Align To Artboard a Whole Drawing without Losing Layering

[GraphiteFingers]

I create a drawing, with different "aspects" neatly assigned to their own layer, then I smack my forehead when I realize the dang thing isn't centered on the Artboard!  Searching has netted the following "solutions", but none of them preserve layering [i.e. everything ends up on one layer, instead of the many layers I laboriously created]:

1. Group it, then center it.
2. Make it into one big symbol [F8], then center it.
3. Select All [Ctrl+A], Cut it [Ctrl+X], Center the Artboard [Ctrl+0], Paste [Ctrl+V]

All very clever, but all of them destroy the layering structure.

Anybody have a method?

[Mike_Gondek · Accepted solution]

Would be very helpful to see your artwork, if you want an answer that will help you. Guessing that you have no background or printing die that you work with.

Try this

1. Shift O to switch to artboard tool
2. Change your Artboard size to >> fit to artwork bounds
3. Change your Artboard size to >> the size you need

  

[GraphiteFingers]

How does one get out of the Artboard Tool?

[GraphiteFingers]

Ah, figured it out: just select something else, like the Selection Tool. 😛

[SJRiegel]

Use the artboard tool to fit the artboard to the art (either all art or selected art). Then, if you need your artboard to be a particular size, type in your dimensions with the centered position chosen.

[GraphiteFingers]

Whoa, seconds later, I thought of a solution:

1. Turn on Smart Guides [Ctrl+U].
2. On yet another layer [positioned at the lowest level], with Smart Guide assistance, draw a rectangle that perfectly surrounds [encloses] the drawing.  Call that the "Centering Rectangle", or "CR"
3. Center that on the Artboard, by selecting it, then with Align To Artboard active, use the Horizontal and Vertical Align tools to center it.
4. Lock the layer containing the CR.
5. Select the Drawing [probably by using the Selection Tool [V] to drag a selection rectangle around it, or just do a Ctrl+A.
6. Drag the selected drawing into the CR until the Smart Guides tell you they are perfectly aligned!
7. Delete the CR layer.

[GraphiteFingers]

But, the solution offered by both @SJRiegel and @MikeGondek, is more elagant! 😉