Key Takeaways

• Use the Paintbrush, Pen, or Curvature tool to create lines in Illustrator. Then use the Smooth tool to make them sleek and neat.
• Alternatively, use the Simplify option to smooth lines without the Smooth tool. Adjust manually or use the A icon for automatic simplification.
• These techniques will help you achieve smooth lines in Illustrator, improving your illustration and design work.

Creating sleek and neat lines is a key technique for any graphic designer. This article will show you how to achieve perfect smooth lines using Adobe Illustrator, both with and without the Smooth tool.

To begin, open your document in Illustrator and locate the toolbar on the left of the screen. A variety of different tools will be displayed, but for creating smooth lines, opt for either the Paintbrush, Pen, or Curvature tool.

If you are new to the program and want to practice simple designs first, you can begin by creating simple shapes like triangles in Illustrator before moving on to more complex creations which might need more manual adjustments.

Click and drag while using the Paintbrush tool to create a line. Likewise, click separately in the direction you want your path to follow when using the Pen or Curvature tools.

Note that the first part of the drawn segment won’t appear until you create a second anchor point when using the Pen tool.

Once you have your line drawn, select it using the Selection tool at the top left of the toolbox. Then click on the Smooth tool, found by holding down the Shaper tool icon, if not already visible.

Click and drag over your line multiple times to smooth the path. If the tool is either too weak or too strong, double-click the Smooth tool icon and change the Fidelity option in the pop-up box to increase or decrease its strength.

Another way of achieving smooth lines in Illustrator without using the Smooth tool is by selecting your line and going to Object > Path > Simplify.

The Simplify pop-up option will appear, which you can drag down to your liking to simplify your path. In the case of unsteady lines, simplifying the path will make them smoother and will account for the complexity of the different anchor points you used when originally making the line.

You can adjust this option manually or click on the A icon displayed next to an arc shape in the pop-up box to simplify your path automatically. If this method of smoothing lines surprised you, there are many other hidden tools in Illustrator that might also prove unexpectedly useful for your next project.

Whether for illustration or graphic design work, these tools will rid your work of uneven and shaky lines. Enjoy smooth sailing in Adobe Illustrator from here on out, especially when it comes to line work.