How to simplify a shape in Adobe Illustrator

Tim Youngs
Last updated April 15, 2021

When working within Adobe Illustrator you may run into complex shapes (that have a lot of points).

Simplifying a shape like this will make it easier to work with, and will help Illustrator run more smoothly.

So, how do you simplify the number of points in a shape. Here's a quick solution!

Here's how to do it:

With the Document Window

  1. Open your Illustrator project file
  2. Select or create the shape you want to simplify
  3. Right-click on the shape, and choose "Simplify"
  4. Adjust the complexity level of the shape and total number of points using the slider option

From the Menu Bar

  1. Open your Illustrator project file
  2. Select or create the shape you want to simplify
  3. From the top Menu Bar, choose Object > Path > Simplify
  4. Adjust the complexity level of the shape and total number of points using the slider option