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How do you scale proportionally in Illustrator?

Last updated on September 24, 2022 @ 6:19 pm

In Illustrator, scaling proportionally means preserving the relative proportions of the original object while increasing or decreasing the size of the object. Scaling a vector object is achieved by applying the Scale command (S) to the object and adjusting the scaling percentage.

When scaling a vector object, Illustrator preserves the proportions of the object by scaling the vector’s longest dimension (X) and its shortest dimension (Y). If the vector object has a nonzero width and height, Illustrator scales the vector’s width and height proportionally.

If the vector object does not have a width and height, Illustrator scales the vector’s longest dimension proportionately and the vector’s shortest dimension proportionately.

To scale a vector object proportionally, follow these steps:

1. Select the vector object you want to scale.

2. Choose the Scale command (S) from the Illustrator menus.

3. In the Scale dialog box, set the Scale option to Proportionately (P).

4. In the Scale percentages field, type a scaling percentage.

5. Click OK.

The scaled vector object appears with the same proportions as the original object.

PRO TIP: If you are not familiar with Illustrator, or do not have a strong understanding of design principles, then scaling proportionally in Illustrator can be a bit tricky. There are a few things to keep in mind when scaling objects in Illustrator, such as the stroke weight, type size, and object positions. If you are not careful, you can easily end up with an object that looks distorted or out of place.
Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.