Variable Width Profile Not Working

[jennifers45421438]

My variable width profile is not working. While using the brush tool in Illustrator, the width line won't vary. It always appears uniform. Please help!

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[meganchi]

Try drawing using your pen tool, then the variable width tool should work.

[jennifers45421438]

Thank you very much. This does work. So the width variable does not work in the Brush tool?

[Monika Gause]

Variable widths don't work with some brushes.

Draw with a pattern brush or an art brush and you can apply variable width.

What you can't do is draw with "Basic", because that means "No brush" and the brush tool won't draw with no brush.

[Whit_Serenity]

Actually, it turns out for the above statement to only sort of be true. I discovered by accident that if you switch to another brush and then back to "Basic," your profile setting will take effect.

Apparently this has been the case for five years, judging by the OP. Great work, app team. 😑 At least I found a work-around — the above limitation was making zero sense before I discovered that trick (why would the more complicated element not do the thing, but the basic one won't?). 

[Monika Gause]

Actually, it turns out for the above statement to only sort of be true. I discovered by accident that if you switch to another brush and then back to "Basic," your profile setting will take effect.

By Whit_Serenity

Well, yes, because "Basic" means "No brush".