1. Computing & Technology

Adobe InDesign Basic Tasks - Animations

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Use the Pen Tool to Make Shapes
Pen Tool Shapes Animation

Mix clicks and drags to draw shapes with the Pen Tool. (Click on the image to get full size graphic and to see the animation)

Image / Animation by J. Bear
The animated illustration shows how to make a shape consisting of straight lines and curves. Follow the procedures described in the straight lines and curves tutorials, mixing the line types as you please, or follow the animated steps.

Note this important point when mixing straight lines and curves: After you have created a curve, if you release the mouse button and click somewhere else, InDesign will automatically create another curve. If you don't want InDesign to create another curve, click on the last anchor point you created. This will remove the handle for that anchor point.Now you can click anywhere and InDesign will make a straight line between those two anchor points. Use this procedure to switch from curves to straight lines within a shape.

To close your shape, click on the first anchor point you created when you started drawing with the pen.

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