Use the Pen tool or the Curvature tool to place a smooth point, and drag to create the handles as required.
- What’s new
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Get started
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Learn the basics
- Illustrator on desktop technical requirements
- Supported file formats
- Homescreen overview
- Show or hide the homescreen
- Workspace overview
- Modify workspaces
- Manage workspaces
- Switch between the workspace and the homescreen
- Properties panel overview
- Set properties with precise values
- Control panel overview
- Contextual Task Bar overview
- Discover panel overview
- Learn faster with the Discover panel
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App preferences and settings
- Set app preferences
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Find custom keyboard shortcut files
- Export keyboard shortcuts list as a text document
- Delete keyboard shortcuts
- Built-in accessibility features of Adobe Illustrator
- Create accessible content in Adobe Illustrator
- Set up screen reader support
- MacBook Pro Touch Bar in Illustrator overview
- Illustrator controls and contextual operations in MacBook Pro Touch Bar
- Use Microsoft surface dial in Illustrator
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Learn the basics
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Add and import files
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Start new files
- New Document dialog overview
- Create documents using presets
- Create and save custom document presets
- Create documents using blank templates
- Create files with large canvases
- Create documents using templates from Adobe Stock
- Rotate canvas view
- Organize, share, and collaborate using Projects
- Access projects in the Illustrator workspace and other apps
- Find and edit Adobe Express templates
- Import from other apps
- Import other file types
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Start new files
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Use generative AI
- Common questions about generative AI features in Illustrator
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons
- Generate similar variations without text prompts
- Generate patterns
- Manage pattern variations
- Edit generated patterns
- Generate shape fills
- Scenarios with repeat shape fill generation
- Recolor artwork with text prompts
- Generate vector graphics to expand artwork
- Options to expand the expanded artwork
- Generate print bleed
- View 2D objects from new angles
- Manage generated variations
- Scenarios with linked variations
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Draw shapes and paths
- Learn drawing basics
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Draw shapes
- Draw lines
- Draw line segments with the Pen tool
- Draw curves with the Pen tool
- Draw straight lines with the Pencil tool
- Draw straight lines followed by curves
- Draw curves followed by straight lines
- Draw arcs
- Draw stars
- Draw spirals
- Draw two curved segments connected by a corner
- Draw shapes with the Curvature tool
- Preview the path
- Draw freeform paths with the Pencil tool
- Pencil tool options
- Reshape paths with the Pencil tool
- Extend paths with the Pencil tool
- Connect two paths with the Pencil tool
- Modify live shapes
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Modify paths
- Create smooth paths with the Smooth tool
- Refine path segments with the Smooth slider
- Select and edit path segments
- Select anchor points to modify paths
- Convert anchor points on a path
- Average the position of the anchor points
- Add or remove anchor points
- Turn off automatic addition or deletion of anchor points
- Find and delete stray anchor points
- Copy paths
- Auto simplify paths
- Manually simplify paths
- Simplify paths advanced options overview
- Simplify path benefits
- Cut paths
- Erase paths using the Eraser tool
- Erase parts of a path
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Manage objects
- Select objects
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Arrange objects
- Move objects
- Move multiple objects at once
- Move objects by specific distances
- Move or duplicate an object by pasting
- Paste an object relative to other objects
- Align or distribute selected objects
- Distribute objects by specific distances
- Expand objects
- Rotate objects
- Rotate multiple objects individually
- Rotate objects by specific angles
- Reflect or flip objects
- Reflect objects along an axis
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Edit objects
- Divide or split objects
- Cut objects with the Knife tool
- Duplicate objects
- Create duplicate objects using Offset Path
- Edit similar objects
- Edit groups with similar objects
- About clipping masks
- Create clipping masks
- Edit clipping masks
- Add, remove, or release objects from clipping masks
- Hide parts of objects with clipping masks
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Reshape and transform objects
- Pathfinder panel overview
- Create compound shapes with Pathfinder
- Edit areas of overlapping objects with Pathfinder
- Transform objects
- Transform panel overview
- Distort object
- Distort objects with envelopes
- Edit the contents of envelopes
- Envelope panel options
- Scale objects
- Scale multiple objects
- Shear objects
- Intertwine objects
- About perspective drawing
- Draw objects in perspective
- Perspective grid options
- Define and manage perspective grid preset
- Move the perspective grid and adjust its vanishing points
- Adjust grid cell size and grid extent
- Adjust horizon heights and grid planes
- Adjust the perspective grid and the active plane widget
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Create traces, mockups, and symbols
- Convert images to vector graphics
- Image Trace panel options
- Edit image trace results
- Save image trace presets
- Create mockups for images
- Edit mockups
- Save mockups as templates
- Create and place symbols
- Symbols panel options
- Edit symbols
- Create or import symbol libraries
- Maintain proportions while scaling symbols
- Transform symbols
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Measure and align
- Use grids and guides
- Plot and measure
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Paint and fill
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Learn painting basics
- About fills and strokes
- Fill and stroke controls
- Apply fill colors
- Apply stroke colors
- Create multiple fills and strokes
- Convert strokes to compound paths
- Remove fills or strokes
- Select objects with same fill and stroke
- Paint tools overview
- Merge paths using the Blob Brush tool
- Blob brush options and best practices
- About Live Paint
- Live Paint Bucket tool options
- Paint with the Live Paint Bucket tool
- Create Live Paint groups
- Isolate Live Paint groups
- Find and close gaps in Live Paint groups
- Expand and release Live Paint groups
- Resize objects or paths within Live Paint groups
- Select faces, edges, and paths in Live Paint groups
- Add paths to a Live Paint group
- Live Paint limitations
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Apply and edit strokes
- About brushes
- Brushes panel overview
- Draw paths with brush strokes
- Apply brush strokes to paths
- Remove brush strokes
- Add arrowheads to paths
- Customize arrowheads
- Paintbrush tool options
- Create brush libraries
- Import brushes
- Create brushes
- Create dotted or dashed lines
- Modify brushes
- Change the caps or joins of a line
- Convert brush strokes to outlines
- Create and edit gradients
- Create and edit meshes
- Create and edit patterns
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Learn painting basics
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Manage colors
- Learn color basics
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Select and adjust colors
- About selecting colors
- Color Picker overview
- Select colors using the Color Picker
- Color panel options
- Select colors using the Color panel
- Convert color modes
- Make colors printable or web safe
- Change colors to their inverse or complement
- Get precise spot colors using lab values
- Adjust saturation of multiple colors
- Adjust color balance
- Blend colors
- Change color tints
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Use swatches
- About Swatches
- Swatches panel overview
- Add colors to swatches
- Create swatches from the Color Guide panel
- Create process color swatches
- Create spot-color swatches
- Create gradient swatches
- Reorder swatches
- Duplicate swatches
- Replace, merge, or delete swatches
- Group swatches
- Move colors into swatch groups
- Create and open swatch libraries
- Edit swatch libraries
- Move swatches from swatch libraries to the swatches panel
- Share swatches between applications
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Modify colors
- Recolor artwork
- Recolor options overview
- Edit colors using Edit Colors dialog
- Modify colors in swatch groups
- Apply local or global changes to color properties
- Assign new colors to selected artworks
- View original colors in artworks
- Limit colors in artworks
- Color reduction options
- Edit swatch groups using the color wheel
- Add or remove colors from swatch groups
- Edit an individual color in color groups
- Delete swatch groups
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Apply transparency and blending
- Transparency panel overview
- Adjust opacity
- Opacity mask overview
- Adjust transparency using opacity masks
- Clip and invert opacity masks
- Deactivate, reactivate, or remove opacity masks
- Create knockout shapes
- Create transparency knockout groups
- View transparency in the artwork
- Blended objects overview
- Blending mode types
- Change and manage blending modes
- Create blends
- Blend Options overview
- Modify the spine of blended objects
- Reverse the stacking order in blended objects
- Release or expand blended objects
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Design with text
- Add and manage text
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Work with fonts and scripts
- Font browser overview
- Find and apply fonts
- Organize fonts using Creative Cloud Libraries
- Apply the fonts organized in Creative Cloud Libraries
- Find, apply, and adjust variable fonts
- Supported font file types in Adobe Illustrator
- Edit fonts
- Find and replace fonts
- Preview, add, or replace missing fonts
- Edit text without replacing missing fonts
- Identify fonts using Retype
- Apply Retype-suggested fonts to live text
- About Adobe Asian composers
- Justify text using Kashida and hyphenation
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Edit and format text
- Character panel overview
- Transform text
- Underline or strikethrough text
- Change case and capitalization styles
- Adjust kerning and tracking
- Vary font height
- Turn fractional character widths off or on
- Paragraph panel overview
- Align text
- Adjust word and letterspacing in justified text
- Indent text
- Adjust paragraph spacing
- Create bulleted or numbered lists
- Move or flip text
- Adjust text alignment and spacing on paths
- Apply effects to text on paths
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Use special characters and glyphs
- About character sets and alternate glyphs
- Insert special characters
- Glyphs panel overview
- Replace characters with alternate glyphs
- OpenType panel overview
- Use ligatures and contextual alternates
- Use swashes, titling alternates, or stylistic alternates
- Add stylistic sets to selected text
- Insert white space and break characters
- Snap to Glyph options
- Snap with glyph guides
- Snap glyph to angles, anchor points, or text area
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Create and manage artboards
- Add and edit artboards
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Organize and manage artboards
- Use the artboard context menu
- Cut, copy, and paste artboards
- Move artboards
- Rearrange artboards
- Reorder artboards
- Align and distribute artboards
- Lock artboards
- Modify display settings of artboards
- Set artboard views
- Apply colors to artboards
- Set video display options for artboards
- Export selected artboards
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Manage layers
- Create and organize layers
- Lock and hide layers
- Apply and modify layer effects
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Apply special effects and styles
- Apply filter effects
- Create 3D graphics
- Apply graphic styles
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Automate and visualize data
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Automate actions
- Actions panel overview
- Create new actions
- Insert non-recordable tasks into actions
- Insert stops in actions
- Exclude commands from actions
- Specify playback speed
- Add commands to actions
- Re-record actions
- Manage a set of actions
- Play actions on a batch of files
- Batch options
- Install and run scripts
- Merge data
- Set up data source files
- Import data source files
- Variable panel overview
- Work with variables
- Edit dynamic objects
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Visualize data
- Data sets and label options
- Create graphs
- Add graph data
- Add graph labels and data sets
- Adjust decimal digits and column width
- Format columns, bars, and lines
- Select parts of a graph
- Change graph types
- Change graph value axes
- Assign different scales to value axes
- Change the position of legend in graphs
- Combine different graph types
- Add drop shadows to graphs
- Apply marker designs to graphs
- Format pie graphs
- Format graph text
- Reuse graph designs
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Automate actions
- Troubleshoot
Preview the path
Last updated on
Oct 27, 2025
Learn how to preview the path before placing the next anchor point when drawing with the Pen tool or the Curvature tool.
By default, the Pen tool and the Curvature tool display a preview of the path that will be drawn from the previous anchor point to the current position of the mouse pointer.
Tip
Hold Command (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows) while dragging the handles of a smooth point to create unequal handles while keeping the pairing intact.
Release the mouse and move the pointer to the position where you want to place the next anchor point. Before you place the anchor point, a path is shown indicating what will be drawn if you place an anchor point there.
Place the anchor point to draw the path as previewed.
Note
When the preview is on, pressing Esc stops showing the preview and ends the path. This is the same action as hitting the keyboard shortcut P while working with the Pen tool when the preview feature is off.
You can turn off the path preview for the Pen tool and the Curvature tool by deselecting Edit > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display > Enable Rubber Band for (Windows) or Illustrator > Settings > Selection & Anchor Display > Enable Rubber Band for (macOS).
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