Adding a grid in Adobe Illustrator can assist with creating precise drawings to export to a CAD program, for example in textiles design. We show you how in our specially customized Illustrator for Textiles courses, unique to Design Workshop Sydney.
Firstly, create a new document in Illustrator, specifying the width and height of the document. Note the various Preset page sizes available for Print or Web.
To set your default measurements to Metric go to Edit > Preferences (or Mac: Illustrator > Preferences) > Units > General: millimetres.
To see the document grid: go to View > Show Grid (or CTRL+’). This reveals the default grid which is 25.4mm with 8 subdivisions. This value is the metric equivalent of an inch and reflects the fact that Illustrator is an American program using the Imperial measurement system. Not very helpful to Metric users.
So to change the grid, go to Edit > Preferences (or Mac: Illustrator > Preferences) > Guides & Grid. Grid line every: change to 10mm (for example), and Subdivisions 2 > OK. It’s now set to these specifications on your copy of Illustrator.
Fabric designers may wish to set the grid to a particular weave size. You can also create non-printing ruler guides. First open rulers: View > Show Rulers (or CTRL+R). Right-click on a ruler to check or change the measurement units. To create a horizontal or vertical guide, select your Selection tool (black arrow) and click and drag from the ruler into the page. The guides are locked by default but you can unlock in View > Guides > and untick Lock Guides. To hide the guides CRTL+;
Whether you’re a complete beginner or self-taught, our courses will help you gain self-confidence in your Illustrator workflow, as well as adding to your professional skill-set. See many examples of our Illustrator clients’ work on our Facebook page.
Other related Illustrator Blog Posts:
Illustrator workspace
Illustrator basics
Illustrator clipping masks
Illustrator live trace
Illustrator brushes