3 Easy Ways to Draw a Line in Illustrator

Drawing a line in Illustrator is not very complicated. This guide will help you understand different ways to draw lines and modify them in Illustrator. We will be using Adobe Illustrator CC for this tutorial.

First you will learn 3 ways you can use to create a line, changing the stroke color and weight, plus splitting a line in Illustrator and finally creating a dashed line.

• Method 1: Using the Line Segment Tool
• Method 2: Using the Pen Tool
• Method 3: Using the Pencil Tool

Method 1: Using the Line Segment Tool

Step 1: Go to File > New. Set the artboard size to 1080 x 1920 pixels. 

Step 2: Select the Line Segment Tool from the toolbar. Shortcut (\)

Step 3: Click and drag to draw a line.

Step 4: Hold Shift while dragging to make the line perfectly straight.

Step 5: You can change the stroke weight from the top menu.

Method 2: Using the Pen Tool

After creating the artboard, follow the below steps.

Step 1: Select the Pen Tool from the left-hand toolbar. Shortcut (P)

Step 2: Click on the artboard starting point.

Step 3: Hold Shift and click on another point to draw a straight line.

Step 4: Adjust the stroke size and line style as needed.

Method 3: Using the Pencil Tool

1. Select the Pencil Tool (shortcut: N).
2. Click and draw your line freely.
3. Hold Shift to create a straight line.

If your drawn line is not visible, select it. Add a stroke color by double-clicking on the stroke box and choosing a color. If the line appears too thin, increase the stroke weight.

To split a line, select the line you want to cut. Press C or select the Scissors Tool from the toolbar. Click on a point along the line to cut it into two segments. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to delete or adjust parts of the line.

To create a dashed line, just draw a straight line, then bring up the stroke menu by going to Window>Stroke. Go to Stroke > Show Options on the right-hand menu to bring up options. Toggle the dashed line option and set the dash pattern.

4 ways How to Create a Wavy Line in Illustrator

Now that you can draw a straight line, below are 4 methods you can use to advance this knowledge to create a wavy line effect.

1. Method 1: Using the Zigzag Effect
2. Method 2: Using Envelope Distort
3. Method 3: Using the Curvature Tool
4. Method 4: Using the Pen Tool

Method 1: Using the Zigzag Effect

This is the easiest method you can use.

Step 1: Draw a straight line like in earlier steps.

Step 2: Select the line and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag.

Step 3: Click Preview to see changes. and adjust the size and ridges per segment to increase or decrease the wave effect.

Step 4: Choose Smooth instead of Corner for a smoother wavy line.

Method 2: Using Envelope Distort

Step 1: Draw multiple lines or duplicate them (Alt + Drag).

Step 2: Select all the lines and go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Mesh. Adjust the number of mesh points to control the distortion.

Step 4: Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to move the mesh points up or down, creating a wavy effect.

Method 3: Using the Curvature Tool

You can also use the curvature tool. This method is only available in Illustrator CC.

1. Draw a straight line and set the stroke thickness.
2. Select the curvature tool. Shift + ` (tilde key)
3. Click and drag along the line to add wave effects.

Method 4: Using the Pen Tool

1. Draw a straight line.
2. Use the Add Anchor Point Tool to add a point in the middle. (Shift+C)
3. Switch to the Anchor Point Tool and drag the new point to create a curve.
4. Adjust the handles with the Direct Selection Tool for precise control.

Frequently Asked Questions