Operation Manual

214

USING ILLUSTRATOR

Selecting and arranging objects

Last updated 11/8/2011

Expanding is particularly helpful if you are having difficulty printing transparency effects, 3D objects, patterns,

gradients, strokes, blends, flares, envelopes, or symbols.

1 Select the object.

2 Choose Object > Expand.

If the object has appearance attributes applied to it, the Object > Expand command is dimmed. In this case, choose

Object

> Expand Appearance and then choose Object > Expand.

3 Set options, and then click OK:

Object Expands complex objects, including live blends, envelopes, symbol sets, and flares.

Fill Expands fills.

Stroke Expands strokes.

Gradient Mesh Expands gradients to a single mesh object.

Specify Sets the tolerance for color values between color stops. Higher numbers help maintain a smooth color

transition; low numbers can create a more banded appearance.

Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you choose Object > Expand to expand a gradient using the

settings last entered in the Expand dialog box.

Moving, aligning, and distributing objects

Move objects

You can move objects by dragging them with specific tools, by using the arrow keys on the keyboard, or by entering

precise values in a panel or dialog box.

You can use snapping to help you position objects as you move them. For example, you can snap the pointer to guides

and anchor points and snap object boundaries to gridlines. You can also use the Align panel to position objects in

relation to each other.

You can then use the Shift key to constrain the movement of one or more objects so that they move in a precise

horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction relative to the current orientation of the x and y axes. You can also use the

Shift key to rotate objects in multiples of 45°.

Hold down Shift while dragging or drawing to limit movement to the nearest 45° angle.