Page 37 - CS6_GD_Look_Inside.pdf

2. Open the Align panel (Window>Align) and click the Vertical Align Top button.
By default, alignment and distribution functions occur relative to the selected objects.
In other words, when you click the Vertical Align Top button, Illustrator determines the
topmost edge of the selected objects, and then moves the top edges of all other selected
objects to that position.

Depending on your monintor
width, Align options might
be available in the Control
panel when multiple objects
are selected.
By default, alignment
functions move all objects
to the outermost edge of
the active selection.

Vertical Align Top button

3. With all four objects selected, click the Horizontal Distribute Center button.

By default, the distribution functions create equal distance between the selected point
of the selected objects. In this case, Illustrator distributed the center points along the
horizontal axis by determining the center positions of the outermost selected objects,
and then moving the middle two objects to create equal distance between the centers of
all four selected objects; the positions of the two outer objects remained unchanged.

The outer edges of the selected
objects remain unchanged.

Horizontal Distribute
Center button

Note:
4. With all four objects selected, choose Object>Group.
Press Command/
When you group multiple objects, the group is essentially treated as a single object.
A single bounding box surrounds all objects within the group. Control-G to group
selected objects. Press
5. Click inside any of the grouped objects; while still holding down the mouse Command/Control-
button, press Option/Alt and drag down. Shift-G to ungroup
grouped objects.
6. Use the Smart Guides and cursor feedback to drag exactly vertical (the
dX value should be 0). When the dY value in the cursor feedback is 2 in,
release the mouse button.
Pressing Option/Alt while you drag makes a copy of the original selection. This
technique, called cloning, can save significant amounts of time when you build
illustrations that contain numerous repetitive elements.

The cursor icon shows
that you are cloning
instead of simply dragging.
Cursor feedback makes it
easy to move something
to precise locations.

Project 1: International Symbols 57