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Measure distance and area

Use the Measure tool to measure the distance between any two points, their angle relative to the artboard axes, and the area of selected objects.

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Measure distance and area in a few simple steps.

Measure the distance between two points

  1. Select the Measure   tool.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click two points to measure the distance between them.
    • Click the first point and drag to the second point. Shift‑drag to constrain the tool to multiples of 45°.

    The Info panel opens automatically and shows the horizontal H and vertical V distances between the points, the actual distance D between them, and the angle of the imaginary line connecting them relative to the artboard axes.

Measure the area of selected objects

You can use the Measure   tool to measure the area of one or more selected objects on the canvas, including compound paths. You can exclude specific objects and segments of overlapping objects from your selection, giving you more control over the area measurement.

  1. Use the Selection   tool to select the object or objects.

  2. Select the Measure   tool.

  3. Click anywhere on the canvas to display the Info panel. The Info panel shows the combined area of the selected objects. If there's an overlapping area, it's counted only once toward the measurement.

  4. Shift-click an object or a segment of overlapping objects to exclude it from the measurement. Shift-click again to add it back.

  5. From the Info panel menu, select Area Options to change Units, Precision, and Scale of the area.

Area measurement scenarios

  • For an open path with no fill, you can't measure the area it bounds.
  • For a closed path with no fill, the Measure tool doesn't measure its area by default. Shift-click the area to measure it.
  • For a compound path, the Measure tool doesn't measure the cut-out area (hole) by default. Shift-click the hole to include it.
  • For text objects, you can't measure the area until you outline them.

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