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How to Draw a Line in Illustrator in 3 Easy Ways

In this article, I will show you How to Draw a Line in Illustrator. Whether you want to draw a straight line, spiral or curved line, this is the article for you.

If you are facing problems drawing lines in Illustrator, do not worry. As a beginner, I faced the same challenge. I had a hard time finding where to join, add points or even split a line.

Draw Straight Lines In Illustrator

Step 1: Open a new document by clicking File>New in Illustrator or Ctrl + N in PC or CMD+N on MAC.

Step 2: Set the working space or artboard size.

Draw a Line in Illustrator

Step 3: Once the artboard is created, click the line segment tool.

Draw a Line in Illustrator

Step 4: Click and drag on the artboard. To draw a perfectly horizontal, vertical, or 45-degree angled line, hold down the Shift key while drawing.

Click and Drag

Finally, To customize the line’s color, weight, and other attributes, use the Control Panel at the top of the workspace. You can also choose the Stroke panel for some more options.

Draw a line in Illustrator

To open the stroke panel got to Window > Stroke and a window pops up with more line attributes such as dashed lines, line weight and many more.

draw line in Illustrator

Drawing curved line in Illustrator

Step 1: Open a new document by clicking File>New in Illustrator or Ctrl + N in PC or CMD+N on MAC.

Step 2: Set the working space or artboard size.

Step 3: Select the Pen tool on the tools section or shortcut P on the keyboard.

Drawing curved line in Illustrator

Step 4: Click once on the artboard to create a Point then Click and hold on to another point and drag to draw a curved line.

Drawing curved line in Illustrator

How to make a dotted line in Illustrator

After drawing the line and making it into a dashed line above, set the dashes value to 0 and gaps to any of your choice. This will draw a dotted line.

If you however prefer a fully organized video course that will turn you into an Adobe Illustrator professional, just check our tutorials page for the best Illustrator courses we recommend. For more free Adobe Illustrator tutorials just subscribe to our Newsletter for free updates.

How To Draw a Line In Illustrator Using The Pen Tool
  1. Open Illustrator and create a new document
  2. Select the Pen tool on the tools section or shortcut P on the keyboard.
  3. Click and drag to draw a line then click on the endpoint to close the selection
  4. For the line to be automatically straight, hold down shift as you drag.
  5. Alternatively, Click once on the artboard then hold down shift and click on another point and it will draw a line.

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Related Content:

  1. How To Draw a Line In Illustrator Using The Line Segment Tool

    Open Illustrator and create a new document
    Select the line segment tool
    Click and drag to draw a line
    To draw a straight line, hold down shift as you drag the line segment tool.

  2. How To Draw a Line In Illustrator Using The Pen Tool

    Open Illustrator and create a new document
    Select the Pen tool on the tools section or shortcut P on the keyboard.
    Click and drag to draw a line then click on the endpoint to close the selection
    For the line to be automatically straight, hold down shift as you drag.
    Alternatively, Click once on the artboard then hold down shift and click on another point and it will draw a line

  3. How to make a dashed line in illustrator

    Click on the line to select it.
    Go to Window> Appearance and choose stroke option.
    Toggle on the dashed option by clicking on it
    From the boxes shown, set the values for dashes and gaps to your preference.
    Click ok to accept changes.

  4. How to make a curved line in Illustrator

    Open Illustrator and create a new document
    Select the Pen tool on the tools section or shortcut P on the keyboard.
    Click once on the artboard to create a Point.
    Click and hold on to another point and drag to draw a curved line.

  5. Can I draw perfectly straight horizontal or vertical lines without using the Shift key?

    Yes, you can draw straight horizontal or vertical lines without using the Shift key by holding down the Alt (Option) key while drawing.

  6. Can I edit the lines after drawing them?

    Yes, you can easily edit the lines you draw in Illustrator. To modify a straight line, select it with the Selection Tool (black arrow) and adjust its endpoints or properties. For curved lines drawn with the Pen Tool, you can manipulate the anchor points and direction handles to modify the path.

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