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Hamm6457569

: How to create custom Arrowheads in Illustrator properly Arrowheads.ai file in C:UsersadminDocumentsIllustrator specifies: " ... add new arrowhead symbols of your own design. A horizontal stroked

@Hamm6457569

Posted in: #AdobeIllustrator

Arrowheads.ai file in C:UsersadminDocumentsIllustrator specifies: " ... add new arrowhead symbols of your own design. A horizontal stroked line in the back of the design is used to indicate the placement of the arrowhead and the default scale relative to the stroke weight. (The preset arrowheads are drawn with a stroke weight of 1 pt, but you can use any stroke weight as long as the arrowhead is drawn as it should look with a Scale option of 100% on a stroke of that weight.)

However after numerous attempts to create a new arrowhead and add it to symbols, it does not perform as it should when used from a "Stroke" pannel in a project.

This is what happens:


Can anyone elaborate on any kinks that may arise out of this process? There doesn't seem to be any tutorial online to show the exact way this should be done.
Thanks for any help in advance.

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@Jamie315

Westside's answer works. But to avoid the original post's problem of the stroke not behaving correctly you need to make sure the arrow "head" isn't a stroked object. So before saving and closing the "arrowheads" document make sure to "outline stroke" the arrow head.

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@Nimeshi706

Here's one way to do it:


Find the "Arrowheads.ai" file - It's in the Illustrator/Support Files/Resources folder, but it's probably quickest to just search for "Arrowheads.ai"
Create a duplicate / backup copy of this file because, you know, stuff happens
Open up the Arrowheads.ai file in Illustrator
Open up the Symbols palette (Window > Symbols)
In the Symbols palette, duplicate any existing arrow head, it will be incrementally numbered automatically
Double click the new symbol
Make the required changes to this symbol to create your new, custom arrow head (only change the head, not the outer box or the line)
Save and close the arrowheads document
Restart Illustrator (it seems to require a restart for the changes to take effect, not sure why)


If you want to be tidy then you can use "Place Symbol Instance" from the Symbol palette to add your new arrowhead to the document and label it up appropriately, but that's not a requirement to make it work.

This probably isn't the definitive, one and only way to do it, but it works.

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