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How to Select and Edit Paths in Illustrator CS3

Contents

  1. #30 Selecting Path Segments and Paths
  2. #31 Defining, Selecting, and Isolating Groups
  3. #32 Selecting and Editing Anchors
  4. #33 Aligning Anchors
  5. #34 Selecting Similar Objects
  6. #35 Editing with the Bounding Box
  7. #36 Duplicating
  8. #37 Scaling
  9. #38 Rotating
  10. #39 Shearing (Skewing)
  11. #40 Distorting with Envelopes
  12. #41 Using Pathfinders

Chapter Description

Build your Illustrator expertise one technique at a time as authors David Karlins and Bruce Hopkins show you the best ways to select and edit paths.

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#33 Aligning Anchors

New to Illustrator CS3 is the useful ability to align anchors within a path. So, for example, if you've drawn a waveform and you want all the tops of the waves to align vertically, you can do that.

To align anchors, first select a set of anchors. You always select at least two anchors if you are going to align them.

TIP

For instructions on how to select anchors, see #32, "Selecting and Editing Anchors."

With the anchors selected, use the alignment tools in the Control panel to align them (Figure 33a).

Figure 33a

Figure 33a Anchor alignment tools in the Control panel.

Horizontal and vertical alignment lines up all selected anchors, either horizontally or vertically. Distribution creates even spacing between anchors. By default, anchors align along the bounding box—the rectangle that defines the selected group of anchors. So, for example, if you choose to align anchors vertical top, they align along the top of the bounding box (even with the top selected anchor) (Figure 33b).

Figure 33b

Figure 33b Aligning selected anchors vertical top.

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