Perfectly perpendicular lines in Adobe Illustrator

If you're an Adobe Illustrator user looking to streamline your design process, you're probably already aware of the power of plugins. One of our favorite tools from Astute Graphics is the Perpendicular Line Tool. This tool allows you to create easy vector lines that are perfectly perpendicular to any object in your artwork, ensuring precise alignment and a smoother workflow.

In this blog, we'll dive into the basics of the Perpendicular Line Tool and show you how AstuteBuddy, a helpful companion panel, can assist you in discovering keypresses and shortcuts, allowing you to work more efficiently.

👇 Skip to the quick tip video 👇

What is the Perpendicular Line Tool?

The Perpendicular Line Tool is part of the Astute Graphics plugin suite for Adobe Illustrator, and it creates straight paths that are perpendicular to one or two existing paths. It allows you to draw a line that is exactly perpendicular to any selected object, making it incredibly useful for precision drawing and design work.

How to Use the Perpendicular Line Tool

Select the Perpendicular Line Tool (it’s stacked under the Tangent Line Tool in the advanced toolbar).
Hover near the path you want to draw from. There is no need to select the object first.
The tool will highlight the path with a blue square annotation. You can either click on the first location, release the mouse button and then click a second time to set the second location, or you can drag the cursor to the second location.

Top Tip: Before you release the cursor, use the quick keypresses available to you. We highly recommend using the AstuteBuddy panel, because it will show the available keypresses when a tool is activated.

A: Cycles through multi-line mode, creating multiple lines between segments or around your entire path.
Up/Down Arrow Keys: When in multi-line mode, you can quickly increase/decrease the number of line repeats.
R: Cycles through the randomization modes, either randomizing the length, position, or both.
C: Toggles centering mode, allowing you to draw from the edge or center your line on the path.

What is AstuteBuddy?

AstuteBuddy is a free Astute Graphics panel for Adobe Illustrator that displays keyboard shortcut help and more for all Astute Graphics tools. The panel is contextually aware; in other words, it only shows keypresses and mouse operations that are applicable given the current state of the tool in use.

Why Use AstuteBuddy?

AstuteBuddy is helpful for both beginners and advanced users because it displays shortcut keys and commands in an easy-to-read format, making your workflow much faster and more intuitive. You no longer have to remember every key combination because Astute Buddy guides you through it.

Where to Find AstuteBuddy

Once you register for a free trial, you can download Astute Buddy for free. It can then be found in Adobe Illustrator under the Window Menu > Astute Graphics > AstuteBuddy.