In previous versions, cropping an image or artwork was a destructive, clumsy process. Version 23 introduced a Photoshop-like Crop tool for embedded images.
These new viewing modes allowed designers to see their work without the distraction of guides or non-printing objects, effectively turning artboards into slides for direct presentations. Technical Improvements illustrator version 23
Adobe rewrote the Pencil tool’s engine. In v23, you could finally draw rough shapes, and Illustrator would smooth them in real-time based on your stroke speed. It also allowed you to extend or merge paths simply by drawing over the endpoints. This turned the Pencil from a "shaky hand" disaster into a viable vector sketch tool. In previous versions, cropping an image or artwork
Today, we’re rewinding to (shipped as Adobe Illustrator CC 2019). While it might not be the "latest and greatest" anymore, v23 represented a major architectural turning point for the software. If you are stuck on this version for workflow compatibility, or simply curious what changed, here is why v23 was a sleeper hit. This turned the Pencil from a "shaky hand"
Zooming to 100% now matched the physical size of the artwork (e.g., a 2-inch business card would measure 2 inches on screen), which was critical for print accuracy.