This tutorial will show you how to find and use Adobe Stock images in Illustrator
Adobe Stock can be searched for and licensed directly in an Adobe Illustrator project. To license images, you will need to request access to Penn State’s Adobe Stock account if you do not already have access.
Find Adobe Stock Images
- Open the Libraries panel.
It may already be open as a tab behind the Properties panel, or you can access it from the Window menu in the main menu bar.
- Click the drop-down arrow on the right side of the search field.
- Select Adobe Stock from the ‘search in’ options.
The search field will now show that you will be searching from Adobe Stock.
- Type what you want to search for and hit Return on your keyboard.
- Click the + button to add the preview version of any image you like to your library.
You’ll see the file added to your library.
- To try the file out in your Illustrator project, right-click (or control+click on Mac) and select Place Linked from the options.
- Move your cursor to approximately where you want the image to appear.
A thumbnail of the image will hang off your cursor to indicate that you can place it.
- Click-and-drag where you want the image to go. It can be moved and adjusted later.
You will see your image with an Adobe Stock watermark.
- Use the Selection Tool to resize and/or move your image.
NOTE: Do not crop Stock previews. Doing so will make you unable to remove the watermark from the image you’ve added. If you need to crop it, license it first and then crop.
If you’re not sure you like how the image works in your project, you can start the process over and try out other images.
License an Image
- Once you find an image you like, return to your Libraries panel.
- Click the shopping cart icon to license the image.
A confirmation window will open.
- Click Confirm to finish licensing the image.
Once your image is licensed, the watermark will be removed from it.
NOTE: If you selected “Place Copy” instead of “Place Linked” in an earlier step, licensing the image will not remove the watermark.
Save Your Progress
Make sure to save from the file menu regularly so you don’t lose any of your work on your project.
