Smart Guides
Smart guides provide dynamic visual feedback as you position objects, helping you align elements with precision.
What Are Smart Guides?
Smart guides are temporary lines that appear while moving or resizing objects. They indicate when:
- Edges of objects align
- Centers of objects align
- Objects are equally spaced
Enabling Smart Guides
Toggle smart guides:
- View → Smart Guides
- Or in Preferences → Canvas → Enable Smart Guides
Types of Smart Guides
Edge Alignment
Lines appear when edges align:
- Left edges
- Right edges
- Top edges
- Bottom edges
A pink/magenta line extends through aligned edges.
Center Alignment
Lines appear when centers align:
- Horizontal center
- Vertical center
Equal Spacing
Smart guides show when spacing between objects is equal:
- Double-headed arrows indicate matching gaps
- Distance values may appear
How to Use Smart Guides
Aligning While Moving
- Select an object
- Begin dragging it
- Move slowly near other objects
- Watch for guide lines to appear
- Release when the desired guide appears
The object will snap to the aligned position.
Aligning While Resizing
- Select an object
- Drag a resize handle
- Smart guides appear when edges match other objects
- Release to snap to alignment
Multiple Object Alignment
Smart guides work with multiple selections:
- Select several objects
- Move them as a group
- Guides show alignment with non-selected objects
Smart Guides vs Grid
| Smart Guides | Grid |
|---|---|
| Align to other objects | Align to fixed positions |
| Dynamic, context-aware | Static, predictable |
| Best for relative positioning | Best for consistent spacing |
Combining Both
Use them together for best results:
- Grid snap for initial placement and consistent sizing
- Smart guides for aligning with existing content
Customizing Behavior
In Preferences, you can adjust:
- Guide sensitivity: How close objects must be to trigger guides
- Show distance: Display measurements between objects
Tips
- Slow movements: Move objects slowly to see guides appear
- Watch for multiple guides: Alignment in both axes shows as crossing lines
- Use for duplication: Option-drag creates aligned copies
- Equal spacing: Smart guides help distribute objects evenly
- Disable when needed: Turn off for freeform sketching or artistic layouts