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J
J.Artisan
Participant
February 22, 2020
Question

Illustrator Distribute Not Working

  • February 22, 2020
  • 7 replies
  • 2974 views

I'm extrememly frustraited at the moment - this feature was working fine yesterday, but now is acting so weird. 
System Info: Win10 version 1909, build 18363.657
AI: 24.0.2

I am simply trying to create a grid of guidelines over a rectanlge object. Horizontal and Vertical. I do this all the time by throwing down guides, slecting everything, select the key object, and hit distribute. It always distributes the guidelines evenly across the key object. 

Today, it is shoving all of my guielines together ontop of each other at one side of the object. (Either top for vertical or right for horizontal.)

What the heck is going on and how do I fix it?

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    7 replies

    barbara_a7746676
    Community Expert
    barbara_a7746676Community Expert
    Community Expert
    July 24, 2020

    It should work if you select all your guides, choose Align to Selection, and then click the Distribute icon. The guides will distribute evenly. the first and last guides won't move.

    So I think you can avoid the problem by not using a key object.

    amber-mcdonald
    amber-mcdonald
    Participating Frequently
    July 24, 2020

    I had the same issue, resolved it with clicking the icon in the bottom right corner of the Align window. Options to 'Align to Artboard' or 'Align to Selection'. Choose 'Align to Selection'

      Gerrica Hightower
      Gerrica Hightower
      Participant
      July 24, 2020

      That worked. It has been a while since I've worked with Illustrator and
      forgot about that feature. You got me distributing evenly now. Thanks so
      much.


      [ private informations removed by moderator for security reasons ]

        DaDangerDog
        DaDangerDog
        Participant
        July 28, 2020

        This worked! Thank you for this!

        Gerrica Hightower
        Gerrica Hightower
        Participant
        July 22, 2020

        I'm having the same issue. I feel like more and more things, that used to work reliably, are breaking in adobe products. Simple things like this are no longer acting as they should and it's quite frustrating. I hope we can find a workaround and they can fix these problems.

        Monika Gause
        Community Expert
        Monika GauseCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        July 22, 2020

        Which version do you have? 24.2.1?

        pixxxelschubser
        Community Expert
        pixxxelschubserCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 22, 2020

        Hi @LSGS,

        I haven't a solution for the mentioned problem - I do not work in this way like you.

         

        And sorry if I misunderstood, but …

        If I need a grid of guides (or guides around an object):

        1. select the object - [Ctrl]+[C] - [Ctrl]+[F]  (copy and paste-in-front is unnecessary if you only need guides around the object)
        2. Menu: Object --> Path --> Split into Grid …
        3. turn on [Add Guides] in dialog
        4. deselect or delete (only) the helpers object
        5. Menu: View --> Guides --> Make Guides

         

        Ready.

        For example guides around an object (German UI)

        Ares Hovhannesyan
        Community Expert
        Ares HovhannesyanCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 22, 2020

        You mentioned that it works yesterday. As i understand you use the same version of Illustrator 24.0.2  Can you try to reset Ai Preferences?

         

        https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/setting-preferences.html

        Monika Gause
        Community Expert
        Monika GauseCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 22, 2020

        This is working in InDesign, but never has reliably in Illustrator (at least not in recent years). I could get the horizontal to work with "Align lefts", but only when making one more guide than necessary)

         

        Please report it as a bug: http://illustrator.uservoice.com

          John Waller
          Community Expert
          John WallerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          February 22, 2020

          Moved from Community Help forum.

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