Maybe you already know of the Export for Screens feature in Illustrator, maybe you already use the Asset Export panel, but in case you still spent lots of time on saving all your icons, shapes or assets for the web, let me show you how the updated Asset Export feature in Adobe Illustrator CC 2018 makes life so much easier.
Please go ahead and watch the video tutorial on “How to use the Asset Export Feature in Illustrator”
The Export for Screens and Asset Export tools were introduced in June 2016 with the Illustrator CC2015.3 update. It allows you to export multiple assets in various sizes and file formats.
This isn’t completely new and you could export all of your Artboards in the past, but the advantage of using the Export for Screens or Asset Export is exporting all of your icons or shapes in all needed sizes and formats with one single click.
You can open the Export for Screens panel by going to File > Export > Export for Screens, and you can open the Asset Export panel under Window > Asset Export.
When working with the Asset Export feature, make sure you group your icons or any shapes you want add as one single asset. If the shapes or icons are not grouped, all elements will be added as single assets to the Asset Export panel.
You can easily add your icons and such to the Asset Export panel by dragging them into the panel, or you can right-click a shape/icon and then choose Collect for Export > As Multiple Assets or select your artwork and click the Add The Selected Artwork To This Panel icon.
When working with the Export for Screens feature, you can easily export Artboards with your artwork (if you have multiple Artboards) or export your assets. If you don’t have multiple Artboards, go and watch my last Tutorial on How To Use A Script to Create Multiple Artboards In Illustrator.
Open Export for Screens under File > Export > Export for Screens. At the top of the panel you’ll see two taps, Artboards – Assets. You can switch back and forth between them and use either Artboards or Assets (given that you added your assets to the Asset Export panel) to export your icons.
One last tip, if you are working on a truck load of icons and need to add more assets to the Asset Export panel, you can do that at any time. All of your assets will be saved in the Asset Export panel.
This Illustrator feature really saves time, especially if you are an app designer or icon designer and you need to export your designs in multiple formats and sizes.
Vectortwist Tips on Export for Screens / Asset Export in Illustrator:
- You can export your designs either via the Export for Screens or via the Asset Expert panel
- Open Export for Screens under File > Export > Export for Screens
- Asset Export panel under Window > Asset Export
- You can add assets to the Asset Export panel at any time and the content will be saved with your file
- You can choose between Artboards or Assets in the Export for Screens panel
- To stay organized, label your assets or Artboards accordingly and check Create Sub-folders when exporting ( Export for Screens or Asset Export panel
