August 29, 1999

Creating Guides to be the Exact Dimension

This tip utilizes a free Xtra by Boris Jerenec called BJ Cropmarks. If you don't have this Xtra yet, I highly recommend downloading it (especially to follow the rest of this tip). Follow the link below for both Mac and Windows versions.

What this tip will help with is creating guides that exactly encompass any objects you have selected. This works great with irregular shapes or groups that would otherwise be difficult to place guides around.

Version: 7 and above

 
 


Above is a group of objects that I want to place guides around. I want these guides to be exactly the same size as the objects. This may seem simple enough, BUT look at the line on the lightning bolt above.

This line is set to have a pointy Join option and the Miter limit is set extremely high. The reason the Miter limit is set so high is to make the very extreme angles pointy.

 

As you can see in the zoomed detail above, the extended point isn't really there in Keyline mode, so it makes it difficult to even "snap" guides to the point.

But with the help from BJ Cropmarks, we'll be able to add guides to anything, including the above line, to the shape's exact size.

1) Start by selecting the object or group of objects in your document like above.

 

2) Now set up BJ Cropmarks by going into the Xtras -> BJ Xtras menu (you can also access the Xtra from the Operations palette).

You want to make sure that you use a large amount in the Length field to make sure the crop marks you're about to create extend off the page. You can enter any measurement value in these fields. Above I used 5 in (inches) as the length, and 0p1 (1 point) for the line weight. Entering 0 in the Offset value ensures that the lines will not be set off from the selected objects.

 

2b) After you've made your settings and hit OK, you'll now see the new crop marks around the object. Notice in the above detail example how the lines are set in the perfect placement for the special line.

 

3) There are a total of 8 lines in the crop mark group. Each line has another in the exact opposite side. The next thing you'll want to do is to sub-select a line from each of the areas and delete them leaving one line to represent each of the 4 sides of the object like in the example above.

 

4) Now starting with one line select it's endpoint and shift+drag it so it extends across that particular shape's dimension. Follow the above animation to see it in action.

 

5) Once you're finished extending each line, select all of the lines and in the Layers palette, click on the Guides layer. You should see your lines turn into the typical Guide color like shown above.

There, now you've created guides that are the exact dimensions of the shape you've selected. This works for any odd shape or lines that you may have in a document. This technique does take a few more steps than normal, but once done a few time with BJ Cropmarks, it really doesn't take that long.