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Illustrator paintbrush tool won't stay in basic linetype it keeps switching back to the previous one

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the pen tool wont stop changing itself from basic line and its stopping me from being able to do my project. every time i change it it switches back to the previous chosen. completely useless in this state. god damn annoying

Message was edited by: Srishti Bali

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Monika GauseCorrect answer

Community Expert

the pencil tool wont stay the same width when im using it either it keeps

switching to no weight and is invisible after changing it to my desired

look.

Have you set up the setting in the Appearance panel ? Turned off "New art has basic appearance"?

That's important.

Also: What exactly do you want the artwork to look like?

And then: In Illustrator a stroke or a brush are attributes of a path. They can be applied and changed later on.

But: the brush tool saves everything you do with your stylus into the path. This only makes sense with a brush. Only then you can also see it. That's just how the tool works. You don't like how the tool works? Make a feature request. Feature Request/Bug Report Form

But until then it's how the tool works and you will have to use the pencil tool if you want to draw with a plain stroke.

B

bellablueearth

Participating Frequently

This is still so annoying, years later. Every couple of years I'll change computers and spend an hour trying to find that damn box to maintain appearance of my pen strokes. Why is it burried as far away as possible? And how could someone even draw without setting that to maintain appearance? I honestly can't imagine.

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

There are situations where you really don't want your objects to have the same appearance as the previous object. Like, when you have a very complex 3D & material applied which can take ages to render.

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B

bellablueearth

Participating Frequently

Fair enough! I don't do anything in 3d. I do think it would be better placed in the main preferences panel so it's easier to find. But I won't think about it now for the next few years. (I'm sure I'll be back to this thread in about 2025 asking where to find it again. 😉

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L

lizayrad

Participant

Had the same issue, but besides selecting the 'basic' brush stroke, also be sure to select a tip:

As you can see I have selected both the basic brush, as well as the small tip at the top left.

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

"Basic" is not a brush, also "Standard" isn't. Instead it deletes the brush from the stroke.

You cannot apply 2 brushes to one stroke.

The small brush tip is a calligraphy brush. And since it's the first brush in the brushes panel, Illustrator will use it anyway unless you select a different one when working with the brush tool.

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D

default5m8ymkb3d8nk

Participant

You have got to be the single worst "help" professional I've ever graced online.

"Basic" IS A BRUSH. You didn't bother with translating the previous image post but that LITERALLY SAYS BASIC.

We are selecting a DIFFERENT BRUSH called Charcoal, why does it not stay as Charcoal. That's the problem. Jeez, if you've been "helping" Adobe for years no wonder their customer support has gone to trash since Flash died.

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sharon@hubblestudios.com

Participant

I know its years later but I think I had the same issue that you are having. The work around I came up with is using the pencil tool, that allowed me to set teh basic shape as the stroke 🙂

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

Actually that is not even a workaround, but just the appropriate approach to the task.

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GMBGraphics

Participant

I used to be able to use a basic brush with different profiles though. Using the pencil also works but i wonder what changed.

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E

excellentlyellen

Participant

My brushes are also not behaving like I’m used to.

I,v been using CC 17 for a while now, with an intuos and up until a few week ago, had no issues whatsoever.

not however, when i want to use my brush tool, no matter what brish i pick, when i draw, the stroke changes to one of those standard brushes (the one that kindoff looks like a road)... no matter how i try, i can,t draw whith anything else... i can go back and select the stroke to change it, but when i draw another, same thing.. i,ve tried everything i can think of, even deleted those brushes from my panel, but it keeps reverting back.

i am so frustrated about this!...

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

schrieb
My brushes are also not behaving like I’m used to.
I,v been using CC 17 for a while now, with an intuos and up until a few week ago, had no issues whatsoever.
not however, when i want to use my brush tool, no matter what brish i pick, when i draw, the stroke changes to one of those standard brushes (the one that kindoff looks like a road)... no matter how i try, i can,t draw whith anything else... i can go back and select the stroke to change it, but when i draw another, same thing.. i,ve tried everything i can think of, even deleted those brushes from my panel, but it keeps reverting back.
i am so frustrated about this!...

Please create a new thread, tell us the info about your system.

And show a screenshot.

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

Please tell us step by step what exactly is happening.

Also please try: open the appearance panel and in the menu uncheck "New art has basic appearance". Maybe that solves it already.

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Summit HeinoAuthor

Participating Frequently

The illustrator paintbrush tool won't stay in basic linetype it keeps

switching back to the previous one

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Monika Gause

Community Expert

"Basic" brush is not a brush at all. It's just a plain old stroke.

The brush tool cannot draw with a plain stroke. It can only draw with a real brush.

If you want to draw with a plain stroke, use the pencil tool.

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