Select Window > Symbols.
Last updated on
Sep 11, 2025
Learn how to enable and adjust 9-slice scaling guides to preserve proportions while scaling symbols.
When you select the Enable Guides for 9-Slice Scaling option, two horizontal and two vertical grid lines conceptually divide the symbol into nine sections. When you scale the symbol, the parts of the symbol that don’t lie within the guides are not scaled.
Enable 9-slice guides
In the Symbols panel, select the symbol, and then select Symbol Options from the panel menu .
In the Symbol Options dialog box, select Enable Guides for 9‑Slice Scaling, and then select OK.
Tip
9-slice scaling works best for symbols with corners or borders that should remain undistorted during scaling, such as buttons or frames.
Adjust the 9-slice scaling guides
Drag the desired symbol from the Symbols panel to the artboard.
Double-click the symbol instance on the artboard to open the Isolation Mode.
Hover over any of the four guides, and when the pointer changes, drag the guide to adjust as required.
Press Esc on your keyboard to exit isolation mode.
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