Adobe Illustrator remains the industry standard vector graphics editor for a reason. It's a powerful program with tons of features, but while the interface is pretty sleek it can be daunting for beginners, and even experienced users often find they're not using the software's full potential – especially when it comes to shortcuts and other time-saving hacks.
Satori Graphics is well known for his tutorials, tips and advice for designers on YouTube, but one particular video of hidden Illustrator hacks is going down a storm. Over 320K have watched Satori's video, and many are saying they're massive grateful for his tips (see our own roundup for the best Adobe Illustrator tutorials for more).
Satori Graphics regularly shares Adobe tips, but in the video above he recaps 10 of the best hidden Illustrator tips that he's shared to date. They include a tip for working in two windows simultaneously at different levels of zoom, a way to create a grid lightning fast and how to change default font settings. Satori also has a tip for how to see and control how many colours are in your design – handy if you're going to print – and he shows how you can turn a selection into a pattern that can be rotated within a shape.
Illustrator users of different levels of experience say the video has been a revelation. "And just when I thought I knew every little secret about Illustrator you come in and prove me wrong every single time!," one person commented on the video. "Surprisingly, they are also very useful tips!" "Some awesome features I didn't know about," someone else wrote.
If you don't yet have Illustrator and want to put these tips into action, make sure you see our guide to how to download Adobe Illustrator. And if you're quick you can take advantage of the Adobe Black Friday sale for a big saving on the whole Creative Cloud package.
Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
