I'm using Illustrator CC and I cannot select and move guides with the selection tools. The guides are not locked. I can select the guides in the Layers Panel, but I can only move with the arrow keys. I can also "Release" the guides once they are selected in the Layers Panel, but I still cannot move them with the mouse - only the arrow key. Summary of Problem:Guides are not locked.Some guides can only be moved when they are selected in the Layer Panels and when using the arrow keysNon-selectable Guides can be "Released" but only altered in color and line weight and still only moved with the arrow keys. Desired Outcome:I want to be able to move all guides using the mouse for greater accuracy vs the arrow keys.Thank you for your help.

New Participant

Answered

Why can't I select and move guides with selection tools?

Forum|Forum|11 years ago
July 3, 2014
21 replies
107700 views

I'm using Illustrator CC and I cannot select and move guides with the selection tools. The guides are not locked. I can select the guides in the Layers Panel, but I can only move with the arrow keys. I can also "Release" the guides once they are selected in the Layers Panel, but I still cannot move them with the mouse - only the arrow key.

Summary of Problem:

Guides are not locked.
Some guides can only be moved when they are selected in the Layer Panels and when using the arrow keys
Non-selectable Guides can be "Released" but only altered in color and line weight and still only moved with the arrow keys.

Desired Outcome:

I want to be able to move all guides using the mouse for greater accuracy vs the arrow keys.

Thank you for your help.

Correct answer logogogue

Got it!

In my scenario (AICC2015) the Guides do not show as locked but they are!

Go and unlock them from the View Menu.

Adobe Documentation here...

How to use rulers, grids, and guides in Illustrator
Does not seem to alert users to this bug/feature, unless I'm missing something?

Or perhaps it's in the manual

This is the answer that worked for me! In my layers panel, I couldn't select the guides but going to Alt + Ctrl + ; did my bidding. Guides move freely. I must have inadvertently locked it when I did some weird keyboard combos by accident.

Show previous replies

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Uikit

New Participant

I get the same problem , I using adobe illustator CC . It simple solution , just move the cursor to the one of guides then right click , select UNLOCK GUIDE. 100% Work. 🙂

M

mohprht

New Participant

it's correct reply.

R

Red Point

Inspiring

Its not the correct answer, as he clearly stated that his guides are NOT locked! How then should unlocking help??

I understand what ChanningBailey is writing, since I have the same issue. Guides are unlocked, but still cannot move guides.

arta84657369

New Participant

i have the same problem i just make the elements (design) bigger and the problem fixed (hide artboard and increase the size of objects.. and also try to move guides without zoom in closer)

O

Off Duty

Participating Frequently

No.

Wrong.

Also, ridiculous that this is the designated "Correct answer" because it brings into focus how bloated and nonsensical these programs have become with unchecked monopolization of this market. Adobe can literally ship the exact same problem but with more bugs and issues, and still make millions of dollars from corporations.

We need more competition. Adobe is going to be the EA of digital graphics sooner than anyone realizes.

K

kia1990

New Participant

VIEW----> GUIDES -----> UNLOCK GUIDES

N

nichh

New Participant

I was having the same problem, exactly as described by OP. I could create a new document no issue, open random documents no issue. Couldn't move the guide with the mouse though it was unlocked, I could move it with the keyboard.

For me, it turned out to be something rather simple. When you select a guide and want to move it with a mouse, there is a minumum move threshold. Meaning you have to click the guide, then move the guide a certain distance from its current location with the mouse before you can freely move it.

My problem was that in the document I was working with, I was simply too far zoomed in. So the minimum movement threshold was greater than the distance of half the screen. So it appeared as if the guides wouldn't move, even though they were clearly not locked in any way.

The object I was editing was part of a larger document, so it needed to be small. What I ended up doing was making a new file, resizing the object much bigger, and editing it with guides as needed. Then bringing that object back into the main document and resizing to the size I needed.

I hope that helps someone out there.

dannyg91328563

New Participant

I have a complex file that this happens to and was tearing my hair out. Most of the guides are rotated so they are not horizontal or vertical, so I don't know if this contributes to the issue. I could select in layers and nudge with keyboard but not select or move with mouse. I was deleting prefs and each time I would get a few guide moves before they all refused to be selected.

My solution was to:

- create a random object (I have it overlapping the guide but I don't know if this is necessary)

- select the guide in the layers panel

- shift select the random object so both guide and object are selected

- move the random object with the mouse

- the guide would then happily be moved with the mouse to the precise location

Worth a try for anyone with this issue.

J

jordans98992793

New Participant

Restarting and power cycling did nothing. The ctrl + shift + alt while opening illy worked in solving this for me.

M

mimarchewka@gmail.com

New Participant

Try
View > Guides > Lock Guides (uncheck)

It helps in my case.

runninghead_design

Inspiring

Please read the discussion before replying.
This has already been laid to rest...
Re: Why can't I select and move guides with selection tools?

R

rhianneb72915060

New Participant

right click the layer that you were working on in the layers panel and go layer options unlock lock guides.

runninghead_design

Inspiring

Thanks, but the issue in the end proved to be the misleading indications as

to whether the guides were locked or not, not how to unlock the guides.

On 4 November 2016 at 04:57, rhianneb72915060 <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

T

tomaugerdotcom

Known Participant

In my scenario, it was a second window (of the same document) with Hide Edges on that caused the problem. Closing the second window solved the issue, though this is certainly a bug, and can be really annoying.

See this thread, lend your voice: Illustrator - Can't move guides when 2 windows open on same document

Tom