A free Windows extension for creating margins, columns and rows in Adobe Illustrator.
Build a layout, preview it on your artboards, and create guides from one dockable panel.
Features · Install · How to use · Help
| Feature | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Margins | Link all four sides or set each side separately. |
| Columns and rows | Set counts, gutters and automatic or fixed sizes. Centre fixed layouts. |
| 6 presets | Custom 2 × 2, margins only, print, web, social and rule of thirds. |
| 5 units | Use px, pt, mm, cm or inches. |
| Multiple artboards | Apply to the active artboard, all artboards or a numbered range. |
| Live preview | Tick Preview to check your layout before creating it. |
| Guide output | Create native guides or editable coloured lines. |
| Replace option | Replace earlier Ashad guides on the selected artboards. |
| Dockable panel | Keep the controls beside your other Illustrator panels. |
The actual panel inside Illustrator 2026:
The opening poster is a promotional illustration.
- Windows with Adobe Illustrator installed.
- Compatibility target: Illustrator 2019–2026, including 2020 and 2025. Older versions have not been tested in the actual applications; compatibility is not guaranteed. See version details.
- Extract the complete download and keep all files together.
- Download and extract: download the Windows ZIP above. Right-click it → Extract All → Extract.
- Close Illustrator: save your work and close all Illustrator versions.
- Run the installer: open the extracted folder and double-click Install-Windows.cmd. Windows may display it as Install-Windows.
- Confirm the prompt: check the detected Illustrator versions, read the notice, type YES, and press Enter.
- Wait for Installed, then reopen Illustrator.
- Choose Window → Extensions → Ashad Guide Layout. Drag the panel tab to dock it.
If the panel opens, installation is complete. You do not need the manual or repair steps below.
The installer uses a shared folder for your Windows account, normally without administrator access:
%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\com.ashad.guidelayout
It enables unsigned CEP panels for the detected Illustrator runtimes. This also allows other unsigned panels using those runtimes for your account. Previous settings and the previous per-user panel are backed up.
If you install another Illustrator version later, run the installer again.
- Open a document in Illustrator.
- Choose a preset, target artboards and units.
- Set your margins. Tick Link all sides for equal margins.
- Enable columns or rows, then set the count and gutter. Leave width or height blank for automatic sizing.
- Tick Preview to check the result.
- Click Create guides.
Turn Preview off before saving or closing the document. Native guides use Illustrator's guide-colour preference. Choose Editable lines if you want coloured lines that appear in exports.
Use this only instead of the installer. Keep one installed copy of the extension.
- Close Illustrator and copy the entire com.ashad.guidelayout folder from the extracted ZIP.
- Press Windows + R, paste
%APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions, and press Enter. Create theCEPandextensionsfolders inside%APPDATA%\Adobeif needed. - Paste the extension folder there. Back up any existing copy outside the extensions folder before replacing it.
- Run Repair-Blank-Panel.cmd as described below to enable the matching settings, then restart Illustrator.
The folder should contain com.ashad.guidelayout\CSXS\manifest.xml and com.ashad.guidelayout\index.html.
A copy in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator 2026\Support Files\Required\CEP\extensions is specific to Illustrator 2026. If you previously used that location, close Illustrator and move only the old com.ashad.guidelayout folder to a backup outside CEP folders before using the shared installation. Windows may ask for administrator permission.
Use this after manual installation, or if the installed panel is missing or blank.
- Save your work and close all Illustrator versions.
- Open the complete extracted package and run Repair-Blank-Panel.cmd.
- Read the detected versions and unsigned-panel notice. Type YES, then press Enter.
- Wait for REPAIR SETTING VERIFIED.
- Restart Illustrator → Window → Extensions → Ashad Guide Layout.
Keep Compatibility.ps1 and the matching .ps1 scripts beside the .cmd files. Repair checks the installed files and settings; it does not install or upgrade the extension. If it reports an older panel, run Install-Windows.cmd from the complete current package first.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Extension appears only in one Illustrator version | Use the shared installation folder above, rerun the installer, and restart Illustrator. Check for duplicate application-folder copies. |
| Installer cannot find Illustrator | Follow the custom installation path instructions. |
| Panel is missing or blank | Install the complete current package first, then try repair. If it continues, contact Ashad with your exact Illustrator version and a screenshot of the error. |
| A package file is missing | Extract the whole ZIP. Do not run scripts inside the ZIP or copy only one script. |
| Guides are invisible | Choose View → Guides → Show Guides and check layer visibility. |
| Layout does not fit | Reduce margins, gutters or the number of columns/rows. |
Repair cannot resolve every cause of a blank panel. On a managed work computer, ask your administrator if scripts or unsigned extensions are blocked.
Update: close Illustrator and run Install-Windows.cmd from the new download.
Uninstall: close Illustrator, run Uninstall-Windows.cmd, and type YES. Press Enter to keep settings used by other extensions, or type RESTORE to restore the saved settings. Restoring settings may affect other unsigned panels. Manual application-folder copies must be managed separately.
Share this GitHub page or the complete Windows ZIP with friends.
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© 2026 Ashad. Complete, unmodified copies may be installed, used and shared with the included notice. This is an independent extension; Adobe and Illustrator belong to their respective owners.