Aligning Tool

Aligning Tool

This panel offers many ways to align, space, and distribute shapes and text. 

When to use

Use these tools when you want to align shapes, texts, or objects in Illustrator. 

Instructions

Open the Align Panel 

• Go to Window > Align or press Shift + F7 on the keyboard. 

How to align shapes

• Using the Selection Tool (V), click and drag to select all the shapes. 
• On the Align Panel, select 'Horizontal Align Left.' This will align all of your shapes to the left of your screen. 
• Under Align Options, you can also horizontally align shapes to the center or right from this same panel. 
• In the same panel, you can vertically align shapes to the top of the shapes, through a center point of a group of shapes, or to the bottom of all the shapes. 

How to distribute shapes

• Using the Selection Tool (V), click and drag to select all the shapes. 
• On the Align Panel, under Distribute Options, select 'Vertical Distribute Center.' This will evenly distribute space through the vertical axis.
• You can also evenly distribute space through the horizontal axis by selecting 'Horizontal Distribute Center.'

How to evenly space out shapes

• Using the Selection Tool (V), click and drag to select all the shapes. 
• On the Align Panel, under Distribute Spacing, select 'Horizontal Distribute Space.' This will put an even amount of shape between each shape. 
• In the same panel, you can vertically distribute space.

How to align to the artboard

• Using the Selection Tool (V), click and drag to select all the shapes. 
• On the Align Panel, under Align To, select 'Align to Artboard.'

How to align to a key object

• Using the Selection Tool (V), click on one shape to make it the key object, then select all the shapes. 
• On the Align Panel, under Align To, select 'Align to Key Object.'
• Whatever shape you select first will be the key object. 

Hints & tips

• You can combine aligning, distributing, and spacing to create the layouts that work for you!
• You can choose different combinations or ways to align objects to each other, the artboard, or a key object.