How to Curve Lines in Illustrator

You can draw curved lines in Adobe Illustrator using the Pen Tool, or create new curves in existing lines using the Convert Anchor Point tool. Clicking and dragging the anchor points of a line with the Convert Anchor Point tool will bend the line in the direction you drag the tool. You can also add anchor points on the line with the Add Anchor Point Tool to create subtle or complicated curves in the line.

Instructions

Drawing a Curved Line

1. Open Illustrator, and create a new document. Select the Pen Tool from the Toolbox.

2. Place the tool near the left side of the document about halfway down from the top. Click and hold the mouse button. The first anchor point appears on the document.

3. Hold down the "Shift" key and drag the tool down to the bottom center of the document, then release the mouse button. This creates the slope of the curve -- you are not yet drawing the curve itself. Holding the Shift key keeps the angle at 45 degrees.

4. Click the tool on the right side of the document parallel to the first anchor point. The Pen Tool automatically creates a curve based on the slope you created in Step Three.

5. Press "Ctrl-Z" to undo the last step. Click the tool in the same place on the left side of the document, but hold down the mouse button. Drag the tool to the bottom right side of the document and release the mouse button. This creates a second slope in the curve, resulting in an S-shaped line. The slope lines you created are visible on the document but only the curved line will be seen when you print or export the document.

Curving a Straight Line

1. Select the Line Segment Tool from the Toolbox. Click the tool on the left side of the document, and drag it across to the right while holding down the "Shift" key to create a horizontal line.

2. Click the bottom right corner of the Pen Tool icon in the Toolbox to reveal additional tools. Select the Convert Anchor Point Tool.

3. Click on the small square anchor point at the end of the line. Drag the tool down towards the center bottom of the document. The line curves downward.

4. Press "Ctrl-Z" to undo the curve so that you have a straight line again.

5. Click the bottom right corner of the Convert Anchor Point Tool in the Toolbox. Select the "Add Anchor Point Tool."

6. Click the tool in the middle of the line to add a new anchor point.

7. Select the Convert Anchor Point Tool from the Toolbox. Click on the new anchor point in the middle of the line and drag it downward. The line becomes an S-shaped curve based on the slope you create and the position of the anchor points.

8. Delete anchor points using the Delete Anchor Point Tool. Move the position of anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool.

References

• Adobe Help: Illustrator CS5: Drawing With the Pen Tool
• Adobe Help: Illustrator CS5: Adjust Path Segments
• School.Tatoland.com: Illustrator: The Pen Tool