Chapter 7

Creating Graphics

Chapter Objectives

• Use the Pen tool• Reshape frames and apply stroke effects• Work with polygons and compound paths• Work with advanced text features

• You can create graphics using tools in InDesign.

• Use the Pen tool to draw straight and curved lines, polygons, and irregularly shaped objects.

• Use the Rectangle, Ellipse, and Polygon tools to create shapes.

Introduction

Use the Pen Tool

• The Pen tool creates straight or curved line segments called paths.

• Clicking the Pen Tool on the page creates an anchor point.– Line segments are automatically placed between

every two anchor points

Use the Pen Tool

• An open path is a path with unconnected end points.

• A closed path is a path consisting of continuous lines that do not contain end points.

Use the Pen Tool

Closed paths

Straight path

Open and curved path

Use the Pen Tool

• Create straight line segments by creating corner anchor points.– Click Pen tool once, then release.– Lines are connected by corner points.

• Reconnecting to a path– Click the Pen tool over path’s end point when diagonal

line appears.

Use the Pen Tool

Use the Pen Tool

• Adding anchor points and using the Direct Selection tool– Use Pen tool to create the general shape.– Use Direct Selection tool to improve upon it.– Deselect path first, then click with Direct Selection

tool.– Click anchor point and drag to new location.

Use the Pen Tool

• When you position the Pen tool over an anchor point, it becomes the Delete Anchor Point tool.

• Click to delete anchor point.• When deleted, two line segments are joined

into one.

Use the Pen Tool

• To draw a curve, click an anchor point, then click and drag the Pen tool when creating the next anchor point.

• Anchor points are called smooth points.• Direction lines determine the arc of the

curved path.

Use the Pen Tool

Use the Pen Tool

• To change the shape of a path, manipulate direction lines with the Direct Selection tool.– Click the point you want to modify, then drag the

direction handle in new direction to change direction, shorten, or elongate it.

– When two segments are joined at a corner they can be manipulated independently.

Use the Pen Tool

• Converting anchor points– Direction lines move in tandem but can be moved

independently with the Convert Direction Point tool.

– Convert corner points to smooth points by clicking the Convert Direction Point tool on an anchor point and then dragging pointer until new direction lines appear.

Use the Pen Tool

Use the Convert Direction Point tool to change corner points to smooth points and smooth points to corner points

Corner point

Click and drag corner point with Convert Direction Point tool pointer

Resulting point is smooth

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

• The Tools panel offers tools for creating shapes such as:

• Rectangles• Ellipses• Polygons

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

Anchor points can be moved

Click a path with the Direct Selection tool or the Pen tool to manipulate the path and the anchor points within shapes.

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

• A stroke is the border of a path.• You can change the stroke color and stroke

weight using the Stroke panel.

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

The Stroke panel

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

• Defining joins and caps– A join defines the appearance of a corner point

when a path has a stroke applied to it• Miter join – produces pointed corner• Round join – produces rounded corners• Bevel join – produces square corners

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

• A cap defines end points when a stroke is added.– Butt caps – produce square ends– Round caps – produce round ends– Projecting caps – apply square edges that extend

anchor points

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

• The miter limit determines when a join is squared off to beveled edge.

• Default miter limit is 4, which means that when length of miter reaches 4 times the stroke weight, it will automatically be squared off to a beveled edge.

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

• Dashed strokes are strokes that consist of a series of dashes and gaps.

• Define dash sequence by entering length of dashes and gaps in the Stroke panel.

• Create a maximum of three different size dashes separated by three different size gaps.

Reshape Frames and Apply Stroke Effects

DasheshaveButtcaps

24 pt. dash

12 pt. gap

6 pt. dash

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

• The Tools panel offers the Polygon tool and Polygon Frame tool to create multisided objects such as triangles, pentagons, and hexagons.

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

• Double-click the Polygon tool to open Polygon Settings dialog box.

• Choose number of sides.

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

• Create compound paths to cut a “hole” in another object.

• Use Make Compound Path command to create compound paths.

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

Two paths that make up a compound path

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

Complex compound paths create interesting visuals.

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

Anchored objects are objects you create and use as text characters.

– Place or paste objects into text blocks at intersection point.

– When you edit the text, the anchored object is affected.

Work with Polygons and Compound Paths

Example of anchored objects

• Positioning type on a line– Use the Type on a Path tool to place type on a

curved or straight path.– Float Type on a Path tool pointer over path until

plus sign appears, click path and being typing.

Work with Advanced Text Features

• Positioning type on a line– Drag start bracket with either Selection tool to

move text along path.– Drag from center to flow text in opposite

direction.– Drag center bracket across the path to flow text in

opposite direction.

Work with Advanced Text Features

Work with Advanced Text Features

• Converting text to outlines– Convert text to outlines so that you can fill it with

images or gradients.– Select text, click Object on Menu bar, then click

Create Outlines.– Each letter object is a vector graphic.

Work with Advanced Text Features

Text converted to outlines

Flower fill applied to paths

Work with Advanced Text Features