Mastering Selection Techniques in Adobe Illustrator: Top 8 Tips for Efficient Workflows

Selection techniques are crucial in graphic design and can save you time and frustration. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, it’s important to know the best techniques for selecting and manipulating your artwork in Adobe Illustrator. In this post, we’ll explore eight tips to help you improve your selection skills and work more efficiently.

1. Increase anchor point size

If you find it difficult to select anchor points in Illustrator, you can increase their size by going to Illustrator > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display > Adjust the Anchor size scroll bar. This will make it easier to select the anchor points you need, particularly if you’re working on a small area.

2. Lock and hide selections

When you’re working on a small area with multiple objects, it can be frustrating to accidentally select the wrong object. To avoid this, use the Object > Lock > Selection command to lock your selection in place. Similarly, you can use the Object > Hide > Selection command to temporarily hide your selection, making it easier to select other objects.

3. Select similar artwork

To quickly select artwork with similar attributes, such as fill colour, stroke colour, or stroke weight, use the Select > Same command. This can save you time and effort when working with complex artwork.

4. Save selections

After selecting artwork with the Select > Same command, you can save the selection for future use. With the shapes still selected, choose Select > Save Selection. Name the selection in the Save Selection dialogue box, and click OK. This can be helpful if you need to make the same selection multiple times.

5. Align to key objects

To align multiple objects with a key object, first, select all the objects, then click the desired key object. Next, choose which way to align the objects. This technique can be particularly useful when working with complex designs that require precise alignment.

6. Distribute objects evenly

Similar to aligning objects, you can distribute objects evenly by selecting them all and then choosing how you want them to be distributed. This technique can be particularly helpful when working with patterns or repeating designs.

7. Align anchor points

If you need to align anchor points within an object, select the object with a direct selection tool, then click the desired points by holding shift. Make sure the last point you select is the key point, and then use the Align tool to align the points.

8. Group and nest objects

Finally, you can create groups for objects by using the Properties panel. This can be particularly helpful when you need to move or manipulate multiple objects at once. You can also create nested groups, which make all the objects within the group act as a single unit.

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