There are 3 main reasons that the toolbar may disappear and the solution to getting it back depends on the cause. Good News – they are all easy fixes!
1) The toolbar panel was closed: The little x icon (close button) at the upper right of the toolbar is super easy to hit accidentally
Solution: From the menu choose Window > Toolbars > and then choose either the Basic or Advanced Toolbar
2) The tab button was hit: Not only did the toolbar disappear so did every other panel, even the control bar. When you hit the tab button when working with text it indents the text but… if you hit the tab button when you’re not working with one of the type tools it does something else entirely. Hitting the tab key will hide all panels and bars and show you a stripped-down workspace. The idea behind this is that you will occasionally want to view your design without distraction perhaps when showing it to a client.
Solution: Hit the tab key again
3) The Workspace was altered. Adobe Illustrator offers a number of distinct workspaces including Automation, Essentials, Essentials Classic, Layout, Painting, Printing and Proofing, Tracing, Typography, and Web as well as allowing you to make custom workspaces. As we go about our work and move panels around open and close panels Illustrator updates the workspace. This is great if all your changes were intentional but if you moved or closed something by accident then it can be a problem.
Solution: Illustrator allows you to easily reset any of the workspaces (even custom ones) by choosing Window > Workspace > Reset (it will display the name of the workspace you are currently using).
Before You Go
I hope you found this quick tip helpful. For some great tips on getting the most out of guides check out Using Rulers & Guides. Precisely position guides using the transform panel is the bomb (if I do say so myself).
Leave A Comment