Select the Perspective Grid tool or press Shift + P to display the grid.
Last updated on
Oct 24, 2026
Learn how to draw, place, select, and transform artwork on the perspective grid in Adobe Illustrator using precision tools.
Working with objects on the perspective grid lets you create realistic depth and spatial relationships in your artwork by drawing, positioning, and transforming shapes, text, and symbols across different planes.
This workflow covers drawing new objects directly on the perspective grid, bringing existing artwork into perspective, and modifying objects using perspective-aware transformations. Before modifying the grid itself, learn about perspective drawing and how to set up your grid structure.
- Adobe Illustrator with the perspective grid enabled
- Basic familiarity with drawing tools
- Understanding of perspective grid planes (left, right, horizontal)
Enable Smart Guides (View > Smart Guides) to align objects to one another while working on the grid. You can also enable Snap to Grid (View > Perspective Grid > Snap to Grid) to snap objects precisely to gridlines.
Draw objects on the perspective grid
Select the active plane where you want to create objects using the Plane Switching widget.
Select any drawing tool and draw shapes directly on the active plane.
You can specify object properties like height, width, fill, and stroke the same way you would when drawing in regular mode. All standard drawing tool shortcuts work on the perspective grid.
Select and move objects in perspective
Select the Perspective Selection tool or press Shift + V.
Select objects on the perspective grid by clicking them.
Drag selected objects to reposition them on their current plane.
To constrain movement while dragging, press Shift as you drag. While moving objects, press 1, 2, 3, or 4 to switch the active plane and move the object to that plane.
Note
The Perspective Selection tool automatically snaps objects to the active grid plane during movement and transformation operations.
Bring existing objects into perspective
Select an existing object using the Perspective Selection tool.
Select the target plane using the Plane Switching widget.
Drag the object to the desired location on the active grid plane.
When you bring objects into perspective, their appearance and scale adjust to match the perspective of the target plane. The object's visual properties change based on the viewing angle and distance from vanishing points.
Attach objects to or release them from planes
To attach an object that exists outside the perspective grid to a specific plane, select the object and the target plane using the Plane Switching widget, then select Object > Perspective > Attach to Active Plane.
To release an object from perspective view while preserving its current appearance, select the object and choose Object > Perspective > Release with Perspective. The object becomes regular artwork that you can edit without perspective constraints.
Move objects perpendicular to their plane
Select an object using the Perspective Selection tool.
Press the 5 key while dragging the object to move it perpendicular to its current plane.
This technique creates parallel objects at different depths, useful for elements like walls in architectural drawings. The object maintains its size and orientation while moving forward or backward in perspective space.
Move grid planes to reposition objects
Select the Perspective Selection tool.
Press Shift and drag the appropriate Grid Plane Control widget for the plane containing your objects.
All objects on that plane move together, maintaining their relative positions. This method efficiently repositions multiple objects at once while keeping them parallel to their original positions.
Position objects at precise perpendicular distances
Double-click the Right, Horizontal, or Left Grid Plane Control using the Perspective Selection tool.
In the Vanishing Plane dialog box, specify the Location value for the perpendicular offset.
Select Move All Objects to move objects with the plane, Copy All Objects to duplicate them, or Do Not Move to reposition only the grid.
Select OK to apply the changes.
Use automatic plane positioning
Automatic plane positioning helps you draw objects by inferring the height or depth from existing objects or gridlines. For example, when drawing a cube, the grid automatically adjusts the horizontal plane to match the top face height.
Double-click the Perspective Grid tool to open the options dialog.
Select both Anchor Point of Perspective Artwork and Intersection of Gridlines checkboxes.
Select OK to enable automatic plane positioning.
After enabling this feature, press Shift while hovering over an anchor point on existing objects to temporarily hide other planes and infer height from that object. Press Shift while hovering over gridline intersections to position the active plane at that depth.
Align the grid to existing object depth
Select an object that's already in perspective.
Select Object > Perspective > Move Plane to Match Object.
The corresponding grid plane moves to match the selected object's height or depth, making it easier to draw or place new objects at the same position in perspective space.
Scale objects in perspective
Select an object using the Perspective Selection tool.
Drag any corner or edge handle of the object's bounding box to resize it.
When scaling objects in perspective, the height or distance scales based on the object's plane, not the currently active plane. For selections containing multiple objects, only objects on the same plane scale together.
Copy objects on the perspective grid
To duplicate an object on its current plane, press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging it with the Perspective Selection tool.
To create a perpendicular copy, press Alt + 5 (Windows) or Option + 5 (macOS) while dragging the object.
To copy an object parallel to its current position by moving the entire plane, press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging the Grid Plane Control for that plane.
Add text and symbols to perspective
You cannot add text or symbols directly to perspective planes while the grid is visible. Instead, create these elements in normal mode first, then bring them into perspective.
Create your text or symbol in the document using normal tools.
Select the Perspective Selection tool and select the text or symbol object.
Drag the object to the desired position on the active grid plane.
Select Edit Text or Edit Symbol in the Control panel, or double-click the object to edit it in isolation mode.
Note
Symbol definitions containing raster images, non-native art, envelopes, legacy type, or gradient meshes are not supported on the perspective grid. Replacing symbols, breaking links when expanding symbol instances, and resetting transformations don't work for symbols in perspective.
Keyboard shortcuts reference
The following keyboard behaviors apply when working with objects on the perspective grid:
- All standard drawing tool shortcuts work the same as in regular mode
- Press 1, 2, 3, or 4 while drawing or moving to switch planes
- Press 5 while moving to activate perpendicular movement
- Arrow keys don't function during perpendicular movement operations
- Shortcuts 1-5 don't work on extended numeric keypads
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