Resizing In Illustrator: Keeping Strokes Consistent

When resizing an object in Adobe Illustrator, the stroke width does not always scale with the rest of the object. To keep the stroke width the same, you can go to the Transform palette (Window > Transform) and uncheck the Scale Strokes and Effects box. Alternatively, you can go to Illustrator > Preferences > General and uncheck the Scale Strokes and Effects box. This will ensure that when you resize your object, the stroke width remains the same.

Use the Transform Panel

To get the stroke in Illustrator to stay the same when resizing, you can use the Transform Panel. Here's how to do it:

Go to Window > Transform to open the Transform panel. You can also select the Transform icon to open or close the panel.

Select the object or objects you want to resize. The Transform panel will allow you to apply the changes to multiple objects at once. However, note that you can only scale objects in percentage measurements and not in specific width values when scaling multiple objects.

In the Transform panel, you will see the "Scale Strokes & Effects" box at the bottom. Make sure this box is checked. With this option selected, you can scale any object up or down while keeping the stroke width proportional to the size of the object.

Now, when you scale your selected object(s), the stroke width will adjust accordingly, ensuring that it remains in proportion to the size of the object. You can increase or decrease the size of your object(s) using the Scale tool (S) or by dragging the anchor points on the object's bounding box.

Remember that this setting will remain active until you uncheck the "Scale Strokes & Effects" box. Any future scaling actions will proportionally scale the stroke paths until you turn off this setting.

Change Illustrator's Preferences

When resizing objects in Adobe Illustrator, the stroke width does not always scale with the rest of the object. This can be frustrating, as it can result in lines that look too wide or too slim in comparison to the rest of the design. However, there are ways to change your Illustrator preferences to fix this issue.

To keep the stroke width in proportion to the size of the object, you must change the settings. Go to Window > Transform to open the Transform panel. Check the box for "Scale Strokes and Effects" at the bottom of the panel. Now, when you scale any object up or down, the stroke width will adjust in proportion to the size of the object.

You can also change Illustrator's preferences by going to Illustrator > Preferences > General (on a Mac) or Edit > Preferences > General (on Windows). Check the box for "Scale Strokes & Effects". This setting will remain in place until you decide to uncheck it, and it will not affect any previously scaled projects or objects.

If you are using Adobe XD, you can prevent the stroke from changing when transforming icons/SVG by selecting Object > Path > Outline Stroke. However, this method has the drawback of converting the lines into fills.

Outline Stroke

When resizing an object in Adobe Illustrator, the stroke width does not always scale along with the rest of the object. To keep the stroke width the same when resizing, you need to check the "Scale Strokes & Effects" box in the Transform panel. This can be found by going to Window > Transform. Alternatively, on a Mac, go to Illustrator > Preferences > General, and on a Windows system, select Edit > Preferences > General.

Checking this box ensures that when you resize an object, the stroke width will scale in proportion to the rest of the object and won't look out of place. For example, if you scale an object down, the stroke width will also decrease, so it doesn't look too wide in comparison to the rest of the object. Similarly, when scaling an object up, the stroke width will increase, so it doesn't look too slim.

It is important to note that this setting only affects future scaling actions and will not change any previously scaled objects. To undo the effect, simply uncheck the "Scale Strokes & Effects" box.

Another method to achieve a similar effect is to convert the stroke into a fill. This can be done by selecting the object, then going to Object > Expand Appearance (if available), then Object > Expand, and finally clicking the "Unite" button on the Pathfinder Panel (Window > Pathfinder). This process expands the stroke into a shape and then combines it with the shape of the fill, resulting in a single object. However, this method is destructive and cannot be undone, so it is recommended to work on a duplicate of your original artwork.

Expand Appearance

When resizing objects in Adobe Illustrator, the stroke width does not always scale with the rest of the object. This can result in lines that look too wide when scaling down or too slim when scaling up.

To keep the stroke width the same when resizing an object, you can use the "Expand Appearance" function. Here's how to do it:

• With your object selected, go to "Object" in the menu bar and choose "Expand Appearance." If this option is not available, ignore this step.
• Next, go back to the "Object" menu and select "Expand." You can usually just click "OK," but if there is a gradient applied, you may need to remove it before proceeding. You can always reapply the gradient later.
• Finally, click the "Unite" button on the "Pathfinder" panel ("Window > Pathfinder"). This will convert the stroke into a shape, combining it with the shape of the fill to create a single object.

Alternatively, you can use the Shape Builder Tool to achieve the same result. With this tool selected, simply drag across both the stroke and the fill shapes to combine them.

Another way to keep stroke widths consistent when resizing is to adjust the settings in Illustrator. Go to "Window > Transform" to open the Transform panel, and check the "Scale Strokes & Effects" box. Now, when you scale your objects, the stroke width will scale proportionally. You can also find this setting in the Preferences: "Illustrator > Preferences > General" on a Mac, and "Edit > Preferences > General" on Windows.

Expand the object

Expanding an object in Illustrator allows you to convert its appearance attributes into objects. This is particularly useful when you want to modify specific elements within a complex artwork or when you want to use an Illustrator-native object in a different application that doesn't recognise it.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to expand an object:

• Select the object or objects you wish to expand.
• Go to the "Object" menu and choose "Expand". If your object has appearance attributes applied to it and the "Expand" option is greyed out, select "Object > Expand Appearance" first, and then select "Object > Expand".
• Set the options for the selected object by choosing from the following:

• Object: Expands complex objects, including live blends, envelopes, symbol sets, and flares.
• Fill: Expands fills.
• Stroke: Expands strokes.
• Gradient Mesh: Expands gradients to a single mesh object.
• Specify: Sets the tolerance for colour values between colour stops. Higher numbers maintain a smooth colour transition, while lower numbers can create a more banded appearance.

• To expand a gradient using the settings from the Expand dialog, hold down "Alt" (Windows) or "Option" (macOS) while choosing "Object > Expand".
• If you want to expand a vector to the extent of the stroke, go to "Object > Path > Offset Path". This allows you to adjust the size of the expansion and preview it before finalising.
• Remember to save the newly expanded file as a new file, as this process will make text or shapes uneditable, and it may be difficult to restore your original design.

By following these steps, you can effectively expand objects in Illustrator while retaining control over the specific attributes you want to modify.

Frequently asked questions