How to bold text with ctrl+B in Illustrator?

[AntDX316]

How to bold text with ctrl+B in Illustrator?  Is it disabled by default or do you have to convert the text to "look" bold manually?

[Larry G. Schneider]

Your best bet is to use the Bold version of the font in question. AI doesn't do fake bold.

[AntDX316]

well it should automatically switch to the Bold variant by default when ctrl+B is pressed

[Monika Gause]

Which bold? Semi bold? Black? Ultra black? Some font styles aren't even named, but numbered. Others have fancy names.

[CarlosCanto]

Ctrl+B is assigned to Paste in Back. To bold a font in illustrator you have to manually choose a Bold version of the font if the font offers that option.

[AntDX316]

oh yeah.. it's gotta be complex like Illustrator is all some people will use and nothing else in the world when ctrl+B is the super standard to bold a text on 99% of other programs

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Cntl-B is the "super standard" Paste in Back in AI for as long as I can remember. (Cntl-F is Paste in Front.)

Although not as fast as a keyboard shortcut, you could try using a character style. 

As an aside, even in InDesign and Phtoshop, it is not Cntl-B--it is Cntl-Shift-B. (Cntl-Shift-I for Italic.) Photoshop does allow faux bold and faux italic. 

[AntDX316]

I agree though.. ctrl+B for behind, isn't this how it is on Adobe XD too for layers?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If Cntl-B is a problem, don't even think about Cntl-D! 😁

[AntDX316]

What about Ctrl+V?  Is that move up a layer instead?

[Monika Gause]

oh yeah.. it's gotta be complex like Illustrator is all some people will use and nothing else in the world when ctrl+B is the super standard to bold a text on 99% of other programs

By @AntDX316

Probably Illustrator has been there longer than most of those "99% of other programs" you are referring to. So why don't they paste in back with Ctrl+B?

[AntDX316]

There's probably something way older than Illustrator but they never got seen and it seems to start with Illustrator.  Like how the Bible seems to be the "start" of humanity.

[alejandroalarcon]

Hahaha! Was just thinking the same. "which bold? be precise"... while in Figma cmd+B "just switch to whatever's closest to bold". Easy. No questionnaires. 

[pixxxelschubser]

Professional design and layout software does not support Fake Bold like some "intuitive" word processing software. Use the correct font style of the selected font instead.

[AntDX316]

yeah, no Fake Bold

[OG-R2D2]

Here are the shortcuts:

Windows:

Shift + Ctrl + B (Bold) / I (Italic) / U (Underline)

Mac:

Shift + Cmd + B (Bold) / I (Italic) / U (Underline)

I have tested them and they change to the proper font type if there is one.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

You are correct. It was mentioned about 3 years ago on a post. albiet, not as direct as your post.

Also, you can look up any "hidden" keyboard commands in the KB Shortcuts panel: