Illustrator is a great tool for creating unique designs and shapes. But, knowing how to merge paths to create the desired design is a crucial skill one should know while designing.

But worry no more because here I'll show you three quick and easy ways to merge the paths of different lines or shapes in Adobe Illustrator.

Keyboard Shortcut for Merging Paths While trying to create a logo or design in illustrator, one of the problems you'll encounter is how to merge two separate lines. The first thought will probably be to drag them over one another. But that's not correct.

This task can be achieved using a few simple steps. I'll explain this using a simple example. As represented in the image below, first, you have to create two lines or paths.

Before you continue with any method, select the lines or paths you want to merge. To do this, you can either choose the Sub-Selection tool, which is at the top left corner of the toolbar, or you can simply click A and access it immediately through the keyboard shortcut.

Now, you're probably thinking, why don’t we just drag the first line over the other? That would be easier, but the problem is that it will not work properly. The resulting image after doing that will look something like this.

Thus, the first step to merge these two paths is to select the two lines and press Ctrl + J in Windows or Command + J on Mac. Immediately you'll see that the paths are now connected. Your paths are now merged.

How to Merge Paths using the Shape Finder Tool Another method for merging paths is the Shape Finder Tool. This tool is the most common and a personal favorite. Now, notice the shapes below. If you want to combine both of them to make one, you can either use the shortcut above or follow the simple steps given below.

The first step is simply selecting both shapes by dragging your cursor over them. Next, select the Shape Builder Tool from the menu or click Shift + M.

Once you have selected the tool, all you have to do is click and drag the cursor across the shape. You'll see a single dotted line as you drag it across the shape.

After you're done, you'll see the shapes are now merged.

Voila! You’re done! Just like that, the shapes are now merged.

Merging Shapes Using the Pathfinder Tool in Illustrator The third and final way to merge paths is by using the Pathfinder Tool. This is one of the older methods, but that doesn't mean it's any less effective.

To use this method, simply select the shapes as you did before. Then go to the Window drop down Menu and select the Pathfinder tool.

A small pop-up window will open up on the side of the screen. After selecting both shapes, go to the pop-up window. The first option is the Unite tool.

When you select this, it immediately merges the path and creates one.

That's it! These are three of the most effective methods to combine shapes or paths in Illustrator.

The post How to Merge Paths in Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Bittbox.