How to Use Shape Builder Tool in Adobe Illustrator
Create unique shapes for your design or illustration project using the Shape Builder Tool. It is an essential tool to interactively extract, combine or intersect regions of partially overlapping shapes. This article teaches how to use the Shape Builder Tool in Adobe Illustrator.
How to Use Shape Builder Tool in Adobe Illustrator
There are numerous ways you can do with the Shape Builder Tool such as extracting one or more regions of the shapes and restoring one or more removed or extracted regions to their original shape. Below are simple steps that you can follow if you want to use the Shape Builder tool in Adobe Illustrator.
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Step 1: Construct Shapes
Open a new document in Illustrator. To use the Shape Builder tool, we will create a cloud using the Line Segment Tool and Ellipse Tool to construct a line and some overlapping circles. -
Step 2: Go to Preview Mode
Go to Preview Mode when you press Command+Y on the Mac or Ctrl+Y on Windows PC. This allows you to zoom in to the smallest points and simply check everything lines up and touches together. -
Step 3: Merge the Elements
To merge the elements in one shape, use the Selection Tool to select all the elements of the shape and select the Shape Builder Tool. Left-click inside any one of the segments in the circles as you drag through other segments, and you will see a red line that indicates what the final shape will look like, so you are combining or merging all of the elements easily and quickly. -
Step 4: Adjust the Elements
After that, you will see that it completes the cloud shape. Select the new shape and go into the Stroke panel to adjust or round off the corners to give them softer edges.
FAQs
What is the Shape Builder tool in Illustrator?
The Shape Builder tool enables the user to create complex objects by merging and removing simpler elements by selecting the edges and specific parts of an object that can be merged or removed to make a new object.
Where is the Shape Builder tool?
Go to the Tools panel, and navigate to the panel to see the Shape Builder tool.
Why can I not use the Shape Builder tool in Illustrator?
The Shape Builder tool does not work when the shapes are inside the clip group or when no shapes are selected.
What does the Shape Builder work?
The Shape Builder tool works by merging shapes together and creating new shapes.
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