Nzambi Buy · US$19

Adobe Illustrator panel · for packaging designers

Offset guides from your 0,0, in one click.

Set your 0,0 at the top-left of the box, tick the sides you need, type an offset in mm, and click Apply Guides. Offset Guides adds guides at your chosen offset from your 0,0 point. It respects your ruler origin and never moves it.

Buy Offset Guides · US$19 See how it works
  • Illustrator 2020 and later
  • Mac and Windows installers included
  • Signed .zxp
Illustration of the Offset Guides panel and guides placed around the 0,0 point A packaging dieline with the ruler origin at its top-left corner. All four cyan guides are measured from that 0,0 point: Top is 10 mm above it, Left is 10 mm to its left, Bottom is 10 mm below it and Right is 10 mm to its right, so they form a small grid around the corner and the Bottom and Right guides cut through the box near its top-left. Below it, the Offset Guides panel is shown docked in a dark panel with a tab titled Offset Guides. It reads Add Offset Guides, then a small icon of four guide lines with a plus in the middle and four small squares for Top, Left, Right and Bottom, with Right and Bottom switched on as they are by default, then a Guide Offset field reading 10 mm, and Apply Guides and Undo buttons. Top Bottom Left Right 0,0 Top −10 mm Bottom +10 mm Left −10 mm Right +10 mm Offset Guides Add Offset Guides Guide Offset: 10 mm Apply Guides Undo
All four guides are measured from your 0,0 at the dieline's top-left: Top and Left at −10 mm, Bottom and Right at +10 mm.

How it works

Three steps. No maths on the artboard.

  1. Set your 0,0

    Drag the ruler origin to the top-left corner of your dieline box, the way you already do. Offset Guides reads it and never moves or overwrites it.

  2. Pick sides and offset

    Tick any of the four squares (Top, Left, Bottom, Right) and type a Guide Offset in mm. The default is 10 mm.

  3. Apply Guides

    Click Apply Guides. Guides are added at your chosen offset from your 0,0 point. Didn't want them? Click Undo to step back through earlier applies.

Features

Small panel, does one job properly

  • Your origin stays yours

    It works from the 0,0 you set and never moves, resets or overwrites your ruler origin.

  • Four-square side toggles

    Turn Top, Left, Bottom and Right on or off with one click each. Add only the guides you need.

  • Exact offsets in mm

    One Guide Offset field, 10 mm by default, measured from your 0,0 point. Top and Left go negative (above and left of 0,0), Bottom and Right go positive (below and right of 0,0).

  • No duplicates, nothing removed

    Apply Guides won't double up guides that are already there, and it doesn't delete any of your existing guides.

  • Multi-step Undo

    Undo steps back through your previous applies, one at a time.

  • Docks like any panel

    Open it from Window › Extensions (Legacy) › Offset Guides and dock it next to your other panels.

Install

Up and running in a few minutes

  1. Download

    After purchase you get one download with a signed .zxp, double-click installers for Mac and Windows, and a one-page install guide.

  2. Double-click the installer

    Run the installer for your system. If you'd rather use your own ZXP installer tool, the signed .zxp is included too.

  3. Open the panel

    Restart Illustrator, then choose Window › Extensions (Legacy) › Offset Guides. Dock it and you're set.

Offset Guides for Illustrator 2020 and later. US$19

Buy Offset Guides

FAQ

Questions

Which versions of Illustrator does it work with?

Illustrator 2020 and later. It has been tested on Illustrator 2026 (version 30.x) on Mac. Mac and Windows installers are both included.

Does it change my ruler origin or delete my guides?

No. It reads the 0,0 you set and never moves or overwrites it. Apply Guides adds guides at your chosen offset from your 0,0 point. It won't add a guide where one already exists, and it doesn't remove existing guides.

Which way do the offsets go?

Every guide is measured from your 0,0 point, not from the edges of the box. With 0,0 at the top-left of your dieline box and a 10 mm offset, Top is a horizontal guide 10 mm above 0,0 and Left is a vertical guide 10 mm left of 0,0. Bottom is a horizontal guide 10 mm below 0,0 and Right is a vertical guide 10 mm right of 0,0.

Do I get updates?

[UPDATES_POLICY] e.g. how long updates are included and how buyers receive them.

What's your refund policy?

If Offset Guides doesn't work on your setup, email me within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. No hassle.

What happens when Adobe retires this kind of panel?

Offset Guides is built in Adobe's current extension panel format (CEP), which is why it's listed under Extensions (Legacy). Adobe is phasing that format out, expected around 2029. [CONFIRM] I plan to port Offset Guides to Adobe's newer UXP platform once it's publicly available for Illustrator, and existing buyers will get that update. [/CONFIRM]

How do I get help?

Email support@nzambi.net.