How to Create Bento Grids in Adobe Illustrator

Hey Designers! If you've been scrolling through Dribbble or Behance lately, you've probably noticed a design trend that's both aesthetically pleasing and super functional: Bento Grids (or sometimes called Bento Boxes).

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Inspired by those perfectly organized Japanese lunchboxes, Bento grids in design are all about creating a visually appealing layout by dividing space into distinct, often varied-sized sections. They're fantastic for showcasing different pieces of content, creating clear hierarchy, and adding a modern, structured feel to your designs – from websites and presentations to social media graphics.

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But how do you actually build these things in Adobe Illustrator? While they look clean and simple, getting all those boxes to line up just right can sometimes feel… well, less like a peaceful lunchbox and more like a chaotic kitchen after a cooking disaster.

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Don't worry! Here's a simple guide to creating Bento grids manually in Adobe Illustrator.

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Step-by-Step: Building Your Bento Grid

We'll use a combination of Illustrator's basic shape tools and alignment features.

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Step 1: Set Up Your Canvas

Start by creating a new document in Adobe Illustrator (File > New). Choose the dimensions appropriate for your project (e.g., for a social media post, a square or vertical format might work well).

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Step 2: Draw Your First "Box"

Select the Rectangle Tool (M) from the toolbar. Click and drag on your artboard to draw the first rectangle for your grid. This will be one of your "Bento boxes." Don't worry about perfect size or placement yet, we'll refine it.

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‍Step 3: Add More Boxes

Continue drawing more rectangles to represent the different sections of your Bento grid. Think about the layout you want to achieve – will you have one large box and several smaller ones? A few equal sections? Sketching it out roughly beforehand can help!

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Step 4: Align and Distribute

Now for the crucial part – making them look neat!

• Select all the rectangles you've drawn (Cmd/Ctrl + A).
• Open the Align panel (Window > Align).
• Use the Horizontal Align and Vertical Align options to line up the edges of your boxes.
• Use the Distribute Objects options (like Horizontal Distribute Space and Vertical Distribute Space) to ensure even spacing between your boxes if needed. You can also manually adjust spacing by selecting boxes and using the arrow keys.

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Step 5: Combine and Refine Shapes (Optional but Recommended)

Sometimes, to create the feeling of interconnected "boxes" within the grid, you might want to combine shapes or use them to define areas.

• You can use the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) to unite overlapping shapes or divide them.
• Consider using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift + M). Select overlapping shapes, then click and drag across the areas you want to combine into a single shape.

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Step 6: Round Edges

With your boxes in place, you can now add corner radius to all section. Select all rectangles, press A for Direct Selection tool and Corners options in the tools properties panel to adjust the radius.

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Step 7: Place Your Content

Now your Bento grid structure is ready! You can place your text, images, icons, or other design elements within each of the boxes you've created. Use clipping masks or simply arrange your content within the boundaries of each shape.

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Practice Makes Perfect

Creating Bento grids manually in Illustrator gives you complete control over every shape and space. It’s a great way to understand the principles of layout and how different elements interact visually. Like mastering any design technique, the more you practice, the faster and more intuitive it will become!

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You'll find yourself developing a good eye for spacing and alignment, which is invaluable for all your design work.

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But What If There Was a Faster Way?

Building these grids manually is a solid skill to have in your Illustrator toolkit. However, in the spirit of saving time and boosting efficiency (you know how much I love that!), I've been working on something that makes creating these structured layouts instantly.

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It's an Adobe Illustrator Script that takes the manual work out of generating Bento Grids, giving you perfect layouts in seconds.

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Want to see it in action and learn how you can get your hands on it? Check out this blog here: ['Fastest way to create Bento Grids in Adobe Illustrator']

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Stay tuned for the next post where we unveil the ultimate time-saver for Bento grids!

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