You rearrange artboards in Adobe Illustrator primarily by using the Artboards panel. This panel allows you to manage the order, names, and settings of your artboards within a document.
Accessing the Artboards Panel
To begin rearranging your artboards, you first need to open the Artboards panel.
- Go to the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Click Window.
- Select Artboards from the dropdown list.
The Artboards panel will appear, showing a list of all artboards in your current document.
Methods for Rearranging Artboards
Once the Artboards panel is open, there are two primary ways to change the stacking order of your artboards as stated in the reference:
1. Using the Arrow Buttons
This method is straightforward for moving an artboard up or down the list one position at a time.
- In the Artboard panel, click on an artboard to select it. This highlights the chosen artboard in the panel.
- Move it up or down on the order by clicking the arrow buttons at the bottom of the panel. You will see an "Up" arrow and a "Down" arrow icon. Clicking these will move the selected artboard one step higher or lower in the list order.
2. Drag and Drop
This method is often faster if you need to move an artboard multiple positions or place it exactly between two others.
- Drag and drop to change the order, like you would in the Layers panel. Click and hold the artboard name in the Artboards panel. Drag it up or down the list. A line will appear indicating where the artboard will be placed when you release the mouse button. Drop it into the desired position.
Changing the order in the Artboards panel affects how the artboards are displayed and numbered, which is particularly important when exporting or saving your artwork. The top artboard in the list is typically considered the first artboard.
Rearranging artboards helps you organize your workspace and workflow efficiently, especially in documents with multiple designs or pages.
