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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2
User Guide
A
B
C
Using the Smooth tool
A.
Original path
B.
Dragging across path with the Smooth tool
C.
Result
See also
“Drawing tool gallery” on page 145
“Keys for editing shapes” on page 529
To change the amount of smoothing
1
Double-click the Smooth tool
.
2
Set the following options, and click OK:
•
Fidelity to control how far you have to move your mouse or stylus before Illustrator adds a new anchor point to
the path. For example, a Fidelity value of 2.5 means that tool movements of less than 2.5 pixels aren’t registered.
Fidelity can range from 0.5 to 20 pixels; the higher the value, the smoother and less complex the path.
•
Smoothness to control the amount of smoothing that Illustrator applies when you use the tool. Smoothness can
range from 0% to 100%; the higher the value, the smoother the path.
To simplify paths
Simplifying a path removes extra anchor points without changing the shape of the path. Removing unnecessary
anchor points simplifies your artwork, reducing the file size, and making it display and print faster.
1
Select the object.
2
Choose Object > Path > Simplify.
3
Set the Curve Precision to control how closely the simplified path follows the original path.
Select Preview to show a preview of the simplified path and list the number of points in the original and simplified
paths.
4
Select additional options, and click OK.
Simplify options
Curve Precision
Enter a value between 0% and 100% to set how closely the simplified path should follow the original
path. A higher percentage creates more points and a closer fit. Any existing anchor points are ignored except for
endpoints of a curve and corner points (unless you enter a value for Angle Threshold).
Angle Threshold
Enter a value between 0 and 180˚ to control the smoothness of corners. If the angle of a corner
point is less than the angle threshold, the corner point is not changed. This option helps keep corners sharp, even if
the value for Curve Precision is low.
Straight Lines
Creates straight lines between the object’s original anchor points. Corner points are removed if they
have an angle greater than the value set in Angle Threshold.