Lasso

Let me first start with the “lasso”.

To select objects with the “Lasso” tool, first select this tool in the tool bar of course and then click and drag around the objects you want to select (1).

If you want to select only a portion of an object, then click and drag on only that part that you want to select (2).

The later is useful when you have an object with many anchor points. In this way, they are not all selected. But more about anchors in a later lesson.

 

Magic Wand

With the “Magic Wand” tool, we can select all objects in a document with the same or similar fill color, line color, line thickness, “opacity” and / or “blending mode”. It is basically the same as the “magic wand” in Photoshop.

Click a color and the objects will be selected on the basis of the tolerance set (1).

For example, I click on the dark blue circle with a tolerance of 40, all objects that have this color can be selected. I set the tolerance to 150, for example, then I think the light blue circles will be selected too.

And the same goes for all other options in this pane.

If you can not see some of these options, then click the option button (2) pane and click the option you wish to see. There are only two options, “Line Options” and “Transparency Options”, so it is not so difficult.

Before I forget, open the “Magic Wand” tool panel by double-clicking the “Magic Wand” in the toolbar. Or by clicking on the “Windows” in the menu bar and selecting the “Magic Wand” in the drop-down menu.

 

Similar Objects button

Whoever thought that we have seen all the selection types, they are in for more. There are still more.

In the menubar, we find the “Select” button.

When we click this, we have the “Same” and “Object” options.

In the drop-down menu for “Same”, we can select among design and symbols.

In the drop-down menu for “Object”, we can select text or all clipping masks, even brush strokes.

You see a galore of selection options. On whatever you want to select, always select the object in the document first, otherwise Illustrator will not know about what on earth you are doing.

With the exception of text, of course.

 

Save Selection

Suppose you have made a complicated time-consuming selection. It would be a shame to lose this selection, especially when you know that you are going to need it again.

 

For this, we have the opportunity to save the selection.
Just click the “Select” button in the menu bar and choose “Save Selection” in the drop-down menu.
In the dialog that appears, give the selection a name and click the OK button.

The next time you click the “Select” button in the menu bar, you see that the saved selection is placed at the bottom of the list in the drop-down menu (1).

Change or move up the objects in this selection, it does not matter for Illustrator.

Illustrator remembers the object itself, not the position or size, or I do not know what else.

If you want to edit a saved selection, although I find “edit” is a big word, click the “Select” button in the menu bar and choose the “Edit Selection” option (2).

This opens a dialog where you can name another selection, or delete a selection.

 

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