As with all of the best design software out there, Adobe Illustrator comes with many different tools you can use to zoom in and out from your project. Once learned, they’re easy to master, but if you’re new to the game we know it can all look a little confusing at first.
To learn how to zoom in and out in Adobe Illustrator, simply follow our tutorials below. For any additional information, or if you have other queries, please see our FAQs at the end of the article.
Table of Contents
How to zoom in Adobe Illustrator (zoom tool: method one)
- Open Adobe Illustrator and load a test project (perhaps something you’ve already been working on)
- Click the magnifying glass zoom tool icon in the toolbar (keyboard shortcut ‘Z’) on the left side of the page
- Now, hover your mouse over the part of your image which you wish to zoom in to
- Left-click your mouse to zoom in one increment; continue left-clicking your mouse until you reach the zoom level you require to continue your work (note that Illustrator will focus in on whichever part of the image your cursor is hovering over)
- To zoom back out, first press and hold ALT on your keyboard (note that the small + sign in the magnifying glass has now changed to a -)
- Left-click whilst holding ALT to zoom out one increment; continue holding ALT and left-clicking until you are zoomed back out to the zoom level you desire
How to zoom in Adobe Illustrator (zoom tool: method two)
- Open Adobe Illustrator and load a test project (perhaps something you’ve already been working on)
- Click the magnifying glass zoom tool icon in the toolbar (keyboard shortcut ‘Z’) on the left side of the page
- Next, left-click and drag to form a box covering the part of your image you wish to zoom in to.
- Let go of the click, and Illustrator will magnify the area you highlighted with your box selection, which shall now fill the editing window.
- To zoom back out, you can reset the zoom to default by pressing CTRL + 0 (ZERO) on your keyboard, or by repeating steps 5 and 6 from the tutorial above
How to zoom in Adobe Illustrator (view tools and right-click)
- Open Adobe Illustrator and load a test project (perhaps something you’ve already been working on)
- Right-click on the part of the project you wish to zoom in on, and from the drop-down menu, select ‘Zoom In’
- Similarly, you can left-click on ‘View’ from the menu bar across the top of the page, and from the drop-down menu select ‘Zoom In’
- To zoom back out, right-click on any part of the project, and from the drop-down menu select ‘Zoom Out’
- Similarly, you can left-click on ‘View’ from the menu bar again, and this time select ‘Zoom Out’ from the drop-down menu
How to zoom in Adobe Illustrator (keyboard shortcuts)
- Open Adobe Illustrator and load a test project (perhaps something you’ve already been working on)
- Hover your mouse over the part of your project you wish to zoom in or out on/from
- To zoom in on that area press CTRL + PLUS (+) on your keyboard
- To zoom out from that area press CTRL + MINUS (-) on your keyboard
- To reset the zoom level to default, press CTRL + ZERO (0) on your keyboard
- To set the zoom level to 100%, press CTRL + ONE (1) on your keyboard
And that’s it! Several different methods you can learn for zooming in and out from your projects in Adobe Illustrator; happy creating!
If you have any further questions or would like some more information on Adobe Illustrator, please see our FAQs below.
Frequently asked questions
Why would I need to zoom in and out in Adobe Illustrator?
Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard when it comes to the creation and manipulation of vector graphics, meaning it’s everyone’s go-to software for designing logos, icons, banners, book illustrations, mobile graphics, billboards, and product packaging.
Working in Adobe Illustrator you will soon find that it’s necessary to know how to quickly enhance areas of the image so as to work in greater detail on aspects of your creative project. Similarly, it’s equally important to know how to pull back out from the image you’re editing, so as to gain a broader, more objective perspective.
For this, you need to know how to zoom in and out in Adobe Illustrator. Once you’ve mastered the art, you’ll be able to decrease the time your various creative projects take in the app and increase your productivity. To learn how to zoom in and out using a variety of methods, simply follow our step-by-step instructions in the tutorials above.
Are changes I make to the zoom level permanent in Adobe Illustrator?
Perhaps the best way to think about the zoom tool in Adobe Illustrator is to think of it as a steering wheel, with which you navigate around your image. You can use the zoom tool to visit any part of your image in small or large detail, and you will stay there until you navigate away from it.
In other words, changes you make to the zoom level will remain in effect for the duration of your time in the app, whilst working on one project. However, if you exit out of the app (or the project) and then open it again, you’ll find the zoom level has reset to default.
How do I reset the zoom to the default level in Adobe Illustrator?
There is a super quick and easy way to reset the zoom level in Adobe Illustrator to default. Simply use the keyboard shortcut, which for Macs is CMD + 0 (ZERO), and for other computers is CTRL + 0 (ZERO). Just press both keys together once and you’ll find the zoom level has returned to normal.
Alternatively, of course, you can use the same methods described above – which you used to zoom in and out in the first place – to return to 100% zoom or default zoom.
What is the preferred zooming method in Adobe Illustrator?
This is really up to you and tends to differ from person to person and project to project. We here at MyHowToOnline tend to prefer keyboard shortcuts since they’re quick, accessible, and fairly easy to memorize. Thus, we suggest familiarizing yourself with the CTRL + PLUS (+) and CTRL + MINUS (-) tools, as well as the CTRL + 0 shortcut for returning to default.
However, if you’re wanting to work on a very specific part of your graphic, then the zoom drag-box tool is probably the most useful. Similarly, if you are more confident using a mouse, versus your keyboard, then clicking the zoom tool magnifying glass and then clicking on the picture is probably going to be easiest for you.
Ultimately, we recommend you take some time to practice all of the various methods described above until you’re comfortable enough to know which one(s) suits you best.
Is Adobe Illustrator free to use?
No. Adobe Illustrator, like Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and other such programs, are professional-grade, industry-standard programs for which you have to pay an annual subscription fee.
However, having said that, most of these programs (including Illustrator) do come with free trials – so you can always download it and have a play around before deciding whether to buy in or not. Furthermore, Adobe often offers packages of programs at a cheaper rate. It’s similarly worthwhile asking friends and colleagues if they or your workplace have a shared Adobe Illustrator account you can use.
