How to change artboard size in Illustrator

Open the Artboard tool from the left toolbar (it looks like a rectangle with corner marks), then click the artboard you want to resize. The artboard will show a bounding box with handles at the corners and edges. Drag any handle outward to make the artboard larger or inward to make it smaller. You can also enter exact dimensions in the Width and Height fields in the Properties panel on the right side of the screen.

If you need to resize multiple artboards at once, select them all by holding Shift and clicking each one with the Artboard tool active. Then adjust the dimensions in the Properties panel — the change will apply to all selected artboards.

Key Takeaways

  • The Artboard tool is in the left toolbar and must be selected before you can resize any artboard.
  • You can drag the corner or edge handles of an artboard to resize it visually, or type exact measurements in the Properties panel.
  • The Properties panel shows Width, Height, and position coordinates, and updates in real time as you drag.
  • You can select and resize multiple artboards together by holding Shift and clicking each one with the Artboard tool active.

Using the Properties panel for precise dimensions

The Properties panel on the right side of your screen displays the exact width and height of the selected artboard in pixels, inches, millimeters, or whatever unit your document uses. Click in the Width field and type a new number, then press Tab or Enter to apply it. Do the same for Height. This method is faster and more accurate than dragging if you know the exact size you need.

You can also change the artboard's position on the canvas using the X and Y coordinate fields in the Properties panel. This is useful if you need to move an artboard without resizing it, or if you need to align multiple artboards to specific locations.

Resizing artboards with the bounding box handles

When the Artboard tool is active and you click an artboard, eight handles appear around its edges — one at each corner and one at the midpoint of each side. Drag a corner handle to resize both width and height at the same time. Drag a side or top/bottom handle to change only that dimension.

Hold Shift while dragging a corner handle to maintain the artboard's aspect ratio (the proportion between width and height). This prevents the artboard from becoming distorted if you want to scale it up or down while keeping its shape the same.

Setting artboard size to match your content

If you have drawn objects on your artboard and want to resize the artboard to fit them tightly, use the Fit Artboard to Selected Art option. First, select the objects you want the artboard to frame. Then go to Object menu → Artboards → Fit to Selected Art. Illustrator will automatically resize the artboard to the smallest rectangle that contains all your selected objects.

This is faster than manually measuring your content and typing dimensions. It also prevents accidental white space around your design if you plan to export or print the artboard.

Changing artboard size for different export formats

Different projects need different artboard sizes depending on where the design will be used. For web graphics, common sizes are 1920 × 1080 pixels (full HD) or 1200 × 630 pixels (social media). For print, you might use 8.5 × 11 inches (letter size) or 11 × 17 inches (tabloid). For mobile app icons, 1024 × 1024 pixels is standard.

You can create a new artboard with a preset size by going to File → New and choosing a template, but you can also resize an existing artboard to match any of these dimensions by typing the numbers directly into the Properties panel. This saves time if you realize partway through a project that you need a different output size.

Organizing multiple artboards by resizing them consistently

If your document has many artboards — for example, multiple pages of a design or several variations of the same layout — you can make them all the same size for consistency. Select all the artboards you want to standardize by holding Shift and clicking each one with the Artboard tool active. Then type the desired width and height in the Properties panel. All selected artboards will resize to match.

You can also use the Artboards panel (Window → Artboards) to see a list of all artboards in your document, rename them, and delete ones you no longer need. This panel does not resize artboards directly, but it helps you keep track of them when you have many.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I resize an artboard without affecting the objects on it?

Yes. The Artboard tool only changes the artboard boundary, not the objects inside. If you resize the artboard smaller and objects extend beyond the new boundary, they remain on the canvas but will not be visible or exported when you save the artboard as a separate file. To move objects along with the artboard, select them with the Selection tool and move them manually.

What happens if I make an artboard very small or very large?

Illustrator allows artboards from 1 × 1 pixel to 16,384 × 16,384 pixels. Very small artboards are useful for icons or thumbnails. Very large artboards work for posters or large-format print, but they may slow down your computer if you have many objects on them. There is no penalty for resizing — you can always change it again.

How do I resize an artboard to a specific aspect ratio?

Type the width in the Properties panel, then hold Shift and drag a corner handle to resize the height while maintaining the ratio you want. Alternatively, calculate the height based on your width (for example, if you want a 16:9 ratio and your width is 1920, your height should be 1080), then type both numbers into the Properties panel.

Can I undo an artboard resize?

Yes. Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) immediately after resizing to undo the change. You can undo multiple steps if needed. If you closed the document and reopened it, the resize is permanent unless you saved a version before the change.