Have you ever had the experience where you are using something that you use all of the time and suddenly encounter a feature that you never noticed was there? Well, I just did. I use Adobe Illustrator every single day, at home and at work, and for the first time, I noticed the shaper tool.

I am constantly using basic shapes to build logos and vector art and knowing this option was there would have saved me a ton of time over the years. Effectively, you draw a shape with your mouse and illustrator converts it into a more basic and perfect shape.

It also allows for gestural merging and erasing of parts of the shape. You literally scribble over the parts you don’t want.

This. Is. Game. Changing.

To be totally fair, I am still using an ancient version of the software at home. I have resolved to not updating that until I am forced by time to get a new laptop. The Shaper feature seems to have started in 2015… so I am only a few years behind.

The whole experience made me think about how many features I will never touch in the software I use. I think of myself as an advanced user in things like Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator… but I know that I am only scratching the surface of their potential. All I know for sure is that I will keep exploring and learning as I go.

Onward to more efficient designing!