Selector

Select exactly what you need in seconds. Selector picks every shape like the one you've selected, matched on size, colour, stroke, opacity or type, and has one-click selections for guides, open paths, clipping paths, stray points and more.

See it in the shop · Version 2.1.6 · Needs PowerScripts 3.8.42 or later

Open the PowerScripts panel (Window > Extensions > PowerScripts) and choose Selector from the Tools scripts.

To select every red circle the same size as one you've picked:

1. Select one of the circles.
2. Under Match, tick Fill Color and Size within (leave it at 1 mm).
3. Press Select Matching.

Select one shape, tick what has to be the same, and press Select Matching. Everything that matches on all the ticked boxes is selected.

• Type: the same kind of object, for example both paths, both text frames or both placed images.
• Fill Color and Stroke Color: the same colours.
• Stroke Width: the same stroke width.
• Opacity: the same opacity.
• Number of Anchors: the same number of anchor points. Good for finding copies of the same shape.
• Size within: the same width and height, give or take this many mm.
• Area within: the same area, give or take this percentage. This uses Illustrator's own area, which can differ for shapes drawn in different directions or compound paths.
• Search in: look in the Entire Document, only the Same Artboard, or only the Same Layer as the shape you selected.
• Select Matching: does it.

One click selects all of these in the document:

• Shapes: Guides, Compound Paths, Groups, Raster Item (embedded images), Placed Item (linked files), Stray Points (lone anchor points with no path, often left behind by mistake).
• Fills & Outlines: Open Paths, Closed Paths, Stroked Paths, Unstroked Paths, Dashed Paths, Filled Paths, Unfilled Paths. Open, unstroked and unfilled paths leave guides alone.
• Delete objects after selection: delete what was selected straight away. Handy for clearing out stray points or empty paths in one click.

• Artboard sized Clipping Paths: clipping paths the size of the artboard, which often come with placed or imported PDF and EPS files. Select them to delete or release them.
• Smaller than the size below: every shape smaller than the width and height you set. Great for finding specks and tiny stray shapes.

1. Tick Delete objects after selection.
2. Press Stray Points, then Unfilled Paths (empty paths with no fill or stroke are often left over).
3. Untick Delete objects after selection, press Artboard sized Clipping Paths, and release or delete them.
4. Press Smaller than the size below with 0.5 x 0.5 mm to find specks, check them, then delete.

1. Press Open Paths to check for paths that won't cut cleanly.
2. Press Stroked Paths to select every cut line, then give them your cut colour.

• Save combinations you use often as presets (see Using Presets), for example “same fill and size”.
• Run a selection from a key with Hotkeys and Quick Keys.
• Undo (Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z) brings back anything deleted with Delete objects after selection.

• Select Matching compares with one shape: select just one. If several are selected, it uses the top one.
• Locked and hidden objects can't be selected.

• 2.1.6
  • Fixed: Select Matching's “Size within” uses the tolerance in mm as shown.
  • Improved: Open, Unstroked and Unfilled Paths leave guides alone (Guides still selects them).
  • Improved: faster in big documents, and general bug fixes and reliability.
• 2.1.4: Updated for PowerScripts 3.8.32.
• 2.1.3: Updated for the new version of PowerScripts.
• Older changes: PowerScripts Release Notes