How to Use the Lasso Tool in Adobe Illustrator

You have become pretty comfortable with Adobe Photoshop, and now you want to try something in Adobe Illustrator. A lot of the tools look the same, but you go to select some pixels with the lasso tool, and you don't get the marching ants you were hoping for. What's going on? Luckily you can use the lasso tool like a pro; this guide will show you how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Adobe Illustrator
• Open Illustrator document

How to Use the Lasso Tool in Adobe Illustrator

1. Make a few filled and stroked shapes on your document for practice. Use the rectangle tool or one of the other shape tools.

2. Click on the lasso tool in the toolbar. Now "draw" a loop around the rectangle you wish to select.

3. Notice that the rectangle you selected now has a highlighted path (outline). You did it!
   
   I used to give up, here, because I didn't see the marching ants. Illustrator doesn't use marching ants to highlights selections, though.

4. Use the lasso to select parts of a more complicated drawing. the lasso tool is really useful in Illustrator.

Tips & Warnings

• Hold down the shift key to highlight more than one type of object at once.
• You will not get marching ants - that's only in Photoshop.