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Answered

Can't select items behind a locked item

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
May 18, 2021
4 replies
2219 views

I have not used Illustrator on a regular basis for a couple of years, but now I'm working in Illustrator Legacy version. I have noticed that when I lock an image or text box, and try to click on a image/box behind the locked item, I am unable to. When I click the area, the locked item becomes "active", there's a lock on it, and I can't click anything below that box. These items are all on the same layer, and need to be. It used to be that when you locked an item, you couldn't click on it. This is frustrating. Has anyone else experienced this and know how to get around it?

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Correct answer tromboniator

I think this is what Kurt is referring to. I haven't decided yet if it's a good thing or not. In any case, if this is active you can select an object below (behind) a locked one by cmd/ctrl-clicking twice (not as quickly as a double-click) on the locked object directly above the object you wish to select.

Peter

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

> "Thank you that worked. I didn't even notice that when I was setting up Illustrator. Why is that even a thing? "

Well, I cannot tell you why currently it is as it is. I did not develop this concept.

I'm afraid it is just a half-baked approach that may hopefully be improved in future Illustrator versions.

ksvendawg

Participant

Thank you for letting us know how to fix this. I noticed this feature when I updated Illustrator. It's frustrating when they change features in software programs we have been using for years! Really messes up my workstream. But thanks to this forum, problem solved!

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

Thanks, Peter, for pointing out the right option.

I was probably thinking about the InDesign option and that was a bit wrong in this case ...

tromboniator

Community Expert

You're welcome, Kurt. Sometimes a bit wrong is a bit right enough to send us in a useful direction.

tromboniator

Correct answer

Community Expert

I think this is what Kurt is referring to. I haven't decided yet if it's a good thing or not. In any case, if this is active you can select an object below (behind) a locked one by cmd/ctrl-clicking twice (not as quickly as a double-click) on the locked object directly above the object you wish to select.

Peter

Emac_trademark

Inspiring

Thank you Peter for letting us know about the cmd/ctrl-clicking twice move! I have been a little fustrated by the "can't click an object behind a locked object" scenerio since the unlock on canvas option was introduced. I will now leave that feature on as I like unlocking invidual items on canvas.

tromboniator

Community Expert

You're welcome. I seem to remember it from an explanatory video Adobe put out when they introduced the feature.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

This is somehow a shortcoming of new ways to handle locked objects.

You can disable that behaviour in the Illustrator preferences. I think the option is called "Prevent Selection of Locked Objects".

D

defaultgdqqw2gtl4tcAuthor

Participant

Thank you that worked. I didn't even notice that when I was setting up Illustrator. Why is that even a thing?

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