The Symbol sprayer in Adobe Illustrator is a great way to repeat instances of your artwork multiple times chop-chop and efficiently. In this example Im going to use a snowflake vector that I created using the pathfinder just the aforementioned technique can be practical to any artwork that you lot take created in Adobe Illustrator.

To use the symbol sprayer in Adobe Illustrator yous need to select a symbol in the symbol panel. Any symbol can be used and if you wish to use your ain Illustrator artwork as a symbol all you need to do is driblet your artwork on top of the panel and information technology will be come up available every bit a symbol in the panel.

Adobe Illustrator Creating new symbol

Then you need to choose the symbol sprayer in your Adobe Illustrator tool bar and only commencement spraying your artwork all over your artboard. You now have lots of instances of the same symbol that are all still linked to your original symbol in your Adobe Illustrator symbol panel.

To edit the original symbol artwork but double click on the symbol in the panel and the original Illustrator artwork will open up and you lot tin edit information technology, then when you printing escape y'all will return to your symbol sprayer group and all of the symbol instances will accept updated.

Adobe Illustrator Symbol Sprayer group

We take now created an Adobe Illustrator Symbol Sprayer group that can just be edited with the symbol sprayer tools. To access the other Adobe Illustrator Symbol sprayer options just left click and hold down on the symbol sprayer tool in the tool bar and you will see a number of options for editing this group.

Adobe Illustator Symbol Shifter

The kickoff tool is the Symbol Shifter, this enables you to click and drag your Adobe Illustrator symbol instances effectually in the group to position them more accurately.

Adobe Illustrator Symbol Scruncher

The Adobe Illustrator Symbol Scruncher Tool allows you lot to tighten up the symbols within the group, if yous hold down th 'ALT' cardinal on your keyboard this will have the opposite reaction information technology will essentially loosen the group and push the instances further autonomously.

Adobe Illustrator Symbol Sizer

The Symbol Sizer Tool volition increment the size of your symbol instances within your symbol sprayer group, if you concur downwards the 'ALT' fundamental on your keyboard it volition accept the opposite action and reduce the size of your symbol instances.

Adobe Illustrator Symbol Spinner

By using the Adobe Illustrator Symbol Spinner tool you lot can hands rotate each example of your symbol within the group, yous will see modest arrows appear that yous tin elevate around to alter the direction of the instances.

Adobe Illustrator Symbol stainer

With the Symbol Stainer you lot can choose a colour from your swatches panel as a fill colour then when you click on your Symbol instances it volition showtime to stain them with that color, the longer you click the heavier the stain. Also much like the other tools if you hold 'ALT' information technology will accept the opposite reaction and remove the stained colour.

Adobe Illustrator Symbol Stainer

The next tool is the Symbol Screener, this will make the symbol instances start to go transparent, the longer you click the more opacity, pressing the 'ALT' central volition have the opposite effect and make them less transparent.

To control the borders of our Adobe Illustrator Symbol Sprayer group we tin utilise clipping masks, in this instance I desire to crop the group downwards to a start shape so Im going to draw a star and place it on summit of the symbol sprayer grouping.

Adobe Illustrator Clipping Mask

In one case placed on top Im going to select both the star shape and the symbol sprayer group at the same time, and so right click and select 'Create Clipping mask' this will crop the artwork down to the star shape. To release the Adobe Illustrator clipping mask just right click again and choose release.

Adobe Illustrator Create Clipping mask