I constantly find myself using the Rectangle tool to create objects that I will use as measuring devices. Let’s say that I wanted to create an object that was inset 1/4″ from the edge of the page on all sides. I would start by making sure Snap to Point and Smart Guides are selected under the View menu. Then click with the Rectangle tool (M) in the upper left hand corner of the Page. Type .25″ for the Width and then click on the word Height to insert the same .25″ inches. Then click OK. Now I would turn on my Rulers (View > Show Rulers) and drag Ruler Guides to the lower right corner of my selected Rectangle from both the vertical and horizontal Rulers. Then I’d drag my measuring Rectangle, snapping it to the lower right corner of the page. Then drag Ruler Guides to the upper left hand corner of the Rectangle (both vertical and horizontal). Now that I have my 1/4″ margins, I can click-and-drag with my Rectangle tool from the upper left margin to the lower right margin to create a Rectangle that’s precisely 1/4″ from the edge of my page.
Tip provided by Jeff Witchel, Certified Adobe® Training Provider.
Author: jeff witchel
Jeff Witchel graduated from Pratt Institute in 1973 with a B.F.A. (Cum Laude) in Advertising Design and Visual Communications. He has been an award-winning advertising art director, writer, designer, illustrator, and TV producer ever since.
Before starting his own advertising agency in New Jersey, Jeff built his career at top New York ad agencies such as Young & Rubicam, Grey Advertising, and Wells, Rich, Greene. Over the years, he has created award-winning work for many clients including AT&T, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Jell-O Pudding, The Plaza Hotel, and Pfizer. His many prestigious awards include N.Y. Art Directors Club Gold Award, One Show Gold Award, N.J. Art Directors Club Award, multiple Andy Awards, Graphis Annual, numerous readership awards, plus an Emmy Award nomination.
Jeff is a self-taught computer artist with over 19 years of experience. His initial introduction to the computer was with PageMaker, but he switched to Quark 1.0 when it was first introduced in 1987. Having arrived on the desktop publishing scene so early, Jeff became the “go to” guy for answers when others started getting into computer graphics.
As an Adobe Certified Expert, he’s provided online support for Adobe and is now an Adobe Certified Training Provider for both Adobe Illustrator CS2 and Adobe InDesign CS2. Jeff is one of just a handful of Adobe Certified Instructors in the New York metropolitan area. He also is a Quark Certified Expert in QuarkXPress 6 as well as a master of Adobe Photoshop and related applications. He counts among his training clients ad agencies, design studios, magazines, illustrators, and photographers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
