Illustrator

Draw grids

Use the grid tools to quickly draw rectangular and polar grids. The Rectangular Grid tool creates rectangular grids of a specified size with a specified number of dividers. The Polar Grid tool creates concentric circles of a specified size and a specified number of dividers.

Draw rectangular grids

  1. Select the Rectangular Grid tool .
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Drag until the grid is the desired size.

    • Click to set the grid’s reference point. In the dialog box, click a square on the reference point locator  to determine the point from which the grid is drawn. Then set any of the following options, and click OK.
      Default Size
      Specifies the width and height of the entire grid.

      Horizontal Dividers
      Specifies the number of horizontal dividers you want to appear between the top and bottom of the grid. The Skew value determines how the horizontal dividers are weighted toward the top or bottom of the grid.

      Vertical Dividers
      Specifies the number of dividers you want to appear between the left and right sides of the grid. The Skew value determines how the vertical dividers are weighted to the left or right side.

      Use Outside Rectangle As Frame
      Replaces the top, bottom, left, and right segments with a separate rectangular object.

      Fill Grid
      Fills the grid with the current fill color (otherwise, the fill is set to none).

Draw circular (polar) grids

  1. Select the Polar Grid tool .
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Drag until the grid is the desired size.

    • Click to set the grid’s reference point. In the dialog box, click a square on the reference point locator  to determine the point from which the grid is drawn. Then set any of the following options, and click OK.
      Default Size
      Specifies the width and height of the entire grid.

      Concentric Dividers
      Specifies the number of circular concentric dividers you want to appear in the grid. The Skew value determines how the concentric dividers are weighted toward the inside or outside of the grid.

      Radial Dividers
      Specifies the number of radial dividers you want to appear between the center and the circumference of the grid. The Skew value determines how the radial dividers are weighted counterclockwise or clockwise on the grid.

      Create Compound Path From Ellipses
      Converts the concentric circles into separate compound paths and fill every other circle.

      Fill Grid
      Fills the grid with the current fill color (otherwise, the fill is set to none).