1. Creating Polygons and Stars
The
Polygon and Star tools work in much the same way as the Ellipse and
Rectangle tools do to allow you to easily create complex vector shapes.
You can use these tools to create either polygons or stars. Polygons are
shapes based on a center radius and a number of sides, while stars are
shapes based on two center radiuses: one for the distance from the
center of the star to the innermost points, and another for the distance
from the center to the outermost points. Experiment with several
options to get the kind of shape you want.
Draw a Polygon or Star Shape
- 1. Select the Polygon or Star tool on the Tools panel.
The pointer becomes a crosshair that you can drag anywhere on the artboard.
- 2. Select a Stroke and Fill color from the Colors area of the Tools panel.
- 3. Click and drag on the artboard, and then release the mouse.
Timesaver
Press and hold Shift while you drag to create a proportional shape.
- 4. To create a shape with a specific radius and number of sides or points,
click on the artboard where you want the center of the shape, enter the
following values, and then click OK.
- Polygon. Enter a radius and number of sides for the polygon. To create a triangle, enter 3 sides.
- Star.
Enter radius 1 for the distance from the center of the star to the
innermost points and enter radius 2 for the distance from the center to
the outermost points.
2. Creating Line Segments
The
Line Segment tool draws perfectly straight lines in any direction you
drag your mouse. In Illustrator, a line is called a stroke and there is a
variety of thicknesses, styles, colors, and fills that can be applied
to it. You can also create your own line style for specific types of
dashed, dotted or artistic lines. You can constrain the path a line
draws to 45-degree angles or create closed shapes by intersecting the
lines you draw.
Draw a Line Segment
- 1. Click the Line Segment tool on the Tools panel.
The pointer becomes a crosshair that you can drag on the artboard.
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Press \ to select the Line tool.
- 2. Select a Stroke color from the Colors area of the Tools panel.
- 3. Click and drag on the artboard, and then release the mouse when the line is the length you need.
Timesaver
Hold down the Shift key, and then drag to draw a 45, 90, or 180 degree line.
- 4. To create a line with a specific length and angle, click on the
artboard where you want the line to begin, enter length and angle
values, select the Fill Line check box to fill the line with the current fill color, and then click OK.
