Learn how to fix stroke scaling in Illustrator CC in a matter of seconds, allowing you to regain full control of your stroke widths and options, no matter how much you scale or distort your shapes, objects, and designs.
Fix Stroke Scaling Illustrator
Video Tutorial
In less than two minutes, I will show you everything you need to know about this simple technique in the video below. Feel free to watch along and see for yourself how simple this option is to turn on or off.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Check Stroke Scaling
Step 1 – To check whether your stroke scaling is turned on or off, select any object with a stroke on the canvas with the selection tool.
Step 2 – Go to window > stroke to bring up your stroke panel. Either set a weight or check what the weight is. Hover over one of the corners of the transform boxes, click and hold, and proceed to drag in or out to scale the shape.
Step 3 – Scale and release, then check your stroke weight. If it has change, you have stroke scaling checked on.
Fix Stroke Scaling
Step 4 – Go to Illustrator on Mac or File on PC > preferences > general.
Step 5 – In the ‘preferences’ menu, under ‘general’, locate ‘scale stroke and effects’.
Step 6 – Uncheck this option.
Step 7 – Click ‘ok’ to return to the canvas.
Step 8 – Repeat steps 1-3. With your stroke window open, select an object on your artboard with stroke applied with the selection tool, and check the weight.
Step 9 – Click and drag one of the corners of the transform box, and scale the image larger or smaller. Once released, your stroke should stay the same weight. You can turn stroke scaling back on at any time by returning to the preferences panel.
Stroke scaling is one of those options that is so simple to toggle on or off, but can initially be very frustrating to deal with when you don’t know where that option is.
The ‘preferences’ menu is home to a lot of features like this, so if you do get stuck with other issues it’s always a good menu to start with to see if you can make any quick changes. I hope this simple tutorial helps you get out of a jam!