Illustrator Tutorials

Create Arrows

Presented By: VectorToons.com

HOW TO MAKE ARROWS IN ILLUSTRATOR

Creating Arrows
Thinking of creating arrows for your project or logo in Adobe Illustrator, but having
trouble on how to actually do it? This tutorial will guide you in making your own basic
vector arrows.
Follow the step-by-step tutorial below:
1. Start of by creating a new document using Adobe Illustrator and select FILE -> NEW.

2. Supply the necessary size details and click OK.

3. Then select the LINE SEGMENT TOOL

4. Back in your document window, hold down your left mouse button as you drag the line on
your canvas.

5. To add an arrowhead, click on WINDOW -> STROKE.

6. In the stroke panel, click on ARROWHEADS and choose from the drop-down box the
start point and end point shapes of your arrow.

7. To change the color of your arrow, click on your arrow using the SELECTION TOOL
and select the STROKE Color Tab. In this example we are going to select Orange.

8. To change the thickness of the arrow, adjust the STROKE thickness from the weight
tab in the upper toolbar or from the STROKE Panel. In this example, we will be setting
the arrow thickness to 12.

9. To change the size of the start and end points of the arrow, simply go to the STROKE Panel
and adjust the scale level for both end points. For this example we are setting it at 30% scale
for the start point and 100% for the end point.

10. Repeat the steps above to create more arrows. Just rotate the angle and adjust the start
point/end point according to preference.
11. If you are looking for a more complex arrow and want to curve areas of the arrow, click on
ADD ANCHOR POINT TOOL.

12. Click on the part of the arrow where youd like the curve to peak.

Anchor Points

13.Next, is to select the DIRECT SELECTION TOOL and start clicking and moving/
dragging the selected anchor according to your preference.

14.To smooth the bend, click on CONVERT ANCHOR POINT TOOL to start moving your
converted anchor into a curved bend.

Alternative Method
1. You may also use the rectangle and polygon shapes tool to create an arrow. Start off by
clicking on the RECTANGLE TOOL and drag your mouse to the canvas to make a rectangle.

2. Now click on the POLYGON TOOL and drag the mouse to the canvas and while holding the
left mouse button, press the down arrow until you see a triangle. Release your hold on the
mouse and rotate the newly created TRIANGLE.

3. To join the two shapes together, select WINDOWS -> PATHFINDER.

4. After opening PATHFINDER, make sure that the rectangle and triangle are overlapping
each other.

5. Select both shapes and then in the PATHFINDER panel, click on UNITE.

Youll notice that the overlapped stroke paths will be removed and the shapes will be
united into a single arrow.

6. Customize the arrow according to preference. You may change the stroke color or fill
color and rotate it to whichever direction youd like it to point.

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