How to Use the Width Tool in Adobe Illustrator

Posted on 17th June 2023

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Getting Started with the Width Tool

The width tool is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in Adobe Illustrator. It can be used to create both simple and complex shapes, and can be customized to fit your needs. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use the width tool to create a simple shape, and then how to customize it to create a more complex shape.

Creating a Simple Shape with the Width Tool

To create a simple shape with the width tool, start by selecting the width tool from the toolbar. Then, click and drag on the artboard to create a width profile. To adjust the width of the profile, click and drag the control points on the ends of the profile. To add additional control points, click on the line in the middle of the profile. To delete a control point, press the delete key on your keyboard.

Customizing the Width Tool

In addition to the basic width tool, there are several other width tools that can be used to create more complex shapes. To access these tools, click and hold on the width tool in the toolbar. A menu will appear with the different width tools. The two most commonly used width tools are the Variable Width Tool and the Dynamic Width Tool.

The Variable Width Tool

The variable width tool allows you to create shapes with multiple width profiles. To use this tool, select the width tool from the toolbar and click on the artboard. A width profile will be created. To add additional width profiles, click and drag on the artboard. To adjust the width of the profiles, click and drag the control points on the ends of the profiles. To delete a width profile, press the delete key on your keyboard.

The Dynamic Width Tool

The dynamic width tool allows you to create shapes that change width based on the pressure of your stylus. To use this tool, select the width tool from the toolbar and click on the artboard. A width profile will be created. To add additional width profiles, click and drag on the artboard. To adjust the width of the profiles, click and drag the control points on the ends of the profiles. To delete a width profile, press the delete key on your keyboard.

Conclusion

The width tool is a powerful and versatile tool that can be used to create both simple and complex shapes. In this tutorial, we’ve shown you how to use the width tool to create a simple shape, and how to customize it to create a more complex shape. Experiment with the different width tools to see what you can create!

You can use the Width tool in Adobe Illustrator to change the width of an object while keeping its height constant, or to change the height of an object while keeping its width constant.

To change the width of an object:

1. Select the object with the Selection tool.

2. Position the pointer over the object.

3. When the pointer changes to a double arrow , click and drag to the left or right.

To change the height of an object:

1. Select the object with the Selection tool.

2. Position the pointer over the object.

3. When the pointer changes to a double arrow , click and drag up or down.

How to Use the Width Tool in Adobe Illustrator

What is the Width Tool?

The Width tool allows you to control the width of your paths at specific points. This can be useful for creating organic shapes or for adding subtle variation to straight lines. You can control the width of your paths using anchor points, the Width Tool, or the Width Profile panel.

How to Use the Width Tool

To use the Width Tool, select the tool from the Tools panel or press Shift+W. Then, click on the path you want to modify. A width point will be added at the location of your click. You can then drag the width point to change the width of the path. To add additional width points, click on the path where you want to add them. To delete width points, press Delete.

How to Use the Width Profile Panel

The Width Profile panel provides a more precise way to control the width of your paths. To open the panel, go to Window > Width Profile. Then, select the path you want to modify. The width points for the path will be displayed in the panel. You can then click and drag the points to change the width of the path.

Tips for Using the Width Tool

• To constrain the width points to a straight line, press Shift while dragging the point.
• To change the width of multiple paths at once, select the paths you want to modify, then click on one of the paths to add width points. The width points will be added to all of the selected paths.
• To change the width of a path without adding width points, select the path, then go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Enter the amount you want to change the width by in the Bend menu.

3. Applying width

Now that we have our width tool, let’s see how we can use it to our advantage.

Applying width is simple – just click and drag on the object you want to resize. You can see the new width in real-time as you’re dragging.

If you want to be more precise, you can input a specific width value in the W field in the top toolbar.

You can also click and drag the ends of the object to resize it symmetrically.

4. Playing with width profiles

Now that we know how to resize objects with the width tool, let’s see how we can change the width profiles to get different effects.

To change the width profile, simply click on the object you want to change, then click on the dropdown menu in the top toolbar and select the new profile.

There are a variety of different profiles to choose from, so experiment and see which one you like the best.

5. Conclusion

The width tool is a powerful tool that can be used to create a variety of different effects. So experiment and see what you can come up with.