and folding
• Designing a set of icons or logos in various aspect ratios

One key advantage of artboards in Illustrator is that you can have multiple artboards within a single document. This allows you to create variations of a design, different page layouts or responsive graphics all in one file.

By comparison, other design tools like Photoshop limit you to a single canvas per document. Sketch, Adobe XD and Figma have artboard capabilities similar to Illustrator.

Now that we‘ve covered the basics, let‘s look at the two primary ways to change an artboard‘s size in Illustrator.

Method 1: Resizing Artboards With The Artboard Tool

The Artboard Tool (Shift+O) is the quickest way to change an artboard‘s dimensions. With it you can visually resize an artboard by clicking and dragging its edges or corners. Here‘s a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Open your Illustrator document and select the Artboard Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click anywhere on the edge or corner of an artboard to reveal resize handles.
3. Drag any handle to change that side of the artboard. Corner handles resize both connected sides.
4. Hold Shift while dragging to maintain the original aspect ratio and proportions.
5. Release the mouse when the artboard is the desired size.

The beauty of the Artboard Tool is that it provides immediate visual feedback as you resize. You can instantly see how the new artboard boundaries will fit your artwork.

Here are a few more tips to level up your Artboard Tool skills:

• Press and hold spacebar while dragging to reposition the artboard as you resize it
• Double-click an artboard with the Artboard Tool to open the Artboard Options window
• Option+drag (Mac) or Alt+drag (Windows) a handle to resize from the center point
• Click outside all artboards and drag to create a new artboard of any size

Pros of Using the Artboard Tool:

• Fast, intuitive resizing with click-and-drag controls
• Ability to maintain aspect ratio with the Shift key
• Works on multiple artboards simultaneously
• Provides immediate preview of size changes

Cons of Using the Artboard Tool:

• Can be imprecise for exact dimensions
• Requires switching tools to make adjustments
• May be cumbersome for resizing many artboards to different sizes

Method 2: Dialing In Dimensions With Artboard Options

When you need artboards to be an exact width and height, the Artboard Options panel is the precision tool for the job. It allows you to input specific dimensions, change orientation and even create preset sizes. Here‘s how it works:

1. Go to Window > Artboards to open the Artboards panel
2. Select the artboard you want to resize
3. Open the panel menu and choose "Artboard Options"
4. Adjust the settings for Width, Height, Units and more
5. Click OK to apply the new artboard size

In the Artboard Options, you have full control over every aspect of the artboard:

Width and Height – Input exact values for the size using any supported units (pixels, inches, mm, etc). You can also use basic math operators like plus (+), minus (-) and multiply (*) to modify sizes.

Orientation – Switch between portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) orientation with a click. Great for print design and responsive layouts.

Units – Choose the preferred unit of measure for the selected artboard, independent of the document units.

Artboard Preset – Save common artboard sizes as presets to speed up your workflow. You can create presets for devices, print standards, custom sizes and more.

Position – Use the X and Y coordinates to precisely place the artboard relative to the canvas. Handy for aligning artboards or creating gutters between them.

Pros of Using Artboard Options:

• Input exact artboard dimensions
• Create and apply custom size presets
• Change artboard units independently
• Specify artboard position coordinates
• Easily switch orientation between portrait and landscape

Cons of Using Artboard Options:

• More time-consuming for simple resizing
• No live preview of size changes
• Options buried in separate panel menu

Artboard Resizing Best Practices

Now that you know the two key methods for changing artboard size, let‘s cover some best practices and expert tips.

Preserve Vector Quality

One of the biggest advantages of designing in Illustrator is that artboards and their contents are resolution-independent. That means you can scale them up or down without losing quality, thanks to vectors.

However, there are a couple things to keep in mind when resizing:

• Linked raster images will not scale with the artboard and may appear pixelated if enlarged too much. Embed images for best results.
• Fonts and stroke weights may become too thin or thick at extreme size changes. Adjust them separately after resizing the artboard for crisp, legible text and lines.

Plan Artboard Sizes Early

While it‘s easy to change artboard dimensions at any stage, it saves time and effort to plan your sizes early in the design process. Consider how and where your design will be used and create artboards to match those specs from the start.

For example, if you‘re designing a series of web banners, set up artboards at 728 x 90, 300 x 250 and 160 x 600 px to match common IAB ad sizes. If you‘re designing a poster, start with artboards at standard large formats like 18 x 24, 24 x 36 or 27 x 40 inches.

By starting with the right sizes, you‘ll avoid extra work later and ensure your designs are optimized for their intended use case.

Avoid Accidental Artwork Resizing

By default, Illustrator does not change the size or placement of artwork when you resize an artboard. That‘s a good thing, as it ensures your designs don‘t become accidentally distorted or repositioned.

However, there may be times when you do want artwork to adapt to a new artboard size. In that case, try these two options:

1. Object > Artboards > Fit to Artwork Bounds – This command resizes the selected artboard to perfectly fit the edges of your artwork. Useful for cropping in or expanding out to the artwork bounds.
2. Object > Artboards > Fit to Selected Art – This command resizes the selected artboard to fit only the currently selected objects. Great for focusing on a specific element or creating padding around it.

In both cases, the artwork itself is not scaled or stretched, just the artboard around it. Experiment with these settings to find the right balance for your design.

Resize Multiple Artboards at Once

If you‘re working with multiple artboards that need to be the same size, don‘t waste time resizing them one by one. Instead, select all the artboards you want to adjust in the Artboards panel, then open the Artboard Options window. Any changes you make will be applied to all selected artboards.

You can also use the Artboard Tool to resize several artboards at once. Just select the artboards on the canvas, then drag a corner handle. All selected artboards will scale proportionally. Hold down Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) to scale them from the center point.

Advanced Artboard Techniques

Once you‘ve mastered the basics of artboard resizing, you can take your skills to the next level with these pro tips.

Artboards for Responsive Design

Illustrator artboards are a powerful tool for designing responsive graphics that adapt to different screen sizes. By creating artboards at key breakpoints like mobile, tablet and desktop dimensions, you can visualize how your design will look and function at each size.

To streamline the process, use artboard presets for common device resolutions. Go to the Artboard Options window and choose a preset from the Device section, like "iPhone 11 Pro Max" or "iPad Pro 12.9 in". You can also create your own presets for custom breakpoints.

Then use the Artboard Tool to quickly duplicate an artboard and resize it to the next breakpoint. This allows you to design for multiple sizes and adapt your layout without starting from scratch each time.

Aligning and Distributing Artboards

When you have multiple artboards in a document, keeping them organized and evenly spaced is key. Luckily, Illustrator has built-in tools for aligning and distributing artboards just like objects.

To align artboards:

1. Select the artboards you want to align in the Artboards panel or with the Artboard Tool
2. Go to Window > Align to open the Align panel
3. Choose an alignment option like "Horizontal Align Left" or "Vertical Align Center"
4. The selected artboards will snap into the specified alignment

To distribute artboards:

1. Select three or more artboards you want to distribute
2. Go to Window > Align to open the Align panel
3. Choose a distribute option like "Horizontal Distribute Center" or "Vertical Distribute Space"
4. The selected artboards will be evenly spaced out based on the option chosen

Nesting Artboards for Complex Layouts

Did you know you can place artboards inside other artboards in Illustrator? This technique, known as nesting or embedding artboards, allows you to create more complex, hierarchical designs.

To nest an artboard:

1. Create a new artboard using the Artboard Tool
2. Drag the new artboard inside the bounds of an existing artboard
3. The nested artboard will be clipped to the parent artboard‘s edges
4. Resize and position the nested artboard as needed

Nested artboards are useful for designing multiple variations within a larger layout, like a webpage with embedded modular sections. They‘re also handy for creating reusable design components, as the nested artboards maintain their relative size and position.

Keep in mind that nested artboards are still independent objects that can be edited, moved and duplicated. Double-click a nested artboard with the Artboard Tool to isolate it for editing.

Generating Multi-Page PDFs from Artboards

One of the most powerful features of artboards in Illustrator is the ability to export them as a single, multi-page PDF. This is a game-changer for creating presentations, portfolios, eBooks and other documents with multiple pages or sections.

To export artboards as a PDF:

1. Go to File > Save As and choose "PDF" from the format dropdown
2. In the PDF Options window, select "All" under Range
3. Choose "Artboards" from the dropdown next to Range
4. Adjust other settings like compression and quality as needed
5. Click Save to export the PDF

Illustrator will generate a single PDF file with each artboard as a separate page, in the order they appear in the Artboards panel. You can rearrange artboards by dragging them up or down in the panel before exporting.

For even more control over the PDF export, try the following:

• Select specific artboards in the Artboards panel and choose "Selection" under Range to export only those pages
• Rename artboards in the Artboards panel to use meaningful page names in the exported PDF
• Adjust artboard margins, bleed and slug settings to control how the pages are cropped and positioned

With this technique, you can design multi-page documents directly in Illustrator, no InDesign required!

Conclusion

Artboards are the foundation of your Illustrator workflow, so mastering artboard resizing is a must-have skill for any designer. With the Artboard Tool for quick visual changes and Artboard Options for precise numeric control, you have everything you need to adapt your layouts on the fly.

But resizing is just the beginning. By using artboards strategically for responsive design, modular layouts, multi-page documents and more, you can take your Illustrator projects to the next level.

So don‘t be afraid to experiment with artboard sizes and placements. Create custom presets for your go-to dimensions. Nest artboards for complex hierarchies. And export multi-page PDFs with ease. With these techniques in your arsenal, you‘ll be able to handle any design challenge that comes your way.

Happy resizing!