Selection Tools Overview
In order to edit any object in Illustrator you have to select it first.
Illustrator has a number of selection tools (the Selection Tool, Direct Selection Tool, Lasso Tool, Group Selection Tool, & the Magic Wand). In addition, Illustrator also has an extensive selection menu with even more options. Which option you use will depend on:
- Do you want to select the entire object or just part of it?
- Is the object a simple shape or part of a group?
- Are you selecting just one object or many?
- If you are selecting many are they mixed together with objects you don’t want to select?
- Are the objects complex? Are they using graphic styles and effects?
In this tutorial, you will learn which selection tool will be the right tool for the job and how to get the most out of these surprisingly versatile tools.
Selection Tool(Black Arrow)
This is the first tool in the Illustrator toolbox and it is the tool you will use more than anything else. The purpose of the Selection Tool is to select objects as a whole. This tool is actually very versatile as once you have selected an object you can then use the bounding box that appears to scale, rotate, and resize all without switching to a different tool.
How to Use the Selection Tool
- Simple Selection: Pick the Selection Tool (black arrow) from the Tool Box or use the keyboard shortcut V and then simply click the item you wish to select.
- Marquee Selection – With the Selection Tool, click and drag starting outside the object and over so that the “box” includes at least part of the object or objects you wish to select.
You will be able to tell the object is selected because the cursor will change from the black arrow to the black arrow with a bounding box icon and the selected object will appear inside a bounding box (an outlined rectangle with 8 sizing handles).
Know What you Selected
Illustrator’s environment is highly context-sensitive. If you watch the upper left of the control panel as you select something you will see it changes from “no selection” to whatever the selected object is such as a rectangle, path, group or clipping mask etc. This will give you a lot of information about the object you have selected. You will be able to learn, for example, if you have a group or clipping group rather than a simple shape. If you ever need to trouble-shoot check there first as what you think you have selected and what the object actually is might differ.
How to Select Multiple Objects in Illustrator
Choose the Selection tool and click the first object then shift-click the second and subsequent objects, or with the selection tool, click on the artboard and drag a marquee selection “box” around all the objects you want to select. As long as you hit any part of an object the Selection tool will select the whole thing. If you want to deselect one of the objects in the selection, just click it again with the selection tool.
Use the Bounding Box to Rotate, Scale and Resize
The bounding box will allow you to rotate, scale and resize all without switching to another tool!
Rotate: Hold your cursor over one of the corners of the bounding box on your selected object. The cursor will change to show a double-headed curved arrow. Once you see the arrow change click and drag to rotate the object.
Scale: Move your cursor to one of the corner sizing handles and once it changes to a diagonal two-headed arrow, click and drag out to scale up and or drag toward the center of the object to scale down.
Resize / Reshape:
Hold your cursor over one of the middle sizing handles on the bounding box and when the cursor changes to a two-headed arrow click and drag to resize the object.
How to Select an Object with No Fill
With the Selection Tool either click on the path or draw a marquee around all or part of the object. As long as the marquee you draw hits part of the object it will be selected.
How to Select an Object with Neither Fill nor Stroke
This comes up more than you think. Sometimes we use objects with no stroke or fill when making patterns and you also end up with this type of object when you release a clipping mask. You are going to want to be able to select it even if you only want to delete it.
- If you have a rough idea of where the object is, take the Selection Tool and move it around that area. You will see the path show as you move the cursor over it and then you can select it by clicking on the path.
- Drag a marquee around the area where you believe the object to be as long as you catch even part of the object the whole thing will be selected.
- If you are not quite sure where the object is then switch to Outline View by clicking Ctrl+ Y (Windows) | Cmd + Y (Mac) and then click on the path of the object.
How to Deselect an Object
Simply click on a clear area on your artboard.
The Direct Selection Tool (White Arrow)
The purpose of the Direct Selection tool is to select one or more anchor points within an object. Once selected you then move the anchor points to change the shape of the line or shape.
How to Select an Anchor Point or Path Segment
- Simple Selection: Select the Direct Selection Tool (White Arrow) from the tool box or use the keyboard short cut A (think A for Anchor), then move your cursor over where you expect the anchor point to be. The cursor will change to the white arrow will a small box and Smart Guides will display the word “anchor” to tell you that you are over an anchor point. Then click the anchor point to select it. If you are not sure where the anchor point is then click somewhere in the middle of the object, this will make the anchor points visible, and then you can click on the specific anchor point or path segment you want, or
cursor reacting to anchor point | selected anchor point showing direction handles - Marquee Selection: With the Direct Selection tool click and drag a box around the part of the object you wish to select and this will select all anchor points that fall within the marquee and this can be in multiple objects.
You can tell if an anchor point is selected because selected points display as filled and unselected points appear hollow.
Anchor Points
Corner Point: Define straight lines, a square, for example, would have 4 corner points.
Smooth Point: Define curves. A smooth point will also show direction handles that you can use to control the bezier curve associated with that anchor point.
Combination Point: When a straight line meets a curve you will have a combination point that is a corner point on one side and smooth on the other. There will be a direction handle only on the side of the anchor point that has the curve.
Group Selection Tool
The group selection tool allows you to select objects that are part of a group without having to ungroup first. This works even in nested groups (groups within groups).
How to Select an Object inside a Group
Select the Group Selection Tool from the toolbox (it is grouped with the Direct Selection Tool) then either:
- Click on the Grouped object you wish to select, or
- Use the Group Selection tool to drag a Marquee around the object.
Select Multiple Objects with a Group
- With the Group Selection Tool click the object you wish to select and then shift-click the second and subsequent objects. To remove a selected object from the selection shift-click again.
- Marquee select by dragging a box that encompasses the objects you want to select.
Lasso Tool
The lasso tool works a lot like the Direct Selection tool with one major exception you are not limited to a rectangular-shaped marquee. With the Lasso Tool, you can use a freeform marquee to select objects, anchor points and path segments. When you select objects with the Lasso Tool the selection acts like it was selected by the Direct Selection tool meaning that each of the object’s anchors is selected but you don’t get the bounding box like you would if you selected the object with the Selection Tool (black arrow).
I typically use this tool if I am making a selection where drawing a box-shaped marquee from the selection or direct selection tools will also select other things I don’t want. I tend to use this more when selecting non-contiguous anchor points than whole objects.
Selecting Objects with the Lasso Tool
Choose the Lasso Tool from the toolbox and click and drag to draw a freeform shape around the objects or anchor points you want to select. You don’t have to close the path Illustrator will complete the marquee for you. Just know that Illustrator is going to draw a straight line from the end point of your free-form marquee so make sure that doesn’t cut across something you are trying to select.
Be careful! It is easy to draw too close and select part of an object by mistake
Magic Wand Tool
The magic wand tool allows you to select multiple objects by fill colour, stroke, stroke weight, opacity and blending mode. Imagine you have created a complex artwork with hundreds of shapes and you realize the orange dots are a little too orange, for example. You can use the magic wand tool to select only those objects that have a fill of orange and then you tweak the color on ALL the shapes at once.
How to Make a Selection with the Magic Wand Tool
Let’s assume you want to select a number of objects in your file based on fill color (the default setting for the tool)
- Choose the Magic Wand from the toolbox.
- Simply Click one of the objects with the fill color you wish to select, and Voila all objects with that color are selected.
Notice that all the green shamrocks were selected even though the ones with the opacity and blending modes don’t appear the same color
That’s great but what if you want to select by another attribute such as stroke weight or all objects that have the same level of opacity.
Setting Options in the Magic Wand Tool
Double-click the Magic Wand Tool in the Toolbox. This will bring up the tool options panel where you can set what attributes you want to select by.
If your panel is not showing all the options, click the 3-line icon in the upper right corner and choose Show Stroke Options & Show Transparency Options
Setting Tolerances
I find that for some things the default tolerances are set pretty high. If I am trying to select a stroke chances are I want to select all objects with exactly the same stroke and the default tolerance for the stroke is 5px.
By setting the tolerance to 0 pts I limit the selection to exactly the same stroke weight as the object I click. You can combine settings so, for example, you could select all objects using the same blending mode that has a green fill, the 50% opacity and s 4px stroke.
The Magic Wand gives a lot of flexibility for selecting multiple objects. In a big design, you could have thousands of shapes and paths and to be able to select the 30 or so with the exact attributes you want all at once. Magic!
Selection Menu
For EVEN MORE selection options check out the Selection Menu.
Select All
- To select every object in the file from the menu choose Select >Select All or
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+ A (Windows) | Cmd + A (Mac)
Select All on Active Artboard
This option allows you to select everything on the artboard you are currently using.
- Choose Select > Select All on Active Artboard, or
- Use the Selection Tool and drag a marquee around the artboard.
Deselect
You are probably thinking “why would I need this? I can just click on a clear area of the artboard to deselect the current object.” But, what if you are zoomed way in, to work on some fine detail, you may not be able to get to a clear area of the artboard without zooming back out. And then getting back to the exact zoom level might take time.
- From the menu choose Select > Deselect, or
- Use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Ctrl + A (Windows) | Shift + Command + A (Mac)
Reselect
This option allows you to reselect the last thing you selected (via the selection menu, not the selection tools).
- From the menu choose Select > Reselect, or
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 6 (Windows) | Cmd + 6 (Mac)
Inverse
Sometimes it is far easier to select the one or two objects you don’t want and then use the Inverse option to select everything else. The objects you originally selected will become unselected and everything else will be selected.
- From the menu choose Select > Inverse
Select Next Object Above / Below
These paired options use the stacking order of your object to determine selection. I find I tend to use these options when I have zoomed way in to work on detail.
Above
- From the menu choose Select > Next Object Above, or
- Use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Ctrl +] right square bracket (Windows) or Opt + Cmd + ] right square bracket (Mac)
Below
- From the menu choose Select Next Object Below, or
- Use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Ctrl +[ left square bracket (Windows) or Opt + Cmd + [ left square bracket (Mac)
Same
The select Same menu option is like the Magic Wand tool on Steroids. It still allows you to select multiple objects based on an attribute but offers many more options including a variety of options for selecting text.
Choose to select based upon:
Shapes & Text: Appearance, Appearance Attribute, Blending Mode, Fill & Stroke, Opacity, Stroke Color, Stroke Weight, Graphic Style, Shape, Symbol Instance, Link Block Series (series of threaded text boxes).
Text: Font Family, Font Family & Style, Font Family & Size, Font Size, Text Fill Color, Text Stroke Color, Text Fill and Stroke Color
Note: If some of the options are greyed out then you don’t have any object of that type in the open file.
Select Same
- Start by selecting one of the objects that has the attributes you want
- From the menu choose Select > Same > (and the option most appropriate for the objects you wish to select)
Object
The options under this part of the selection menu are a bit of a mixed bag (powerful but mixed).
All on Same Layer
Allows you to select everything on the same layer as the currently selected object. You would get a similar result from clicking the selection target next to the layer in the Layers panel.
- Select an object that is on the layer you want to select everything, then
- From the menu choose Select > Object > All on Same Layer.
- A bounding box will appear around the outside of all the objects and then you can move or rotate or scale
Direction Handles
This option allows you to select all the direction handles for an object at once. This is handy for seeing how the direction handles define the shape you are working on. What direction are they? How long are they? Are they symmetrical? This differs from how you will see the shape using the direct selection tool alone if you marquee select a whole object with the Direct Selection tool you only see the anchor points not the direction handles.
To Show All the Direction Handles
- First Select an object with a selection tool of your choice.
- Then choose Select > Object > Direction Handles
Bristle Brush Strokes
Select all paths using a Bristle Brush strokes by choosing from the menu Select > Object > Bristle Brush Strokes
Brush Strokes
Select all paths using a Brush stroke by choosing from the menu Select > Object > Brush Strokes
Clipping Paths
Being able to select all the clipping paths in your document is a powerful thing, particularly in files you didn’t create. I find when I purchase and use stock vectors that sometimes clipping masks are overused. This selection option will let you see immediately which objects are parts of a clipping path by drawing a bounding box around all the objects in the file that is using a clipping mask. Learn how to leverage this option to release all clipping masks in one go.
Stray Points
It is so easy to end up with a bunch of stray points after you have been working in a file for a while and they can cause all sorts of problems. Preventing text wraps working (if your area text ends up accidentally grouped with one which is easier than you might think). If you intend to submit your illustrations to a stock site like Adobe Stock or istockphoto then making sure your file is clear of stray points is important else your file may be rejected.
To select all stray points from the menu choose Select > Object > Stray Points
Save Selection
Imagine you just spent a chunk of time selecting a ton of tiny objects in your artwork and the phone rings and when you come back you end up clicking away by accident. You get to do it all over it again. But… if you quickly saved your selection before starting to talk on the phone you could easily get back to your saved selection any time you wanted.
How to Save Your Selection
- Make a selection of objects using the tool or menu selection of your choice, then
- From the menu choose Select > Save Selection
- Name your selection
- Your Selection will now appear at the bottom of the Selection menu ( in this file only).
Illustrator Selection FAQ
How to Select All in Illustrator?
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) or
- From the menu choose Select > All
How to Select all Text in Illustrator?
- From the menu choose Select > Object > All Text Objects
How do I select part of an object in Illustrator?
- Use the Direct Selection tool which allows you to select anchor points and path segments within an object. To select part of an object choose the Direct Selection tool from the toolbox or use the keyboard shortcut “A” and then click on an anchor point or draw a marquee around the part of the object you want to select.
How do I select a specific shape in Illustrator?
- Choose the Selection Tool (Black Arrow) from the toolbox and then either click the shape you want or click and drag a marquee around the shape. As long as part of the object is inside the “box” then the entire shape will be selected.
How to move multiple objects in Illustrator?
- Select multiple objects using the Selection Tool (Black Arrow) by clicking the first object and shift-clicking the next object or drawing a marquee around the objects you want to move. Then drag the selected objects to the new location on the artboard or use the arrow keys to nudge the selected objects into position.
What is the easiest way to select an object in Illustrator?
- The Selection Tool (Black Arrow) is the easiest tool to use to select objects as a whole, simply click the object you want with the Selection Tool.
How do you select individual objects from a group in Illustrator?
- Use the Group Selection Tool and click the grouped object you wish to select. You can shift-click to select additional objects.
How do I select a circle in Illustrator?
- Choose the Selection Tool (Black Arrow) and click the circle. Once selected you can move or use the bounding box to scale, rotate or resize.
Conclusion
There are so many ways to select things in Illustrator. Being able to quickly and accurately select what you want to edit is going to speed up your workflow by an order of magnitude and you are going to find you have so much more control. You will find that you use a handful of these methods everytime you work and others once in a blue moon but… knowing those methods exist will one day save you a ton of time.
If you enjoyed this article consider checking out:How to create a Half Circle in Illustrator which will introduce you to a variety of core skills for working with shapes and paths.
Leave A Comment