Illustrator in 60 Seconds: How to Use Selection Tools

Welcome to our Illustrator in 60 Seconds series, in which you can learn an Illustrator skill, feature, or technique in just a minute!

Illustrator in 60 Seconds: Selection Tools

Are you just starting out using Illustrator and having trouble understanding how selections are made? If so, why not take a moment and watch this short video in which I explore the Selection Tools and explain how they behave.

How to Use Selection Tools in Adobe Illustrator

The first tool is the regular Selection Tool. Using the cursor, select an object or a group of objects by clicking on them or dragging over them.

Move your object or adjust its object's shape by holding down the Left-click and dragging the cursor into the desired direction.

The second tool is called the Direct Selection Tool, which allows you to select individual objects or Anchor Points by simply clicking on them using the white arrow.

Alter the shape of an object by adjusting its Anchor Point, which you can select by clicking on them, or by holding down the Shift key if you need to select more than just one.

Want to see this in action? Check out the video above to see this lesson at work!

A Bit More Detail

Want to learn more about Adobe Illustrator's vast tools and settings? Check out these tutorials below:

• Roundups
  The A to Z of Adobe Illustrator
  Mary Winkler
• Clipping Mask
  Quick Tip: Advantages of Using the Clipping Mask Over the Pathfinder Panel
  Andrei Stefan
• Icon Design
  How to Scale Icons Correctly in Adobe Illustrator
  Andrei Stefan
• Graphic Design
  Understanding Adobe Illustrator's Grid System
  Andrei Stefan

60 Seconds?!

This is part of a series of quick video tutorials on Envato Tuts+ in which we introduce a range of subjects, all in 60 seconds—just enough to whet your appetite. Let us know in the comments what you thought of this video and what else you'd like to see explained in 60 seconds!