Align Objects to Path in Adobe Illustrator: Perfect Path Alignment

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Today I have a simple but important tip when drawing in Illustrator. Have you ever needed two points to be perfectly aligned, but nudging simply won't work? Well, you can align points just like you can align objects. In this example, I'm going to use some outlined text. Let's get started.

Aligning Objects to a Path in Illustrator

Illustrator 101: Perfect Point Alignment

Ok, take a close look at the screenshot above. You'll notice that the line I circled is not perfectly horizontal. You can tell by the steps in the path. Sometimes you can adjust your keyboard nudge increment in the preferences, select one of the points, and nudge it to where it needs to be. But another way to make a perfect alignment between two points is using the Align panel and the Direct Selection Tool, just like you would for two objects. Here's how:

Step 1

Open the “Align” palette and make sure you have “Align to Selection” checked.

Align to selection

Step 2

Using the Direct Select tool (White Arrow), select both points you want to align. Then click the “Vertical Align Center” button in the Align palette. Now both points will be perfectly aligned and your path will be perfectly straight.

Align

This can come in pretty handy on those paths that you need to be perfect in your graphic design. For example, when designing fonts or cutting out stickers. Hope some of you find it useful 🙂