How to divide a new documnet into sections?

[BlueDog007]

Hello Boys & Girls and Adults of all Ages:

I just opened a new document.  Before I do anything on it, I want to set my visual guides to divide the letter page in half, and then to divide it into eight sections.  So, if I am using a new letter document 8.5" by 11" then I want a vertical line to cut it in half at 4.25", then I want three horizontal lines at: 2.75", 5.50", and 8.25"; which will give me 8 sections on my new letter document.

I hope I made this clear.   I certainly tried to.  And I know there's got to be a way to tell the Illustrator program to do this automatically for me by putting in the values I want to see my guide lines.

Now, how the heck do I do this?   

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Draw this with the rectangle grid tool.

Then convert the lines to guides.

Then make a template file out of that AI file to use in your new projects if you need this more than once.

[BlueDog007]

Well thank you berry muchie Monika Gause:

Except I don't quite understand your instructions.

Where is the rectangle grid tool?

And how do I convert the lines to guides?

May you find a leprochan and have him grant you one wish for a good dinner tonight.

[Monika Gause]

The rectangle grid tool is in a group with the line segment tool.

While using it with the mouse key pressed, use the up and down arrow keys and the left and reight arrow keys to generate more or fewer grid lines.

Converting lines to guides: View > guide > Make guide

[BlueDog007]

Monika Gause:

Your guidance helped, but I was not able to find the the rectangle grid tool in the group with the line segment tool.  Nope!  It wasn't there.  However, I put the name of the tool in the search box for help, and the rectangle grid tool kind of lit up in my tools side bar panel.  Yippie!  Then I started to fool around with it.  I left clicked the rectangle grid tool in the panel, and a mini control window opened.  Super!  Then I figured out how many vertical lines and horizontal lines.  Clicked okay.  And goodness gracious sakes: I got what I knew this program was able to do.  Perfectly proportioned into 8 sections of an 8.5" x 11" white piece of paper.  Then I followed your instructions to make the lines into guides.

Adobe makes the Touchdown!

Now I've got to continue working on my design.  So, off to work I go!