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Design Adobe Illustrator for Web Design Creating a Wireframe Padding and Margins

CJ Williams
CJ Williams
34,372 Points
Posted by CJ Williams
CJ Williams
34,372 Points

A better way to create a grid with shapes

The method shown in this video will certainly work, but there is a quicker, easier way to create your grid system.

  1. Create a rectangle the size of your artboard. (adjust accordingly if using left and right margins outside of the grid)
  2. With your rectangle selected go to Object > Path > Split into grid...
  3. Adjust your grid settings to your hearts content.

The optional setting to create guides, I leave unchecked as it creates vector paths rather than guide elements. Once the grid appears as desired, drag out guide lines to align with the grid-columns' edges.

Another helpful tip that I suggest is to create the grid and guides on a layer separate from the artwork layers. With a color and opacity of your liking, move the grid/guide layer to the front of all layers. Next in the top-right dropdown of the layers panel, with the grid/guide layer highlighted select 'Template'. This will prevent the layer elements from being selected/moved/erased, as well as prevent the grid from appearing when exporting the doc to PDF.

Hopefully y'all find these tips helpful. :)

Kenan Xin
Kenan Xin
16,139 Points
Kenan Xin
Kenan Xin
16,139 Points

A quick correction: Object > Path > Split into grid ( using ai cc windows )

2 Answers

jacobproffer
jacobproffer
24,604 Points

CJ,

Thank you for the tip! I've been using Illustrator for awhile and until now, have been creating grids manually.

CJ Williams
CJ Williams
34,372 Points
CJ Williams
CJ Williams
34,372 Points

Glad I could help. :)

Melinda Golden
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Melinda Golden
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 25,815 Points
Melinda Golden
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Melinda Golden
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 25,815 Points

This is a helpful video on how to quickly make grids in Illustrator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZHv251MLDk

Basically follow the steps that CJ Williams outlined above. But to create guides you DO select create guides when you are making the grid. Then delete the horizontal lines. Select all of the vertical lines, then go to View > Guides > Make Guides. Done!