Add sizing in a snap with the Dimension tool.
Place dimension lines in a few clicks. Easily plot precise, stylish measurements for all kinds of design projects.
Automatically create design measurements in Illustrator.
The Dimension tool makes it simple to add and personalize size guides to any area of your technical design. Simply click and drag to measure and plot precise linear, angular, and radial dimensions. Plus, choose the unit of measurement and change the color and font to create gorgeous, accurate designs for packaging, architectural, or fashion projects — and beyond.
Precise packaging design.
Use the Dimension tool to add measurements to every area of your package design. Quickly prepare stylish presentations for clients that display dimensions of packages, mockups, products, and sizing of logos placed on designs.
Accurate architectural drawings.
Easily add size guides to architectural, interior, and landscape designs using customizable units of measurement which include feet, yards, meters, and hectares.
Exact fashion patterns.
Quickly create precise measurements for clothing patterns, illustrations, and textile designs. Adjust the color and font of all your guides to complement the color palette of your artwork.
How to use the Dimension tool.
- Select the Dimension tool.
Open a project in the latest version of Illustrator, then click on the Dimension tool in the toolbar. If you can’t locate the tool, click the three ellipses at the bottom of the toolbar and drag the tool from the Modify section onto the toolbar. - Choose your dimension type in the taskbar.
When you click on the Dimension tool, it opens the taskbar which allows you to choose either a linear, angular, or radial dimension type. Click on the measurement you want to use. - Plot linear dimensions.
Hover over the side of a shape until you see the pink line guides appear and drag your cursor until you plot either an aligned, vertical, or horizontal dimension, then release to create a dimension object. You can also plot linear dimensions between any two points by clicking the first point, then the second and either clicking again to plot an aligned dimension or dragging to plot a vertical or horizontal one. - Plot angular dimensions.
Hover over the vertex of the angle you want to measure until the guides appear. Drag inward from the vertex to plot an interior angle or drag outward for an exterior angle, then release. To plot the angle of two intersecting lines, click a point on the first line, then click a point on the second and move the mouse in either direction and click. - Plot radial dimensions.
Hover over the circumference of a circle or arc until the guides appear, then drag outward to plot the radius and inward to plot the diameter, then release. - Adjust the Dimension tool settings.
Click the gear icon in the task bar to customize things like measurement unit, line size, color, font, and more. - Adjust plotted dimensions.
To change the settings of a dimension object, select it and then make changes in the Properties panel. To apply the changes to every dimension object in your design, select Apply to all in the Quick Actions menu, or to apply it to future dimension objects select Set as default.
frequently asked questions
The Dimension tool is the quickest way to automatically create accurate dimension lines in Illustrator. Simply select the Dimension tool from the toolbar, then use the taskbar to choose either a linear, angular, or radial dimension type. Click and drag to create a dimension object, and customize settings for measurement unit, line, color, and more by clicking the gear icon to open the Dimension Tool Options panel.
The dimension lines show the measurement of the specified object or part of the object you are defining, while the extension lines show the points at which a dimension's measurement begins and ends.
Dimension lines are drawn by clicking and dragging the mouse to the position in which you want the dimension line to appear. This means you could draw a dimension line that is very close to the edge of the object you are measuring, or further away according to the needs of the design. Dimension objects can always be edited in the Properties panel.
The Dimension tool is a powerful asset for technical designs such as packaging, architectural, and fashion designs, as it automatically applies precise measurements to objects. It can be used to ensure that designs have been made to the correct specifications and to display measurements on designs that need to be shared with clients and collaborators.
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