Dobe Illustrator has been the industry standard tool for vector design for many years, but it has so many features that we usually only use a small subset of it. It can take years for a user to learn all the little time-saving features that the software offers and this is a perfect example of taking a designer by surprise.
Illustrator users were surprised after a brand designer shared a trick on Instagram showing how to connect lines without overlapping and zooming in on the pixel level. And it’s so easy, people can’t believe they’ve wasted so much time on it.
Trying to seamlessly connect the lines in a digital illustration can be very frustrating. Sometimes, no matter what you try, they just keep overlapping. Designer Abby Connick (opens in a new tab) demoed Adobe Illustrator’s solution on her Instagram account, and it seems many regular Illustrator users don’t know it exists.
Connick shows that you can use the cursor to select the two paths you want to connect, then click the Join tool and draw on the paths. The paths will magically join together to form a complete shape with no overlaps.
Many users were stunned. “How did I not know about this tool,” asks font and brush designer Ian Bernard (opens in a new tab) . “Wow, I’ve been zooming in on pixel sizes and trying to connect lines for so long,” says product and type designer Jonathan Waterworth. (Opens in a new tab) Exclaim. “Just tested this and words cannot describe the joy and anger I feel at the same time,” says 3D artist and illustrator JonOTron. (Opens in a new tab) Write.
