Ultimate shortcut for exact positioning in Adobe Illustrator
This is the first of what will be an ongoing series of tutorials. When I think of something that I think will help other designers out, or something that I find useful or important in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, SolidWorks or Keyshot – I’ll get them uploaded.
This first post is for positioning objects EXACTLY where you want them in Illustrator, FAST. I find this method below to be much quicker and more reliable than using Guides – and I only really tend to use Guides for highly complex layouts with many objects. Have a go yourself and let me know if you find it useful too.
Summary
- Select your object.
- Press Ctrl+K to open the Preferences window.
- In the Keyboard Increment box, enter the dimension you would like to move your object by.
- Press OK, or hit Enter.
- Now use your Arrow Keys to move your object EXACTLY by the increment you specified.
There it is. It’s incredibly fast and I use it all the time. I was taught this many years ago when I worked with theSource – a consultancy in the North of England specialised in developing kitchenware products and packaging solutions. Little did I know that one of my future roles would involve a hell of a lot of Illustrator work, drawing up specs for backpack designs and other outdoor products. Had I not learnt this I think I’d have wasted time setting up Guides without really needing them.
Let us know how you get on.
C
This is so simple, yet would make it so much faster! I frequently find myself confused with many guides that are there but I used only once, in the end I end up hiding them.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing other tips. Thank you!
Hi Roberto, thanks for the comment. I appreciate that. I’ll be uploading other tips and tutorials soon. Is there anything in particular you’d be keen to hear about?