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Why are my smart guides not working in Illustrator?

Last updated on February 20, 2023 @ 4:23 pm

Illustrator is a great tool for creating graphics, but it can be frustrating when your smart guides don’t work. Here are some possible reasons why your smart guides might not be working:

1. You might not have the correct file extension for your smart guides.
Illustrator smart guides are typically saved as .ai or .eps files. If you are using a different file extension, like .jpg, your smart guides probably won’t work.

2. You might not have the correct version of Illustrator.
Make sure you have the latest version of Illustrator installed. If you are using an older version of Illustrator, your smart guides might not work. You can check this by going to Help > About Illustrator.

3. You might not have the correct brushes installed.
If you are trying to use the smart guides with a brush that is not installed in Illustrator, the brushes might not work. You can find the brushes that are compatible with Illustrator by going to the Brushes menu and selecting the Brushes tab.

4. You might not have the correct settings set up in Illustrator.
If you are not using the default settings, your smart guides might not work. You can find the default settings by going to the Illustrator Preferences menu (File > Preferences) and selecting the Illustrator General tab. You can also reset settings by clicking on the “Reset Preferences” button.

PRO TIP: If you are experiencing issues with your smart guides not working in Illustrator, there are a few potential causes. First, check to see if the smart guides preference is turned on in your Preferences menu. If it is, but you’re still not seeing smart guides, try resetting your workspace. If that doesn’t work, try restarting Illustrator.

5. You might not have the correct objects selected.
If the correct objects are not selected, your smart guides might not work. You can find the objects selected in your canvas which is indicated by the selection box around the object.

6. You might not have the correct layer selected.
If the correct layer is not selected, your smart guides might not work. You can find the list of layers in the Layers window. Simply click on the layer that you want to select.

7. You might not have the correct selection set up in the selection window.
If the correct Selection tool is not selected, your smart guides might not work. You can find the Selection Tools in the left toolbar. You can also choose to reset your selection by going to Select > Deselect.

Drew Clemente

Drew Clemente

Devops & Sysadmin engineer. I basically build infrastructure online.