How to Move an Anchor Point in Illustrator

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to move vector points in illustrator using three simple techniques. First, you will learn how to move anchor points in Illustrator using the Direct Selection Tool, and then how it can be done using the arrow keys or a transform command.

What You'll Learn in This Illustrator Tutorial

How to move anchor points in Illustrator using the Direct Selection Tool
How to move an anchor point in Illustrator using keys
How to move vector points in Illustrator using transform commands

1. How to Move Anchor Points in Illustrator Using the Direct Selection Tool

Pick the Direct Selection Tool (A) and use it to select the anchor points that you wish to move. Hold down the Shift key if you wish to select more than one anchor point.

Simply click and drag to start moving the anchor points in Illustrator. Hold down the Shift key as you click and drag to constrain the movements of your points.

2. How to Move Anchor Points in Illustrator Using the Arrow Keys

Go to Edit > Preferences > General and set the Keyboard Increment to 1 px.

Again, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the anchor points that you wish to move. Once you're done, use the arrow keys to easily move your selected points up or down, to the left, or to the right. That Keyboard Increment setting dictates how much your anchor points will move with each press of an arrow key.

3. How to Move Anchor Points in Illustrator Using a Transform Command

Again, use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the anchor points that you wish to move, and then go to Object > Transform > Move. Set the movement settings as you wish and click OK to move your selected anchor points.

Congratulations! You're Done!

Now that you're familiar with moving anchor points in Illustrator, feel free to use these techniques in your future projects.

You can find some great sources of inspiration at Envato Elements, with interesting solutions to improve your design portfolio.

Want to Learn More?

We have loads of tutorials on Envato Tuts+, from beginner to intermediate level. Take a look!