Tool In Adobe Illustrator

[Christian Swindler]

Im having this problem with my Adobe Illustrator CS3 where I'll be using the pen tool, and out of nowhere (usually after I've undone a couple of things it seems), the program will get stuck on the hand tool, and won't switch to any other tool. Time seems to be the only remedy because the problem will persist even if I try to work on another file, or restart the program. It also carries over to Photoshop, which I don't recall ever giving me this problem. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

I've found that having google chrome or safari open can cause random glitches in Adobe programmes. Quit any search engine you may be using and see if the glitch goes away, if not, quit the adobe programme that you are using and restart. It should now be back to normal when booted back up.

It's not the spacebar. I wish it were that easy. I'm having the same problem in Illustrator and InDesign. It started after the Windows 10 update, but I don't know if its the Windows update or the recent Adobe update.

Don't think it is a spacebar problem. Look at -stuck-on-hand-toolicon/ for shared concern with many people. I have been encountering this on just about all tool-related programs -Illustrator CS4, Painter 11, Photoshop CS2. Every time the problem clears in a few minutes. I have XP Pro, 3 GB of RAM, Duo Core 2.40GHz - no memory issues. I suspect the problem is software related in how it is using computer resources - possible conflict with some Microsoft performance addition.

That might or mght not be an issue you are having but i have to say taking the approach orf selective choosintgg the answers will not solve your problem if Scott is correct then all the time you spend looking for your perfect software solution will be very costly.

3) Also, while the keyboard notion is a good thought, I'm thinking that we can't all have keyboard issues. My keyboard is almost new and every key works beautifully. Here is a filtered forum listing of others having the same issue. As you can see, this is very widespread.

I have found that the spacebar will release the hand tool for normal use, so I now think that the problem is the coding for the hand tool over-riding all other tools when used to move the stage or workspace onscreen. This is, afterall, a programmed use (and a good one) when other tools are selected and you need to quickly adjust the workspace.

I have the same issues. I use Adobe Illustrator with the brush tool with my Wacom, which always gets stuck for me. When illustrating in Ai, I use a combination of my pen and the space bar for navigation. The hand tool appears when I use the space bar and goes away when I release it. It gets stuck randomly. When I hit save and the file is large, I attempt to move the page while it's saving a file, or I switch between apps. I don't know what triggers it, but it happens.

I use a wireless keyboard, and the keyboard spacebar isn't stuck. It's a combo of things happening and a bug. The keyboard, Wacom, and Adobe may think the spacebar is still active, so it doesn't switch back to the previous tool when the spacebar shortcut is activated.

When this bug happens, I cut the power to my keyboard, which triggers the spacebar bug loop to close becuase the system is no longer connected to the keyboard. The tool resets itself, and I can go back to work.

I'm extremely frustrated beginner. I am making color charts for my Etsy store and need to cut out spools of thread colors from a bunch of jpegs I saved and arrange them onto a new screen in a row and label the colors. I usually just make colored circles or squares and then label them but I thought I would cut out the jpg's from the thread supplier and just use THE ACTUAL PHOTOS instead of making boring colored circles. But when I lasso just the spool of thread, without the big white background, the selection line goes away ( i don't get the ants!) and the line is then going around the whole photo instead. The youtube vids all say to just lasso it and then grab it with the pointer and drag it to where you want it. It's not working! Already spent hours on trying to fix why it is not working,.

Illustrator is not really designed for dealing with pixel-based images, such as jpg. You would be better off in Photoshop. If you are limited to Illustrator you could try using the Pen Tool to create the shape of the spool and apply it as a Clipping Mask, then Flatten Transparency to get you closer to the isolated image you want.

Okay, The one you've circled is not about the Lasso Tool, it's the Pen Tool. The one above it is about the Lasso Tool, but it's being used on vector (Illustrator) artwork, not a raster (pixel) image. The one under it is about Photoshop, which works quite differently.

Ok you're right. I looked again and I tried that tutorial after I failed with the lasso tool to cute the spool out. I tried pen clicking around and it started covering up,the photo as I turned the corner. More over, with each pen click it covered each angle in white. I had to stop it. So the pen tool didn't work either.

I was following the tutorial above that is circled. I am trying to cut the spool of thread out shown above and arrange many of them in a row, labels by color. I'm trying to make a color chart for my Etsy store product listing.

You can place images into Illustrator and you can crop them, but you cannot edit image pixels in Illustrator. To edit an image in the way you are trying to do, you need an image editor, such as Photoshop. Photoshop has a new Object Selection tool that will work really well on the image you are showing, btw.

I have the whole suite CS5. I was just trying to avoid going back and forth between PS and illustrator. In PS I can cut the spool out and then save it. But do I save it as PS file or jpeg? Then in illustrator open them one by one and arrange them and label them. Do you suggest that?

You are trying to put the spools of thread on the Etsy website, is that correct? Use Photoshop, not Illustrator. Don't save it as a jpeg, as jpegs do not support transparency and will fill in the transparent areas with white (or whatever your background color currently is.) PSD is a good format to keep for yourself, as it supports layers that you might use in your project.

I would save a version in PSD for myself and a second in PNG for the Etsy site. If you need another format or size, you can resave from the PSD. Ask in the PS forum about using a mask instead of deleting the area you don't want (it's non-destructive).

YES YES YES! This is happening to me! My tools just randomly MOVE or get hidden UNDER another tool! It just started...like a month or 2 ago. I've been using Illustrator [mac] since Illustrator #1...every day....this is WEIRD and so friggin' annoying. And god help you if you reset your tools.....DO NOT DO THAT....i did, and it f'ed everything up.

I should have updated this. I finally chatted with Creative Suite customer support. They remotely took over my computer and trashed loads of preference files, caches and a number of other files hidden away in my the library file. There's no way I could have ever figured out which ones to throwaway. After that the tool panel is behaving correctly again, although now photoshop has lost its tools.

Resetting the workspace actually fixed the issue for me and did not screw anything else up at all. I am not sure why you are telling people not to try this when it could absolutely solve their issue..

Spent 4.5 hours with customer service. No results. It seems to be related in some way to having the application frame toggled on or off (Window > Application Frame). I really can't stand the application frame so I always turn it off. In my work flow it is helpful to be able to quickly move an art board out of the way and see the desktop.

We tried everything. Uninstalled all CS apps (lost all my preferences, extensions and a handful of OTF fonts... sucks). We erased basically everything adobe off the computer via a adobe cleaner app the customer service person installed. We created two new user profiles on my computer and used clean installs of illustrator. Problem comes back immediately and seems to be more persistent. My tools keep getting locked out. No obvious work around I can find. Downloaded illustrator 2018 and am using that waiting for a fix.

update, 6.30.19. After many claims by adobe customer service that the issue must me within my system I finally bought a brand new $3k computer. With a completely new system and not a single file from my old computer yet imported problem persists and new ones. Adobe's customer support has 6 times now transferred me and 2 times told me that "my shift is ending now I will transfer you to someone who will help". No one helps.

Latest update... per adobe's advice bought a new computer. Problem persists with latest mac and new install ( did not transfer any info from old computer). With customer support for many more hours more. Several customer support agents "ended their shifts" as soon as I was transferred without me saying anything. No one took up their spot. Promised a manager call 3 separate times. No call ever. Just received email that my case is closed and my account is canceled!!!! Outrageous. Most up to date mac and adobe software possible.

This is happening to me too. All tools disapear and I have to restart Illustrator. OS X 10.14.4 Illustrator 24.0.1 although it kept happening with previous versions. Restarting Illustrator usually brings them back

Hi there! I've been having the same issue. I teach a Media course to 7th and 8th grade students, and they're learning Illustrator. Their panels and toolboxes keep disappearing, and it's not a 'hit TAB' issue. 'Reset Essentials' is ghosted out. My only solution is to go to Window--> Toolbars --> Advanced to make the toolbox come back, and Window--> Whatever to make their missing panels come back. It's ridiculous. Any advice, Adobe? I'd rather teach my kids than spend time trying to solve these issues!

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