Using the Symbols palette


    You use the Symbols palette to manage the symbols for a document. By default, the Symbols palette contains a variety of preset symbols. However, you can create new symbol, modify existing symbols, and delete the symbols you don't use.

    Symbols that you create and store in the Symbols palette are associated only with the current file. Each Illustrator file can have a different set of symbols in its Symbols palette.

    Displaying the Symbols palette

    Choose Window > Symbols.

    Using the palette menu

    Click the triangle triangle icon in the upper right corner of the palette.

    Selecting symbols

    Do any of the following:

    • To select a single symbol, click it.
    • To select adjacent symbols, click the first symbols in the desired range, and then Shift-click the last. To select nonadjacent symbols, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) them.
    • To select all symbols that aren't used in a document, choose Select All Unused from the Symbols palette menu.

    Changing the view of symbols

    Choose a view option from the palette menu: Thumbnail View, Small List View, or Large List View.

    Changing the order of symbols

    Drag a symbol to a new location in the Symbols palette. To arrange the symbols alphabetically, choose Sort by Name from the Symbols palette menu.