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Scale, shear, and distort objects

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  1. Illustrator User Guide
  2. Get to know Illustrator
    1. Introduction to Illustrator
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      7. Modify tools
        1. Rotate
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        4. Shear
        5. Width
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    4. Quick actions
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  3. Illustrator on the iPad
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      1. Illustrator on the iPad overview
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      3. System requirements | Illustrator on the iPad
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    2. Workspace
      1. Illustrator on the iPad workspace
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    3. Documents
      1. Work with documents in Illustrator on the iPad
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    4. Select and arrange objects
      1. Create repeat objects
      2. Blend objects
    5. Drawing
      1. Draw and edit paths
      2. Draw and edit shapes
    6. Type
      1. Work with type and fonts
      2. Create text designs along a path
      3. Add your own fonts
    7. Work with images
      1. Vectorize raster images
    8. Color
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  4. Cloud documents
    1. Basics
      1. Work with Illustrator cloud documents
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      5. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
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  5. Add and edit content
    1. Drawing
      1. Drawing basics
      2. Edit paths
      3. Draw pixel-perfect art
      4. Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
      5. Draw simple lines and shapes
      6. Image Trace
      7. Simplify a path
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      10. Adjust path segments
      11. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
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    2. 3D objects and materials
      1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
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      7. Apply stroke on an object
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    5. Select and arrange objects
      1. Select objects
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      7. Copy and duplicate objects
      8. Rotate and reflect objects
      9. Intertwine objects
    6. Reshape objects
      1. Crop images
      2. Transform objects
      3. Combine objects
      4. Cut, divide, and trim objects
      5. Puppet Warp
      6. Scale, shear, and distort objects
      7. Blend objects
      8. Reshape using envelopes
      9. Reshape objects with effects
      10. Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
      11. Work with Live Corners
      12. Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
      13. Edit clipping masks
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      15. Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
      16. Global editing
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      19. Scale and rotate type
      20. Line and character spacing
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      22. Text enhancements
      23. Spelling and language dictionaries
      24. Format Asian characters
      25. Composers for Asian scripts
      26. Create text designs with blend objects
      27. Create a text poster using Image Trace
    8. Create special effects
      1. Work with effects
      2. Graphic styles
      3. Create a drop shadow
      4. Appearance attributes
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      7. Summary of effects
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  7. Printing
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      10. White Overprint
  8. Automate tasks
    1. Data merge using the Variables panel
    2. Automation with scripts
    3. Automation with actions
  9. Troubleshooting 
    1. Crash issues
    2. Recover files after crash
    3. File issues
    4. Supported file formats
    5. GPU device driver issues
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    7. DLL file issues
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    13. Improve Illustrator performance

Scale objects

Scaling an object enlarges or reduces it horizontally (along the x axis), vertically (along the y axis), or both. Objects scale relative to a reference point which varies depending on the scaling method you choose. You can change the default reference point for most scaling methods, and you can also lock the proportions of an object.

Note:

After you scale an object, Illustrator does not retain the original size of the object in memory. Therefore, you cannot resume the original size of the object. However, you can see the resolution of the object in the Document Info panel and decide on the scale at which you want to resize the object, while retaining the object’s resolution.

By default, strokes and effects are not scaled along with objects. To scale strokes and effects, choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences > General (Mac OS), and select Scale Strokes & Effects. If you want to choose whether to scale strokes and effects on a case-by-case basis, use the Transform panel or the Scale command to scale objects.

Scale objects
The Scale Strokes & Effects option scales the object, the drop shadow effect, and the stroke (left); only the object scales when this option is off (right).

Scale objects with the Scale tool

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Select the Scale tool  .
  3. Do any of the following:

    • To scale relative to the object’s center point, drag anywhere in the document window until the object is the desired size.

    • To scale relative to a different reference point , click where you want the reference point to be in the document window, move the pointer away from the reference point, and then drag until the object is the desired size.

    • To maintain the object’s proportions as it scales, hold down Shift as you drag diagonally.

      Tip: While using the Scale tool with the Shift key, start dragging at an angle of 45° horizontally or vertically but in an angle.

    • To scale the object along a single axis, hold down Shift as you drag vertically or horizontally.

    Note:

    For finer control over scaling, start dragging farther from the reference point.

Scale objects with the bounding box

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Select the Selection tool or the Free Transform tool  .
  3. Drag a bounding box handle until the object is the desired size.

    Objects scale relative to the opposite handle of the bounding box.

  4. Do any of the following to control the scaling behavior:

    • To maintain the object’s proportions, hold down Shift as you drag.

    • To scale relative to the object’s center point, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag.

Scale objects to a specific width and height

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. In the Transform panel, enter a new value in the Width (W) or Height (H) box, or both.

    You can do any of the following before you enter a value to control the scaling behavior:

    • To maintain the objects’ proportions, click the lock proportions button .

    • To change the reference point for scaling, click a white square on the reference point locator .

    • To scale stroked paths and any size-related effects along with the object, select Scale Strokes & Effects from the panel menu.

Note:

You can also maintain proportions by entering a value in the W or H box, and then pressing Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) while you press Enter.

Scale objects by a specific percentage

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • To scale from the center, choose Object > Transform > Scale or double-click the Scale tool .

    • To scale relative to a different reference point, select the Scale tool and Alt‑click (Windows) or Option‑click (Mac OS) where you want the reference point to be in the document window.

  3. In the Scale dialog box, do one of the following:

    • To maintain the object’s proportions as it scales, select Uniform, and enter a percentage in the Scale text box.

    • To scale the height and width separately, select Non-Uniform, and enter a percentage in the Horizontal and Vertical text boxes.

      The scale factors are relative to the reference point and can be negative or positive.

  4. To scale stroked paths and any size-related effects along with the object, select Scale Strokes & Effects.
  5. If the objects contain a pattern fill, select Patterns to scale the pattern. Deselect Objects if you want to scale the pattern but not the objects.
  6. Click OK, or click Copy to scale a copy of the objects.

Scale multiple objects

  1. Select the objects.
  2. Choose Object > Transform > Transform Each.
    Note:

    You cannot enter a specific width for scaling multiple objects. In Illustrator, you can only scale objects in percentage measurements.

  3. Set percentages for horizontal and vertical scaling in the Scale section of the dialog box.
  4. To change the reference point, click a white square on the reference point locator  .
  5. Click OK, or click Copy to scale a copy of each object.

Shear objects

Shearing an object slants, or skews, the object along the horizontal or vertical axis, or a specified angle that’s relative to a specified axis. Objects shear relative to a reference point which varies depending on the shearing method you choose and can be changed for most shearing methods. You can lock one dimension of an object as you shear it, and you can shear one object or multiple objects simultaneously.

Note:

Shearing is useful for creating cast shadows.

Shear objects
Shearing relative to the center (left) compared to shearing relative to a user-defined reference point (right)

Shear objects with the Shear tool

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Select the Shear tool  .
  3. Do one of the following:

    • To shear relative to the object’s center, drag anywhere in the document window.

    • To shear relative to a different reference point , click anywhere in the document window to move the reference point, move the pointer away from the reference point, and then drag until the object is at the desired slant.

    • To shear along the object’s vertical axis, drag anywhere in the document window in an up or down direction. To constrain the object to its original width, hold down Shift.

    • To shear along the object’s horizontal axis, drag anywhere in the document window in a left or right direction. To constrain the object to its original height, hold down Shift.

Shear objects with the Shear command

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • To shear from the center, choose Object > Transform > Shear or double-click the Shear tool .

    • To shear from a different reference point, select the Shear tool and Alt‑click (Windows) or Option‑click (Mac OS) where you want the reference point to be in the document window.

  3. In the Shear dialog box, enter a shear angle from ‑359 to 359. The shear angle is the amount of slant applied to the object in a clockwise direction and is relative to a line that’s perpendicular to the shear axis.
  4. Select the axis along which to shear the object.

    If you chose an angled axis, enter a value between –359 and 359, relative to the horizontal axis.

  5. If the objects contain a pattern fill, select Patterns to move the pattern. Deselect Objects if you want to move the pattern but not the objects.
  6. Click OK, or click Copy to shear a copy of the objects.

Shear objects with the Free Transform tool

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Select the Free Transform tool  .
  3. Do one of the following:

    • To shear along the object’s vertical axis, start dragging the middle-left or middle-right bounding-box handle, and then hold down Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Option+Command (Mac OS) as you drag up or down. You can also hold down Shift to constrain the object to its original width.

    • To shear along the object’s horizontal axis, start dragging the top-middle or bottom-middle bounding-box handle and then hold down Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Option+Command (Mac OS) as you drag right or left. You can also hold down Shift to constrain the object to its original height.

Shear objects with the Transform panel

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. In the Transform panel, enter a value in the Shear text box.

    To change the reference point, click a white square on the reference point locator  before you enter the value.

    Note:

    You can also call up the Transform panel by clicking X, Y, W, or H in the Control panel.

You can enable the Real-Time Drawing and Editing feature to enhance the live appearance of objects when you work on them. To enable this feature:

[Windows] Choose Edit > Preferences > Performance > Real-Time Drawing and Editing.

[macOS] Choose Illustrator > Preferences > Performance > Real-Time Drawing and Editing.

Distort objects

You can distort objects by using the Free Transform tool or a liquify tool. Use the Free Transform tool when you want to distort freely; use a liquify tool if you want to take advantage of specific preset distortions such as twirls, puckers, or wrinkles.

Distort objects with the Free Transform tool

  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. Select the Free Transform tool  .
  3. Start dragging a corner handle on the bounding box (not a side handle), and then do one of the following:

    • Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) until the selection is at the desired level of distortion.

    • Hold down Shift+Alt+Ctrl (Windows) or Shift+Option+Command (Mac OS) to distort in perspective.

       

    Distorting in perspective
    Distorting in perspective

Distort objects using a liquify tool

Liquify tools are Warp, Twirl, Pucker, Bloat, Scallop, Crystallize, and Wrinkle. You cannot use liquify tools on linked files or objects that contain text, graphs, or symbols.

  1. Select a liquify tool, and click or drag over the objects you want to distort.
  2. (Optional) To isolate the distortion to specific objects, select the objects before using the tool.
  3. (Optional) To change the size of the tool cursor and set other tool options, double-click the liquify tool and specify any of the following:

    Width and Height

    Controls the size of the tool cursor.

    Angle

    Controls the orientation of the tool cursor.

    Intensity

    Specifies the rate of change for the distortion. Higher values equal faster changes.

    Use Pressure Pen

    Uses the input from a tablet or pen instead of the Intensity value. If you don’t have a pressure-sensitive tablet attached, this option is dimmed.

    Complexity (Scallop, Crystallize, and Wrinkle tools)

    Specifies how closely the results of the particular brush are spaced on the object’s outline. This is closely tied with the Detail value.

    Detail

    Specifies the spacing between points introduced into the object’s outline (higher values space points closer together).

    Simplify (Warp, Twirl, Pucker, and Bloat tools)

    Specifies how much you want to reduce the superfluous points that do not measurably affect the overall appearance of the shape.

    Twirl Rate (Twirl tool only)

    Specifies the rate at which the twirl is applied. Enter a value between –180° and 180°. Negative values twirl the object clockwise and positive values twirl counterclockwise. The object twirls faster with values that are closer to either –180° or 180°. To twirl slowly, specify a rate close to 0°.

    Horizontal and Vertical (Wrinkle tool only)

    Specifies how far apart the control points are placed.

    Brush Affects Anchor Points, Brush Affects In Tangent Handles, or Brush Affects Out Tangent Handles (Scallop, Crystallize, Wrinkle tools)

    Enables the tool brush to make changes to these properties.

Distort objects using the Puppet Warp tool

Puppet Warp lets you twist and distort parts of your artwork, such that the transformations appear natural. You can add, move, and rotate pins to seamlessly transform your artwork into different variations using the Puppet Warp tool in Illustrator.

Choose the Puppet Warp tool from the Tools panel and add pins to your artwork.

Move or rotate the selected pin to transform your artwork.

To learn how to distort your artwork using the Puppet Warp tool, see Puppet Warp.

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