Align Objects?

When you’re placing a number of objects on a page, it’s not always easy to align them, even with Smart Guides switched on. This is where the Align options come into play. You can access the Align options in the Properties panel, Control panel, and Align panel (Window > Object & Layout > Align). All you have to do is select the objects you want to align, and then click on one of the Align icons (circled in the image above). Your options are as follows:

• Align left edges
• Align horizontal centers
• Align right edges
• Align top edges
• Align vertical centers
• Align bottom edges

In the example above, I’ve selected (from left to right) Align left edges, Align horizontal centers, and Align right edges. Once you’ve aligned your items, you’ll need to look at another aspect of object placement: distribution. That’s covered in the tip on page 79.