How to Make an Arrow in Illustrator

Illustrator is a must-have program in the graphic designer's arsenal. It produces vector-based graphics that can be resized easily without distorting the image. Advanced Illustrator users can create amazing images, logos and designs. The program can be used to create text-based images such as business cards, invitations and more. But one of the seemingly simple things that often stumps even practiced users of Illustrator is how to make an arrow.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Illustrator

1. Create a new document, or open the document in which you wish to draw an arrow.

2. Select the line tool.

3. Draw a line where you want your arrow. Make the stroke width the width you want for the body of your arrow.

4. Go to the Effect menu, then Stylize>Add Arrowheads.

5. Choose the style of arrowhead you want, and whether you want it to appear at the start or end of your line segment. Be sure to check the "Preview" box so you can see how each choice will look.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you've created the arrowhead, you can't just change the appearance; Illustrator will just add another instance of the effect. Instead, go to the Appearance menu and drag "Add Arrowheads" to the trash. Then repeat the steps to add the arrowhead.

Resources

• Adobe's Illustrator forums, a useful resource for Illustrator help