What the heck does this mean? (Preferences: Show/Hide Ruler)

[Scott Falkner]

In Preferences > General there is an option for Show/Hide Ruler. What does it mean? Does it mean to show the ruler or to hide the ruler? I see no effect on new documents. Whether the option is checked or not new documents do not show the ruler.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

If you turn that option On and you show the ruler in your document, all other documents that you create or open will have the ruler on.

If you turn that option On and you hide the ruler in your document, all other documents that you create or open will have the ruler hidden.

[Scott Falkner]

I see. It is very poorly named, which is a theme with a lot of Adobe features. Looking at you, Allow Document Pages to Shuffle.

Turn the option on and ruler visability is sticky. New documents will adopt the ruler visibility of the current document. Also ⌘-R will afect all documents with the option on.

I don’t know what it should be called, but I know what it shouldn’t be called.

[Ton Frederiks]

It is an option to Show/Hide Rulers by default. It could have been named better.

What is really wrong is that you cannot find what it does in the Help file. There is no documentation that describes every item in the Preferences.

You need to Google Illustrator Show/Hide Rulers to find a Uservoice topic that explains it.

[Ton Frederiks]

If you turn that option Off it depends on the New Document Profile and for existing documents, if saved with or without Ruler if the ruler is shown or not.

[Met1]

Everyone not at Adobe Community Professional level are feeling a lot better about themselves today, so thanks for the warm fuzzies Scott... :-}

[Ton Frederiks]

Glad I could help 🙂

[Met1]

I do appreciate all your help Ton, but I think my attempt at a joke at Scott's expense failed miserably... oh well, back to lurking...

[Scott Falkner]

I got it.