# Flattening Drawing Objects

The Flatten command reduces the number of selected overlapping drawing objects in a layer into one drawing object and removes any hidden lines..

This reduces the amount of memory required for drawing objects.

The centreline strokes in shapes created using the Line, Ellipse and Rectangle tools are converted to brush strokes after flattening.

To activate this command:

1. Use the Select tool to select the drawing objects you want to flatten.

2. Select Tools > Flatten.

The centreline strokes in shapes created using the Line, Ellipse and Rectangle tools will convert to brush strokes after flattening.

Avoid using texture pen styles of different colours for drawing objects that you will flatten to ensure that colours blend properly.

Tip

Other ways to activate this tool:

- From the Tools Toolbar, click the Flatten button.
- Select Flatten in the panel’s pop-up menu.
- Use the [Alt]+[Shift]+[F] shortcut.