Adobe Illustrator 2025 introduces a long-awaited feature for resizing artwork: Scale Artwork with Artboard. This update simplifies the process of scaling your designs by letting you resize your design along with the artboard, saving you time and effort.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to use Scale Artwork with Artboard, highlight key settings, and point out common pitfalls to avoid when resizing art.

How to Use Scale Artwork with Artboard in Illustrator 2025

1. Select Your Artboard

Before scaling, select the Artboard Tool (Shift + O) to open artboard editing mode.
Click on the artboard you want to resize.

2. Enable Scale Artwork with Artboard

Go to the Control bar at the top of the window and click the Scale Artwork with Artboard button (it darkens when activated).
Or, in the Properties panel, check the box labeled Scale Artwork with Artboard.

3. Resize the Artboard

Drag a corner handle to resize the artboard or enter precise dimensions in the W and H fields.
Hold Shift while scaling to maintain the proportions.

⭐️ Tips for Scaling Artboards

Adjust the Reference Point

Go to the 9-block icon in Properties or Control and choose which point you want the scaling to happen from. You can scale from the center, sides, or corners. If scaling causes the artboard to overlap others, use Undo (Cmd/Ctrl + Z) to reset the point and scale again.

Check the Preference Settings for Pattern Fills

When scaling objects with pattern fill swatches applied, go to Preferences > General and check Transform Pattern Tiles to ensure patterns scale correctly. Your Scale Strokes and Effects preference setting will be ignored by Illustrator, see more info in ‘Things to Avoid’ below.

Make Sure Art is Touching the Artboard

If the artwork does not touch the artboard, it won’t scale. If you need off-artboard elements to scale, group them with an object that touches the artboard.

Check Images Before Scaling

Check the resolution of a selected image in the Links panel (1) or on the Control bar (2).

Make sure your images have sufficient resolution before enlarging, as scaling up decreases resolution. To check image resolution, select the image and look in the Control bar, or open the Links panel via Window > Links.

Review Your Text After Scaling

Scaling text can result in decimal font sizes, which may affect consistency. After resizing, review your text and adjust font sizes as needed to keep them uniform throughout your design.

Avoid overlapping artboards and other pitfalls when scaling artboards with art.

Things to Avoid When Scaling Art

🚫 Forgetting to Enable Scale Artwork with Artboard: If this setting is off, resizing the artboard won’t affect the artwork, leaving elements misaligned.

🚫 Unintentionally Scaling Strokes: This feature always scales stroke weights and effects, even if you have your preferences set with Scale Strokes and Effects unchecked. If your artwork requires fixed stroke weights, such as in technical drawings, you will need to manually adjust them after scaling.

🚫 Resizing Without Locking Proportions: Always ensure that the Constrain Proportions link icon is enabled when entering new dimensions to maintain the correct aspect ratio.

🚫 Overlapping Surrounding Artboards: If your document includes multiple artboards, check the reference point setting, and move artboards as needed before scaling by clicking the Move Artwork with Artboards button.

Watch the Video Tutorial

Want to see this feature in action? Check out my YouTube video where I demonstrate how to resize artboards and scale pattern tile artwork seamlessly in Adobe Illustrator 2025.

Conclusion

This update is a game-changer for Illustrator users who design graphics in different formats. For pattern designers, this feature makes resizing pattern tiles much easier. Whether you’re designing for print, digital, or multiple screen sizes, I hope you enjoy my tutorial and tips for Scale Artwork with Artboard in Adobe Illustrator!

-Laura Coyle