Skip to main content
lauracollab
lauracollab
Participant
April 3, 2025
Question

Pencil not showing guide line in Illustrator

  • April 3, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 1564 views

I reset my Illustrator preferences recently and now I cannot see the guide line that appears when using the pencil tool to show what shape you are drawing. Is there an option I missed that can turn this on?

4 replies

khuyenn32935066
khuyenn32935066
Participant
October 8, 2025

Could you try not checking the Live preview. 

 



M
MNonyaBusiness
Participant
August 1, 2025

lauracollab,

 

I had the same thing happen to me recently. Deselect the check box for the new "Live preview" feature that Adobe just added. That should do the trick. See the link below for this new feature (that I don't need). (I've been using Illustrator for 28 years!)
https://www.lauracoylecreative.com/illustrator-tips/draw-smarter-pencil-tool-illustrator

 

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 3, 2025

You mean the dotted preview line?

 

Which version of Illustrator is it?

lauracollab
lauracollabAuthor
Participant
April 3, 2025

Yeah, I think so. At the moment when I use the pencil tool there is nothing to show me what shape I have drawn. I'm using the latest 2025 version

Anubhav M
Community Manager
Anubhav MCommunity Manager
Community Manager
April 4, 2025

I don't think that is possible but the version I am working with is 29.4 (updated this week which is when I started having issues) and currently I'm running on Sonoma, v 14.6.1


Hello @lauracollab,

If you can't try a new user account, try manually resetting Illustrator's preferences and checking if it helps:

 

For macOS

• Close all Adobe applications.

• Go to the following locations

• ~/Library/Caches

• ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe

• ~/Library/Preferences

• Rename Adobe Illustrator, com.adobe.illustrator and Adobe Illustrator 29 Settings folders to Adobe Illustrator.old, com.adobe.illustrator.old and Adobe Illustrator 29 Settings.old

• Launch Illustrator from the Creative Cloud.

 

Note: The location starting with this "~" sign indicates the hidden User Library. So, you need to copy and paste the exact path in the spotlight search or from Finder Menu > Go > Go to Folder > Paste the location in the dialog box.

 

Disclaimer: Please note that renaming preferences folders will remove all the custom settings, and Illustrator will launch with default settings. You can also save a backup of the folders, the location of which is mentioned above.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Anubhav

kglad
Community Expert
kgladCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 3, 2025

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.



<"moved from using the community">
Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices