How to Align Objects on a Path in Illustrator
To align objects one at a time on a path in Adobe Illustrator, use Illustrator's Smart Guides to help you align the objects. If you want to align several identical objects along a path, use the Blend Options to create those objects first. This replicates the objects along an invisible spine. You can then align them all automatically along the path of your choice simply by replacing that spine with your path. This is a useful technique for creating, for example, small circles over the path of a large circle, like pearls on a string.
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Instructions
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Align a Single Object on a Path
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Create a new document in Illustrator. Click the "View" menu, and click the "Smart Guides" option to place a check mark beside it. Click the "View" menu again if you have Illustrator CS4, and click "Snap to Point" to place a check mark beside that option.
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2
Select the "Line Segment Tool" or the "Pen Tool" from the Toolbox, and draw a line of any size on the document.
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Click the "Selection Tool" in the Toolbox. Drag the circle over the line. The guides will show you when they are aligned. When the middle of the circle is over the middle of the line, it will snap into position.
Aligning Multiple Objects on a Path
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4
Create a new document in Illustrator. Select the "Ellipse Tool" from the Toolbox, and draw a large oval in the middle of the document by dragging the tool across the screen.
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5
Select the "Scissors Tool" from the Toolbox and click on the edge of the circle to open its path. This will ensure the objects are later aligned evenly along the path. Without cutting the path, the objects will be clustered together.
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Draw a small circle in the left corner of the document by dragging the Ellipse Tool while holding down the "Shift" key. Select the "Select Tool" from the Toolbox. Click the small circle while holding down the "Alt" key and drag a copy of the circle to the right side of the document.
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Drag the tool over both small circles. Click the "Object" menu, select "Blend," then "Blend Options." Select "Specified Steps" from the "Spacing" menu and type "10" in the text field. Click "OK."
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Click the "Object" menu again, select blend and click "Make." Ten circles are placed between the two circles you drew for a total of twelve evenly-spaced circles.
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