Select Window > Symbols.
- What’s new
-
Add and import files
-
Start new files
- Create documents using presets
- Create and save custom document presets
- New Document dialog overview
- 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
-
Start new files
-
Use generative AI
- Common questions about generative AI features in Illustrator
- Generate similar variations without text prompts
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons
- Partner models in Adobe Illustrator
- Use Auto Select
- 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
- Scenarios with linked variations
- Manage generated variations
-
Create and manage artboards
- Add and edit artboards
- Organize and manage artboards
-
Measure and align
- Use grids and guides
- Plot and measure
-
Paint and fill
-
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
- Paint with the Live Paint Bucket tool
- Live Paint Bucket tool options
- Create Live Paint groups
- Isolate Live Paint groups
- Merge paths using the Blob Brush tool
- Blob brush options and best practices
- About Live Paint
- 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
-
Apply and edit strokes
- About brushes
- Brushes panel overview
- Draw paths with brush strokes
- Apply brush strokes to paths
- Remove brush strokes
- Customize arrowheads
- Add arrowheads to paths
- 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
-
Learn painting basics
-
Manage colors
- Select and adjust colors
-
Manage layers
- Lock and hide layers
-
Design with text
- Edit and format text
- Work with fonts and scripts
-
Manage objects
- Select objects
-
Reshape and transform objects
- Pathfinder panel overview
- Transform objects
- Transform panel overview
- Scale objects
- Scale multiple objects
- Distort object
- Distort objects with envelopes
- Edit the contents of envelopes
- Envelope panel options
- Shear objects
- About perspective drawing
- Draw objects in perspective
- Perspective grid options
- Move the perspective grid and adjust its vanishing points
- Adjust the perspective grid and the active plane widget
-
Create traces, mockups, and symbols
- Convert images to vector graphics
- Image Trace panel options
- Edit image trace results
- Save image trace presets
- Edit mockups
- Create mockups for images
- 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
-
Apply special effects and styles
- Apply filter effects
- Create 3D graphics
- Apply graphic styles
- Automate and visualize data
- Troubleshoot
-
Save and export
- Export files to different formats
- Export to other apps
- Get started
Maintain proportions while scaling symbols
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.
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.