Select Edit > Preferences > Type (Windows) or Illustrator > Settings > Type (macOS).
Last updated on
Nov 13, 2026
Learn how to align objects precisely to Japanese, Chinese, and Korean text in Adobe Illustrator desktop using Snap to Glyph guides.
Snap to Glyph lets you align artwork precisely with live Japanese text without creating outlines or reference guides. Use glyph guides to snap objects when you draw, move, scale, or rotate them. The feature supports Japanese and Latin characters across supported fonts.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have Japanese, Chinese, or Korean fonts installed on your system.
Enable East Asian options and glyph snapping
Select Show East Asian Options and then select OK.
Select View > Snap to Glyph.
Select View > Smart Guides.
Note
Glyph snapping doesn't work when View > Snap to Grid is enabled, Alignment Guides are disabled in Smart Guides preferences, or Snapping Tolerance is set to 0.
Configure Japanese glyph snap options
Select Window > Type > Character.
Open the Character panel menu and select Show Snap to Glyph Options if the snap options aren't visible.
Verify that the required snap options are enabled in the Snap to Glyph section.
Japanese-specific options include Embox and Embox Center. Glyph Bounds, Baseline, Angular Guides, and Anchor Points work with both Japanese and Latin characters.
Snap to an individual glyph
Right-click the glyph you want to snap to.
Select Snap to Glyph.
Move, scale, or draw objects near the selected glyph.
The selected glyph displays guides based on the enabled snap options. For individually selected Japanese glyphs, Embox and Embox Center guides aren't available.
Release individual glyph snapping
Right-click the selected glyph.
Select Release Snap to Glyph.
You can also select Release Glyph in the Control panel.
Snap with angular guides
Angular guides appear when you rotate a text frame or select a glyph that contains diagonal segments.
Select a rotated text frame or an individual glyph with diagonal segments.
Move, scale, rotate, or draw objects near the angular guides.
Position objects until they snap to the displayed guides.
Draw and snap to anchor points
Verify that Anchor Points is enabled in the Snap to Glyph section of the Character panel.
Select the Pen tool .
Move the pointer over a glyph to display its anchor points.
Draw a shape using the displayed anchor points, or move an existing object near the anchor points to snap to them.
Snap to area text
Snap to Glyph works with both point text and area text.
- Point text displays all available guides and anchor points.
- Area text displays Glyph Bounds guides only.
To snap to a specific glyph in area text:
Right-click the glyph.
Select Snap to Glyph.
The selected glyph displays all available guides supported by the enabled snap options.
Change glyph guide color
Select Edit > Preferences > Smart Guides (Windows) or Illustrator > Settings > Smart Guides (macOS).
Select a color in Glyph Guides, and then select OK.
The default glyph guide color is green.
For snapping to Latin characters, adjust guide behavior in Snap glyph to angles, anchor points, or text area. You can also customize snapping behavior with Snap to Glyph options and work with East Asian typography features in format East Asian characters.
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