How to Use the Scale Tool in Adobe Illustrator

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One of the great features of Adobe Illustrator is that you can create images and stretch them huge without losing resolution. But how do you actually change an object's size without having to type an exact percentage (yuck!) into a dialog box? Luckily, Illustrator has a scale tool to help you get the job done right. This guide will get you started with the scale tool.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Computer
Adobe Illustrator
Open Illustrator Document

Step1

Draw a shape. Be sure to use a fill and/or stroke so that your shape shows up on your screen.

Step2

Select your shape. Use the black arrow tool if your shape is not already selected.

Step3

Choose the scale tool from the toolbar. The scale tool looks like a rectangle with an arrow in it, and might be temporarily hiding under the shear or reshape tools.

Step4

Put your cursor on the selected object and drag, holding down your left mouse button. You will see your object get larger or smaller, depending on which direction you drag the mouse.

Step5

Experiment with holding down the shift key while you drag. If you hold down the shift key and drag from the corner, your object will stay in proportion. If you hold down the shift key and drag from the side, one dimension of the object will remain constant, while the other sides change.