Extend a bracket in Adobe Illustrator without distorting middle or corners [closed]

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Problem:

Trying to extend a bracket without distorting the middle or the corners.

Current state of bracket:

If I try to extend it using the Selection Tool then the middle plus the corners will get distorted. See below:

Question:

How would you do to extend the bracket and leave the middle / corners untouched? In other words, I wish to only extend it horizontally.

Answer 1

I'd post an image which would make this explanation a lot clearer, but sadly I don't post enough on stackoverflow to have image-posting privileges. So I'll try to talk you through it... kind of like a LOGO turtle, if you remember those from the 1980s.

In summary: use a stroked path, rather than a filled shape; use a grid to get the layout right; you can use a calligraphic brush to get it just so.

In detail: Use your pen tool to create a stroked path of 7 nodes. Use a grid and snap-to-grid to get your bracket shape even. For an upwards-facing bracket: start top left node and dclick and drag down two grid squares. . Move two grid squares right and click and drage a further two grid squares right. now move six squares right and click and drag two squares further right. Move down one squre and click once (don't drag). Up one square and click+drag two squares right; move six square's right and click and drag two squares right. Move up two squares and click and drag two squares up. Use your direct selection tool (i.e. the white arrow) to check and adjust your path... you should have have single handled nodes for the external tips of the bracket, no handles for the point of the tick in the middle of the bracket, and normal two-handled nodes for the curves into and out of the horizontal straight line portions. Create a calligraphic brush 2px diameter, 50% roundness, and use that to stroke the path.

If you extend the resultant path width-ways, the proportionality of the curves will extend, but is easy enough to tweak back using the grid.