Voice to Text for Adobe Illustrator

Typing interrupts your creative flow in Illustrator. Whether you're adding text boxes to a poster, naming artboards for export, organizing layers in a complex illustration, or writing design annotations for clients, stopping to type breaks your visual concentration. Blurt lets you speak directly into Illustrator. Hold a button, say what you want to type, release. Text appears instantly at your cursor. Your hands stay on the pen tablet, your mind stays on the artwork.

First 1,000 words free Works in any Illustrator text field macOS only

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The Typing Problem

Text boxes require constant context switching

You're designing a poster and need to add headlines, body copy, and captions. Every text box pulls you out of your creative zone. You know exactly what you want to say, but reaching for the keyboard, finding your position, typing it out, and returning to the design takes you out of flow. By the time you've typed the third text box, your layout inspiration has faded.

Artboard naming for export becomes tedious

You've created 24 social media assets across different sizes. Each artboard needs a specific name for the export workflow: Instagram-Story-V2-Dark, Facebook-Cover-Spring-Sale, LinkedIn-Banner-Product-Launch. Typing these names one by one is mind-numbing. You just want to say the name and move on, but instead you're stuck in a naming marathon.

Layer organization gets neglected because naming takes too long

Your illustration has 200 layers. You know you should name them properly: Background-Gradient, Character-Hair-Highlights, Tree-Branch-03-Shadow. But typing out descriptive names for each layer would take an hour. So you leave them as Layer 47, Layer 48, and curse yourself when you need to find something three months later.

Client annotations require too much keyboard time

You're preparing a design file to send to a client. Notes explaining color choices, explaining why the logo is positioned there, explaining the font pairing rationale. Speaking these explanations would take seconds. Typing them takes minutes. So you send files with minimal context, and then spend time on calls explaining what you should have documented.

Design specs become an afterthought

The illustration is done, but now you need to add specifications for the production team. Bleed areas, color codes, size requirements, material notes. You know all this information, but the prospect of typing it all out makes you procrastinate. Handoff documentation becomes rushed or incomplete because typing is exhausting after hours of detailed vector work.

How It Works

Blurt works anywhere you can type in Adobe Illustrator. Text boxes, layer names, artboard names, document notes, and any text field. If there's a cursor, Blurt works.

Click into any text field

Text box on the canvas, layer name in the panel, artboard name, document info. Anywhere you'd normally type.

Hold your hotkey and speak

Press your chosen shortcut and say what you want to type. Blurt handles punctuation automatically.

Release and continue designing

Text appears instantly. No delay, no extra steps. Your hands never left the pen tablet.

Real Scenarios

Adding text boxes to marketing materials

You're designing a tri-fold brochure. Headlines, subheads, body copy, captions, contact information. Select the Type tool, draw your text box, hold your hotkey and say 'Discover the future of sustainable packaging. Our eco-friendly solutions reduce waste by 40 percent while maintaining premium quality.' Text appears, formatted and ready to style. Next section.

Naming artboards for batch export

You've built an icon set with 60 icons across 60 artboards. Each needs a descriptive name for the SVG export. Click the artboard name, hold your hotkey, say 'Icon dash Settings dash Gear dash Outline.' Next artboard. 'Icon dash User dash Profile dash Filled.' The naming that would take an hour is done in 15 minutes.

Organizing layers in complex illustrations

Your character illustration has dozens of layers that need proper names. Double-click the layer, hold your hotkey, say 'Character Main Hair Highlights.' Next layer. 'Character Main Face Shadow.' Your future self will thank you when revisions come in and you can actually find what you need.

Design annotations for client handoff

You're adding notes to explain design decisions before sending the file. Create a text box, hold your hotkey: 'The blue gradient uses the brand primary color at 80 percent opacity to create depth without competing with the product photography. Approved by marketing team on December 15th.' Context captured before the thought fades.

Typography specifications on the canvas

You're creating a brand style guide in Illustrator. Each typography example needs labels and descriptions. Hold your hotkey: 'Headline style. Helvetica Neue Bold, 48 point, tracking 25, primary brand color. Use for main page headers only.' The spec documentation that would take hours gets done alongside the design itself.

Print production notes

The design is ready for print but needs production specifications. Create a notes layer and add text boxes: 'Three millimeter bleed on all sides. Pantone 286 C for the logo. 350 GSM uncoated stock. Spot UV on logo only.' All the information the printer needs, captured at speaking speed.

Asset labeling in presentation files

You're preparing a design presentation with multiple concepts. Each artboard needs a concept name, version number, and brief description. Hold your hotkey: 'Concept B Version 3. Minimalist approach with expanded white space. Client preferred the iconography direction from this version.' Presentations that actually explain themselves.

Why illustrators choose Blurt over built-in dictation for Illustrator work

	Blurt	macOS Dictation
Activation	Single customizable hotkey	Double-tap Fn or click microphone
Response time	Text appears in under 500ms	2-3 second delay, sometimes fails silently
Design terminology	Handles 'kerning', 'CMYK', 'Pantone', 'bezier' correctly	Struggles with design and print terms
Workflow integration	Works without disrupting Illustrator focus	System UI appears, breaks concentration
Reliability	Consistent transcription quality	Inconsistent, requires retries

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Blurt work with text boxes on the Illustrator canvas?

Yes. Blurt works with any text field in Illustrator, including text boxes on the canvas. Select the Type tool, click or draw your text area, hold your hotkey, speak your content, and release. The text appears instantly, ready for formatting.

Can I use Blurt to name layers and artboards?

Absolutely. Double-click any layer name or artboard name to edit it, hold your hotkey, speak the name you want, and release. This makes organizing complex files with dozens or hundreds of layers much faster than typing each name individually.

How well does Blurt handle design and print terminology?

Blurt handles design vocabulary well. Terms like 'kerning', 'leading', 'CMYK', 'Pantone', 'bezier', 'vector', and 'bleed' transcribe accurately. For highly specialized terms or unusual proper nouns, occasional edits may be needed.

Does Blurt work while using a pen tablet?

Yes. Since Blurt uses a keyboard shortcut rather than mouse interaction, you can keep your pen in hand on your tablet. Set up a hotkey that's easy to reach, and you can speak text without putting down your stylus or breaking your drawing flow.

How much does Blurt cost?

Blurt offers a free tier with first 1,000 words free. For most illustration work, this covers text boxes, layer naming, and annotations. If you need unlimited words, Pro is $10 per month or $99 per year. No credit card required to start.

Does Blurt work on Windows or Linux?

Blurt is macOS only. We focused on creating the best possible Mac experience with native menu bar integration and system-level keyboard shortcuts. Windows and Linux versions are not currently available.

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