Changing line spacing in Adobe Illustrator can be a useful tool for enhancing the layout and appearance of your design. Whether you’re working on a typography-heavy project or simply want to adjust the spacing in a text block, mastering this feature can help you achieve a more polished and professional result.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change line spacing in Adobe Illustrator:
1. Open your Adobe Illustrator document: Launch Adobe Illustrator and open the document in which you want to change the line spacing.
2. Select the text: Use the Selection tool to click and drag over the text area that you want to adjust the line spacing for. This could be a single line or a block of text.
3. Open the Character panel: Go to the Window menu and select “Type” then “Character” to open the Character panel. This panel contains various options for customizing text, including line spacing.
4. Adjust the leading value: In the Character panel, look for the “Leading” option. Leading refers to the distance between the baseline of one line of text and the baseline of the line above it. You can either manually enter a specific value in the leading field or use the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the leading.
5. Use keyboard shortcuts: You can also use keyboard shortcuts to change the leading value. With the text selected, press Option + Up/Down arrow (Mac) or Alt + Up/Down arrow (Windows) to increase or decrease the leading.
6. Fine-tune the spacing: To further adjust the line spacing, you can use the “Auto” leading option in the Character panel to let Illustrator automatically set the ideal line spacing based on the font and font size.
7. Check the result: After making your adjustments, take a moment to review the line spacing and ensure it looks visually appealing and legible within your design.
By following these simple steps, you can easily change the line spacing in Adobe Illustrator to create a more visually impactful and cohesive design. Whether you’re working on a branding project, a poster, or a web layout, mastering this feature will give you more control over the appearance of your text and ultimately enhance the overall quality of your design work.