- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Create documents
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Trace images
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measurement
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Select objects
- Layers
- Group and expand objects
- Move, align, and distribute objects
- Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
- Snap objects to glyph
- Snap objects to Japanese glyph
- Stack objects
- Lock, hide, and delete objects
- Copy and duplicate objects
- Rotate and reflect objects
- Intertwine objects
- Create realistic art mockups
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Reflow Viewer
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Reshaping objects with effects
Using effects is a convenient way to reshape objects without making permanent changes to their underlying geometry. Effects are live, which means that you can modify or remove the effect at any time.
You can use the following effects to reshape objects:
Convert To Shape
Converts the shape of vector objects to a rectangle, rounded rectangle, or ellipse. Set the dimensions of the shape using absolute or relative dimensions. For rounded rectangles, specify a corner radius to determine the curvature of the rounded edge.
Distort & Transform
Lets you quickly reshape vector objects.
Free Distort
Lets you change the shape of a vector object by dragging any of four corner points.
Pucker & Bloat
Pulls a vector object’s anchor points outward while curving the segments inward (Pucker) or inward while curving the segments outward (Bloat). Both options pull the anchor points relative to the object’s center point.
Roughen
Transforms a vector object’s path segments into a jagged array of peaks and valleys of various sizes. Set the maximum length for segment paths using an absolute or relative size. Set the density of jagged edges per inch (Detail) and choose between soft edges (Smooth) or sharp edges (Corner).
Transform
Reshapes an object by resizing, moving, rotating, reflecting (flipping), and copying it.
Tweak
Randomly curves and distorts path segments inward and outward. Set the vertical and horizontal distortion using an absolute or relative amount. Specify whether or not to modify anchor points, move control points that lead into anchor points on the path (“In” Control Points), and move control points that lead out of anchor points on the path (“Out” Control Points).
Twist
Rotates an object more sharply in the center than at the edges. Entering a positive value twists clockwise; entering a negative value twists counterclockwise.
Zig Zag
Transforms an object’s path segments into a jagged or wavy array of uniformly sized peaks and valleys. Set the length between peaks and valleys using an absolute or relative size. Set the number of ridges per path segment and choose between wavy edges (Smooth) or jagged edges (Corner).
Warp
Distorts or deforms objects, including paths, text, meshes, blends, and bitmap images. Choose one of the predefined warp shapes. Then select which axis the bending option affects and specify the amount of bending and distortion to apply.
Round the corners of objects
The Round Corners effect converts the corner points of a vector object to smooth curves.
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In the Layers panel, target the items you want to round.
If you want to round a specific attribute of an object, such as its fill or stroke, target the object in the Layers panel and then select the attribute in the Appearance panel.
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Choose Effect > Stylize > Round Corners. (The command is located in the first Stylize submenu.)
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To define the curvature of the rounded curve, enter a value in the Radius text box, and click OK.