askvity

How to Add Hyperlink in Adobe Illustrator?

Published in Illustrator Hyperlinks 3 mins read

Adding a hyperlink in Adobe Illustrator is primarily done for interactive PDF documents, allowing users to click on specific objects within the exported PDF and be directed to a website. This functionality is managed through the Attributes panel in Illustrator.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Hyperlink

To embed a clickable link in your Illustrator artwork for PDF export, follow these straightforward steps:

  1. Access the Attributes Panel:

    • Navigate to the Window menu at the top of your Illustrator workspace.
    • Select Attributes from the dropdown list to open the panel.

  2. Reveal All Options:

    • Once the Attributes panel is open, locate the Hamburger menu (often depicted as three horizontal lines ☰) in the top-right corner of the panel.
    • Click this menu and choose the Show All option. This ensures all available attributes, including the Image Map settings, are visible.

  3. Select Your Object:

    • Use the Selection Tool (V) to click on the specific object within your artboard that you wish to make interactive and assign the hyperlink to. This could be text, a shape, an image, or a group of objects.

  4. Define the Image Map and URL:

    • With your object selected and the Attributes panel showing all options, find the Image Map dropdown.
    • From the Image Map dropdown, select Rectangle. This defines the clickable area over your chosen object.
    • Immediately below, you will see a URL field. Click into this field and type or paste the complete website address (e.g., https://www.example.com) that you want the object to link to.
    Setting Action
    Image Map Select Rectangle
    URL Field Enter the full web address (e.g., https://www.yourwebsite.com)

  5. Export as PDF:

    • The hyperlink functionality will only work when the Illustrator file is saved or exported in a compatible format.
    • Go to File > Save As or File > Export > Export As.
    • Choose Adobe PDF (*.pdf) as the format.
    • In the PDF options dialog box, ensure that "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" and "Create Acrobat Layers from Top-Level Layers" are deselected if you want a smaller file, but ensure "Optimize for Fast Web View" or "Create Hyperlinks from URLs" (if available/applicable in your version) are considered. Generally, the Image Map setting will be preserved.
    • Click Save PDF.

When a user opens this exported PDF document, clicking on the designated object will direct them to the specified URL in their default web browser. This process, as referenced, has been a standard method for adding hyperlinks in Illustrator since at least March 12, 2020.

Related Articles