Use objects as symbols for repeat use

Symbols allow you to create reusable graphic elements. You have the flexibility to create symbols from a wide range of objects, including shapes, paths, text, mesh objects, and even raster images.

Furthermore, dynamic symbols allow each symbol instance to have a unique appearance while sharing a common base shape. Changes made to the base shape are applied automatically to each instance while maintaining their unique appearance.

Explore the Symbols panel

Before starting with symbols, familiarize yourself with the Symbols panel (Window > Symbols). The Symbols panel lets you create and manage symbols in your document. The Symbols panel contains both preset symbols and any symbols you create. You can also add more symbols from libraries to the Symbols panel.

Use preset symbols from symbol libraries

Symbol libraries are collections of preset symbols. To open a symbol library, select Symbol Libraries Menu on the Symbols panel, and then select a library from the list. To add a symbol from a library to the Symbols panel, select the symbol.

You can sort and view items in a symbol library like in the Symbols panel. However, you can’t add items to, delete items from, or edit the items in a symbol library. To automatically open a library when you start Illustrator, select Persistent from the library’s panel menu.

Create a custom symbol library

Import a symbol library from another document

Place a symbol in the artwork

A symbol placed anywhere in your artwork is called a symbol instance.

Create a symbol

Drag an object to the Symbols panel to create a symbol.

In the Symbols panel, dynamic symbols appear with a small plus symbol in their lower-right corner.

Current limitations

• You cannot create a symbol from linked art or some groups such as groups of graphs.
• When creating dynamic symbols, you can't include text, placed images, or mesh objects.
  

Edit or redefine a symbol

You can edit a symbol by modifying the symbol’s artwork or you can redefine the symbol by replacing it with new artwork. Editing or redefining a symbol changes its appearance in the Symbols panel, as well as all instances of the symbol on the artboard.

Edit a symbol

Redefine a symbol with another object

The selected object automatically becomes an instance of the symbol. If you don’t want the selected object to become a symbol instance, press Shift as you select Redefine Symbol from the panel menu.

Transform and modify symbol instances

You can transform (move, scale, rotate, shear, or reflect) symbol instances the same way you can transform other objects. You can also perform any operation from the Transparency, Appearance, and Graphic Styles panels and apply any effect from the Effect menu. However, if you want to modify the individual components of a symbol instance, you must first expand it. When you expand a symbol instance, you break the link between the symbol and the symbol instance and convert the instance to a regular object. If you open a dynamic symbol in an older version of Illustrator, the symbol expands.

Expand and modify a symbol instance

After you expand and modify a symbol instance, you can redefine the original symbol in the Symbols panel. When you redefine a symbol, all existing symbol instances follow the new definition.

Use registration point as reference to transform symbol instances

When you create a symbol, you can select one of the nine registration points as a reference to transform symbol instances. A registration point appears as a crosshair in isolation mode, and in normal mode when you select a symbol instance. In isolation mode, you can move the symbol relative to the registration point.

In the Transform panel menu (Window> Transform), select Use Registration Point for Symbol to enable transformations of symbol instances based on the specified registration point. If you don't select this option, transformations of symbol instances will be instead based on the regular Reference Point. Once enabled, you can view the coordinates of the registration point in the Transform panel when you select a symbol instance.

Use the Reset Transformation option to reset the transformations applied to a symbol.

Reset transformations

To reset any transformations (move, scale, rotate, shear, or reflect) to symbols, select the symbol and then select Reset in the Control panel.

Replace a symbol instance with a different symbol

To select all symbol instances in a document, select a symbol in the Symbols panel, and then select Select All Instances from the panel menu.

Maintain proportions while scaling using 9-slice guides 

When you enable the 9-slice guides, four grid lines (two horizontal and two vertical) conceptually divide the symbol into nine sections. When you scale the symbol, the parts of the symbol that don't lie within the guides are not scaled.

Enable 9-slice guides

Adjust the 9-slice scaling guides

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