How to adjust default illustrator settings when opening images

[Pickysticks]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out how to adjust my default illustrator settings when I open an image in illustrator with 'right click -> open with illustrator.' I need to add a few default swatches and change the default font. I've already adjusted all of the 'web/print/art & illustration' default templates but the changes arnt reflected when I open an image directly with illustrator.

Simply creating a new document and placing the image is not a good workaround. I prefer opening the image with illustrator because the default save path is automatically set where the file is opened from in our work server—this is a big time saver with out long our file paths get.

Thanks for any advice

[Mike_Gondek]

As you already know you can adjust the default templates whcih solves this for new new .ai files. For existing .ai files you need a different route such as libraries. Just select an element on your page  click the plus sign to add what u need to the library.

[Ton Frederiks]

I was thinking about recording an action to change the default character style and load swatches,

I can record the font change, but cannot record the loading of swatches.

However this seems possible with a script (I did not test it).

https://community.adobe.com/t5/Illustrator/How-to-apply-swatches-into-document-via-script/td-p/89021...

You can combine those (changing the font and using a script in an action.