Shift Key Won't Constrain Proportions

[brittneyh90914356]

I have the most current version of Illustrator CC (2017.1.0). Holding down the shift key will no longer constrain proportions for me. It works up to a point in the scaling drag and then the object snaps back to the original size. What is the fix for this issue?

[Sir Shafiq]

you can try alt + shift for constraint proportion

[brittneyh90914356]

I tried it but that also doesn't work and then just brings up the scale dialog box. Thank you though.

[Sir Shafiq]

Strange to hear that it's working on your side, but working on my all version with both shift key and combination of alt + shift key

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

This is not normal behavior. Try trashing your preferences.

To do so:

For Macintosh Users: With Illustrator closed launch a Finder Window in column view and click on your home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the following two files and delete them: “Adobe Illustrator <Version #> Settings” (earlier versions of Illustrator might just say “Adobe Illustrator”) and “com.adobe.Illustrator.plist”. When Illustrator is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

After you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, it is a really good idea to create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

For Windows Users: Hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching Illustrator and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset.

[brittneyh90914356]

Yahtzee! Thank you, Bill!

[Bill Silbert]

Happy to help.

[AmyTheDesigner]

Hi Bill, I'm having this same problem.

I've found the “com.adobe.Illustrator.plist” file and have moved it to the trash.

As far as the “Adobe Illustrator <Version #> Settings” file ..... I've found a FOLDER called "Adobe Illustrator 23 Settings" (also the same with "21 Settings" and "22 Settings") and there are many things inside those folders.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Bill Silbert]

That is the folder to trash. Don't worry a new one will be created when you relaunch Illustrator.

[HyperPing]

I can find no such file (MAC).

[Monika Gause]

  schrieb

I can find no such file (MAC).

You know that Apple hides the User library folder by default, right?

[HyperPing]

yup.

Only files in the folder, related to Adobe, are these:

com.adobe.acc.AdobeDesktopService

com.adobe.acrobat.DC.WebResource

com.adobe.acrobat.pdfviewer

com.Adobe.After Effects.paths

com.adobe.headlights.apip

com.adobe.PDFAdminSettings

com.Adobe.Premiere Pro.paths

[Larry G. Schneider]

The path is Users/<yourname>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/

[Jacob Bugge]

Brittney,

As I (mis)understand it, the list may be relevant.

If things that should work simply refuse to (all possibilities exhausted including the A) - C) below (and carefully making sure you are performing (all) the needed things)), you may try (the relevant part(s) of) the list 1) - 6) below.

Sometimes, (certain) things may fail or stop working for no apparent reason. When the (other) possible reasons/cures fail to work, it may be some kind of (temporay or permanent) corruption, or even some inconvenient preference setting(s), which may be cured with something on the following list set up in an attempt to provide a catchall solution for otherwise unsolvable cases. It starts with a few easy and harmless suggestions 1) and 2) for milder cases, and goes on with two alternative ways 3) and 4) of resetting preferences to the defaults (easily but irreversibly and more laboriously but more thoroughly and also reversibly), then follows a list 5) of various other possibilities, and it ends with a full reinstallation 6). If no other suggestions work, or if no other suggestions appear, you may start on the list and decide how far to go and/or which may be relevant.

The following is a general list of things you may try when

A) The issue is not in a specific file,

B) You have a printer correctly installed, connected, and turned on if it is physical printer (you may use Adobe PDF/Acrobat Distiller as the default printer with no need to have a printer turned on, obviously you will need to specify when you actually need to print on paper), and

C) It is not caused by issues with opening a file from external media.

You may have tried/done some of them already; 1) and 2) are the easy ones for temporary strangenesses, and 3) and 4) are specifically aimed at possibly corrupt/inconvenient preferences); 5) is a list in itself, and 6) is the last resort.

If possible/applicable, you should save current artwork first, of course.

1) Close down Illy and open again;

2) Restart the computer (you may do that up to at least 5 times);

3) Close down Illy and press Ctrl+Alt+Shift/Cmd+Option+Shift during startup (easy but irreversible);

4) Move the folder (follow the link with that name) with Illy closed (more tedious but also more thorough and reversible), for CS3 - CC you may find the folder here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/preference-file-location-illustrator.html

5) Look through and try out the relevant among the Other options (follow the link with that name, Item 7) is a list of usual suspects among other applications that may disturb and confuse Illy, Item 15) applies to CC, CS6, and maybe CS5);

Even more seriously (this may be serious because you may need to restore plugins and whatnot afterwards if you have customized things), you may:

6) A) Uninstall (ticking the box to delete the preferences if applicable), B) run the Cleaner Tool (if you have CS3/CS4/CS5/CS6/CC), and C) reinstall. You may try without step B), but sometimes it is needed, because otherwise things may linger.

As it appears from this thread, it may be worth repeating this if it fails to help the first time:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2283530

To uninstall:

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/search/index.cfm?loc=en_us&term=uninstall&cat=support&product=illustra...

Cleaner Tool:

http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

[Van16B8]

Go to the transform pallette (make sure you have a shape selected) and check on "Scale Corners" and "Scale Stroke and Effects."

[chevonster]

What is the 2022 answer to this?

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @chevonster,

Sorry to hear that you are also facing the same issue. If the Shift key is not working, this could be due to third-party apps interfering with Illustrator keyboard shortcuts or your Illustartror preferences being corrupted.

In that case, you may try running the app in Safe Mode (Windows/ Mac)  and launch Illustrator only. Then, open/ create a new document, try the shift key to resize anything, and see if that works.

In Safe Mode, your system starts to perform certain checks and prevent third-party software/ services from automatically loading or opening. If it works fine in Safe Mode, then open other apps one by one, which you usually open, and see which app is conflicting with Illustrator. You can check and find the culprit app/ process/ plugin/ extension with the help of Activity Monitor/ Task Manager, and then you'll have to close/ disable/ uninstall them on your user account and then restart your machine in normal mode.

If running the app in Safe Mode doesn't help, you may try resetting Illustrator preferences.

Disclaimer: Please note that resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings, and Illustrator will launch with default settings. You can also take a backup of the folders in case you want to. Location is mentioned in the article.

I hope it helps!

Regards,

Anshul Saini