: Shrink down a curved path by a specific length Is there a way to shrink a curved path (with two open ends) down by a specific length in Adobe Illustrator? I searched for hours now and still

@Sherry646

Is there a way to shrink a curved path (with two open ends) down by a specific length in Adobe Illustrator?


Yes there is a way... but it is not native to Illustrator.

The answer lies in using PathScribe, found within the VectorScribe plugin from Astute Graphics. While this plugin is not free, you can try it out during a free trial period.

One of the tools included with PathScribe is the Extend Path tool. This tool (despite its moniker) can also trim paths as well.

Here I have an open curved path which is 1410px in length:



Assuming you've already installed VectorScribe, click and hold on the PathScribe button, which gives you access to the Extend Path Tool:



You'll likely want to constrain your trim to count to full pixels rather than decimal fractions. To do so make sure your Keyboard Increment (found under Edit > Preferences > General) is set to 1px:



Then (with the Extend Path Tool selected) hit the Enter key to go into the Extend Path Preferences... Now check 'Constrain Length by Multiples' and under that check 'Constrain Change in Length':



With your path active, hover over the end of the path and you'll see an annotation appear, then just click and drag:



You can see from the Info Panel that we have now decreased the total length of our curved path by exactly 40px. Simple!

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@Vandalay110

Yes, it is possible. What you do is you use the stroke palette with a dashed array with following properties:


First dash set to the length of curve you need.
Second dash set to something so big so its longer than path.
Set dash option to preserve exact dash.


You can then copy the curve and expand this curve and use it for reference for a cut if you need the actual curve shorter. You can also use art brushes for same thing, such as when you hit the upper limit of the dash.

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@Murray976

Straight or curved?

For straight paths, just enter a new W or H value in the Control bar field or Transform Panel with the path selected.

Curved paths are another matter entirely.

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