The Tool Desk
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Use Shift+O to create or select artboards in Illustrator, configure their exact size in Artboard Options, and choose the intended artboards before exporting. An artboard is a work area for organizing artwork; one document can contain multiple artboards for separate layouts or outputs.
Create an artboard
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To use the panel, open Window > Artboards, then select New Artboard.
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Alternatively, press Shift+O to activate the Artboard tool, then drag on the canvas to draw an artboard.
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To configure it, open Artboard Options. Enter a name and choose a preset or custom width and height. You can also set orientation, a reference point, and X/Y position. Adobe also documents controls at the edges of a selected artboard for adding same-sized artboards when sufficient canvas space is available.
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Adobe states that a document can contain up to 1,000 artboards. That is the documented maximum, not a guarantee that using that many will suit every document or workflow. Adobe: Introduction to artboards
Resize an artboard precisely
Select the artboard with the Artboard tool. Drag its bounding box for a quick size adjustment, or use Artboard Options to enter exact width and height. To control which point stays anchored as the artboard changes, choose a reference point and enter X/Y coordinates. Adobe also lists the Artboards, Properties, and Control panels as places to resize artboards, rename them, or set reference points. Adobe: Edit artboards
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Decide whether the artwork should scale too
Changing an artboard’s boundary and scaling the design are separate actions. If you want the artwork to change proportionally with the artboard, enable Scale artwork with Artboard in the Properties panel or Control panel before resizing. Leave it off when you only want to change the work area around the existing artwork. Adobe: Scale artwork with the Artboard
Export selected artboards
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Press Shift+O to switch to the Artboard tool, then select the artboards you want on the canvas. Use the Artboards panel to check which artboards are selected.
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Right-click, or Control-click on macOS, and choose Export.
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In Export for Screens, choose the file format, location, and other export options. Illustrator exports the selected artboards as separate files.
Delete artboards
Open Window > Artboards, select the artboards to remove, and choose Delete Artboard. The panel menu also includes Delete Empty Artboards. A document must retain at least one artboard, so Illustrator keeps artboard 1 if you try to delete every artboard. Adobe: Edit artboards
Why use multiple artboards?
Multiple artboards let you organize separate designs or layout variations in a single Illustrator document, then export the needed artboards as individual files. Adobe describes artboards as a way to streamline design work on an infinite canvas. Adobe: Introduction to artboards
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