I have just become very worryingly frustrated with a very simple task in illustrator. I have to make a 1000mm project with alternating black and white stripes 200mm wide. I make the first one using rectangle shape and ruler. Go to repeat this one to find there is no snap working in terms of snapping it alongside the first one with no gaps, no smart guide info or anything.So next I create 200mm guides using the ruler without any kind of snapping to measurement so this is fiddly to check the guides are on the 200mm measurements. Now I create copies of the stripes pull in the width between my two 200mm guides then snap out to the guides. Zooming in closely and still find some have missed the guides by a mm or so. Document edge snapping seems non existent either for the ends, align all at 200mm specified distance still means I need to snap then all to document edge which wont snap objects at all well even with max snap in properties at 8. How can this simple task be so fiddly?
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Snapping nightmares illustrator
- Thread starter samjoy
- Start date
...you'll find it easier using the "object > path > split into grid" function...
...use that on a 1000mm rectangle (check the "add guides" option if you wish)...
...you'll need a gutter value of zero and only use the appropriate options for the rows or columns, in your case columns i believe...
...so a value of 5 will give you the columns, gutter of zero will give you 200mm per column...
...you will then be able to make the chosen rectangles white as you need...
...you could also use the object > transform > move function on a 200 x 1000 rectangle, pressing the "copy" button, the press command + D to duplicate that item the same values, command + D again until you have enough rectangles, then change the ones you need to white (or black)...
andrew
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...use that on a 1000mm rectangle (check the "add guides" option if you wish)...
...you'll need a gutter value of zero and only use the appropriate options for the rows or columns, in your case columns i believe...
...so a value of 5 will give you the columns, gutter of zero will give you 200mm per column...
...you will then be able to make the chosen rectangles white as you need...
...you could also use the object > transform > move function on a 200 x 1000 rectangle, pressing the "copy" button, the press command + D to duplicate that item the same values, command + D again until you have enough rectangles, then change the ones you need to white (or black)...
andrew
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...correction!
...should really say:
"1000mm square" not "1000mm rectangle"...
...but you get the idea...
: )
andrew
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...should really say:
"1000mm square" not "1000mm rectangle"...
...but you get the idea...
: )
andrew
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...also don't underestimate the value of the align distribute buttons, distributing to the artboard option...
...you can have your five rectangles anywhere, using just two of those align distribute buttons they can be positioned correctly and all without any guides...
andrew
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...you can have your five rectangles anywhere, using just two of those align distribute buttons they can be positioned correctly and all without any guides...
andrew
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Hi
This is the kind of thing I like to do in Indesign if I can.
You can specify the size of the first stripe exactly to a thousandth of an inch or mm and then simply tell it to repeat the shape at what ever spacing you want.
The whole thing can be done in a couple of minutes.
In your case I would create a new document 1000 mm square, and a 200 mm margin on the left side.
Now just drag a box in the area of the margin, it will snap to the guides, giving you a 1000 by 200 mm box, next copy it, tell it to duplicate it twice with a 400 mm horizontal offset and you are done.
If you actually need to have art for the white then you would copy a box change the color and place it between the black boxes, it will snap into place if you have snap turned on.
Mike
This is the kind of thing I like to do in Indesign if I can.
You can specify the size of the first stripe exactly to a thousandth of an inch or mm and then simply tell it to repeat the shape at what ever spacing you want.
The whole thing can be done in a couple of minutes.
In your case I would create a new document 1000 mm square, and a 200 mm margin on the left side.
Now just drag a box in the area of the margin, it will snap to the guides, giving you a 1000 by 200 mm box, next copy it, tell it to duplicate it twice with a 400 mm horizontal offset and you are done.
If you actually need to have art for the white then you would copy a box change the color and place it between the black boxes, it will snap into place if you have snap turned on.
Mike
GreerWanda
Vendor
Hi
there is a functon in Illustrator hidden under a double click of the select tool (black arrow) that is somewhat like InDesgin's step and repeat...
it will allow you to draw the first 200 x 1000 box and then repeat it perfectly by 200mm
• set the horizontal input to +200mm to move to the right (-200 moves it left) and vertical at 0
• hit the copy button
• then ctl-D 3 times to repeat this move 3 more times
colour the boxes as required
good luck
Greer
there is a functon in Illustrator hidden under a double click of the select tool (black arrow) that is somewhat like InDesgin's step and repeat...
it will allow you to draw the first 200 x 1000 box and then repeat it perfectly by 200mm
• set the horizontal input to +200mm to move to the right (-200 moves it left) and vertical at 0
• hit the copy button
• then ctl-D 3 times to repeat this move 3 more times
colour the boxes as required
good luck
Greer
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