Fix: Adobe Illustrator Not Snapping to Point

Having an issue with Adobe Illustrator not snapping to point on your Mac and Windows device? If yes, then don’t be sad! We’re here for you. Most users have encountered an issue with the snapping to the point on Adobe Illustrator, which can be frustrating, especially when users rely upon Adobe Illustrator for their activities purpose. Thankfully there are a couple of methods available which you may easily try to fix your issue on Adobe Illustrator.

Adobe Illustrator is known as the popular vector graphics editor platform that offers various editing, which you can do at a creative level. It comes with extensive tools and additional features such as a shape tool, pen tool, color and gradient tool, layers, effects, filters, image tracing, and artboards. Adobe Illustrator is a great choice for thousands of graphics designers, professional editors and artists. But several users experience an issue with Adobe Illustrator like any other software issue.

One of the common problems with Adobe Illustrator is that users have reported that they’re facing a snapping-to-point feature, and it doesn’t work or not showing. However, these issues are caused by various purposes and you may easily fix the problem by trying some possible troubleshooting strategies on your Windows and Mac devices.

What Reasons Is Adobe Illustrator Not Snapping to Point?

There are a number of reasons why your Adobe Illustrator is not snapping to a point. Here are the common reasons include:

Snap to Point is Disabled: If your snap to point feature is turned off on your Adobe Illustrator, it causes the issue. Check if Snap to Point is turned on by going to View > Snap to Point. If the option is grayed out, it means that it is already turned on.
Objects aren’t Selected: If the object isn’t selected on your Adobe Illustrator, then snapping to a point won’t work anymore. Make sure to select the object and try again.
Snapping Settings are Not Configured Correctly: If your Adobe Illustrator configured settings are incorrect, you might face snapping-to-point issues. Check the snapping settings in the preferences menu (Edit > Preferences > General) to ensure they are set up correctly.
The object isn’t aligned to the Grid: If the object isn’t aligned to the Grid on Adobe Illustrator, you may face an issue with snapping to the point. Try aligning it to the Grid.
Corrupted Preferences & Software Issues: There’s also possible a corrupted preference and a software issue on your Adobe Illustrator, which prevents the snapping-to-point from working.

These are the main causes faced by several users. Check and identify the cause preventing the snapping to-point from working on your Adobe Illustrator. So, let’s have a look at how you can troubleshoot the problem by following the below-mentioned solutions.

Adobe Illustrator Not Snapping to Point, How to Fix?

Adobe Illustrator not snapping to a point is a common issue, as we mentioned above. Multiple users experienced this issue while working on Adobe Illustrator, and it was mainly caused due to incorrect settings and unselected options. Whatever the reason was, you can easily fix the problem by trying the mentioned strategies.

Fix 1: Disable Snap to Pixel

If you are using Adobe Illustrator on your Windows and Mac for the first time or it was not snapping to point at any object, you should disable the snap to pixel option on your Adobe Illustrator. Adobe has moved the Aligned to Pixel Grid option since 2017, and you may easily disable this feature to fix your snapping to point issue on Adobe Illustrator.

In the right control panel, you will be able to see the “Snap to Pixel” option on the screen. Simply click on it to uncheck the “Snap to Pixel” features and again try to check if the issue is resolved. You can also control it by clicking on the “View” option at the top of the screen tab.

Fix 2: Uncheck Snap to Grid

Another thing you have to uncheck is the “Snap to Grid” option on Adobe Illustrator on your Mac and Windows PC. This may allow you to snap to point features on any object, and you may easily fix the problem. Here’s how you can uncheck this feature on your Mac and Windows device.

In the View menu at the top of the screen, you will be able to see the “Snap to Grid” option. Make sure the “Snap to Grid” option is unchecked (SHIFT-CMD-). Toggle the visibility of the Grid with CMD. The size of the Grid can be adjusted in the preferences panel on Adobe Illustrator.

In addition, you also have to check the “Snap to Point” option on Adobe Illustrator. Make sure the “Snap to Point” (Alt+Ctrl) is checked on the screen option. If “Snap to Point” (Alt+Ctrl) is unchecked, simply click on it to enable the option. Once you have enabled it, try to check if the issue is resolved.

Fix 3: Disable/Enable Smart Guides

You can also try to turn Smart Guides off and back on to check if it helps you to fix the snapping to point issue on your Adobe Illustrator. Select the View menu at the top of the screen, and you will be able to see the Smart Guides (Alt+U) option. Simply click on it to disable it and try to check if the snapping to the point is working. If it’s not, try to enable it by clicking on it again to check if the issue is resolved.

These are the visual aid lines that pop up on the spot. They guide all anchor points you pass within a 2-pixel range of 0, 45, or 90º angle. However, the Terminator view doesn’t influence the “Snap to Point” behavior.

Fix 4: Restart Your Device

If you have tried the above-mentioned options and still have an issue with the snapping to point on Adobe Illustrator, you should restart your Windows and Mac devices. It’s possible that there are software issues and bugs on your device which prevent the snap points features from working.

Restarting the device helps you to fix minor bugs and software issues, and it also fixes temporary issues. Restart your Mac and Windows by pressing the power button for a few seconds. Once the device is restarted, try to access your Adobe Illustrator and check if the issue is resolved.

Fix 5: Update Adobe Illustrator

An outdated version of Adobe Illustrator on your Mac and Windows PC may cause the not snapping to point issue on Adobe Illustrator and prevent it from working. In such cases, you have to update your Adobe Illustrator to fix the problem you’re using. Compatibility, performance issues, and other technical errors will be easily resolved by updating Adobe Illustrator. To update your Adobe Illustrator on your Mac and Windows, follow these steps:

On Windows:

Open Adobe Illustrator on your Windows PC.
In the top menu bar, click “Help.”
Now click on “Updates.”
Finally, update your Adobe Illustrator by following the on-screen instructions.
Once updated, try to check if the issue is resolved.

On Mac:

Open Adobe Illustrator on your Mac.
In the top menu bar, click “Help.”
Now click on “Updates.”
Finally, update your Adobe Illustrator by following the on-screen instructions.
Once updated, try to check if the issue is resolved.

Fix 6: Reset the Preferences to Default

You can also try to reset your preferences to default on your Windows and Mac devices. Due to corrupted or damaged settings, it’s possible that Adobe Illustrator is not snapping to point. This may help to fix the problem you’re facing on your device. Here’s how you can reset the preference to default on your Windows and Mac.

On Windows:

Firstly, close your Adobe Illustrator on your Windows PC.
Now press Ctrl+Alt+Shift Key while opening Adobe Illustrator.
A dialog box will open on the screen and ask if you want to delete the Adobe Illustrator settings folder.
To confirm it, click on “Yes.”
Now try to check if the problem is resolved on Adobe Illustrator.

On Mac:

Firstly, close your Adobe Illustrator on your Windows PC.
Press the Options Key, Command, and Shift Key simultaneously to launch Adobe Illustrator.
A dialog box will open on the screen and ask if you want to delete the Adobe Illustrator settings folder.
To confirm it, click on “Yes.”
Now try to check if the problem is resolved on the Adobe Illustrator.

Fix 7: Disable Third-Party Plugins (Windows)

In Adobe Illustrator, it’s possible that the third-party plugins may cause conflicts that prevent snapping to point from working on your windows. Make sure to disable the third-party plugins on your device. Here’s how:

Open Adobe Illustrator on your Windows PC.
In the top menu bar, click “Edit.”
Head to “Preferences” and then “Plugins & Scratch Disks.”
Now click “OK” to uncheck any third-party plugins.
Again, check the issue has been resolved on your Adobe Illustrator.

Fix 8: Reinstall Adobe Illustrator

The final and last step is to reinstall your Adobe Illustrator on your Windows and Mac devices. If you have tried the above solutions and still facing an issue, then you should reinstall Adobe Illustrator. Here’s how you can uninstall and reinstall Adobe Illustrator on your Windows and Mac devices:

Install Adobe Illustrator on your computer and uninstall it.
Now restart your computer once.
Visit the official Adobe website and download the latest version of Adobe Illustrator.
Again, install it on your Windows and Mac.
Once finished, try to access your Adobe Illustrator and check if the issue is resolved.

Wrapping Up

Adobe Illustrator is known for its powerful vector graphics editing tool, and you can easily use this software for various purposes. But, multiple users are having an issue with the snapping point on their Adobe Illustrator devices, and that’s why we are provided with possible solutions which you can easily try to fix your Adobe Illustrator problem. We hope this guide was helpful to you in fixing Adobe Illustrator not snapping to point on Windows and Mac devices. If the problem still doesn’t work, contact Adobe community support for further assistance.