InDesign CS Selection, Type, and Line Drawing Tools

The Pen Tool

Draw lines, curves, and shapes with the Pen Tool

Image by J. Bear

For the basics of working with the Pen tool, study each of these three animations and practice drawing lines and making shapes:

1. Use the Pen Tool to Make Straight Lines
2. Use the Pen Tool to Make Curves
3. Use the Pen Tool to Make Shapes

The Pen Tool works hand in hand with three more tools:

• Add Anchor Point Tool: Select the tool. Click on a path to add anchor points. Don't click on an existing anchor point. Click on the path itself.

• Delete Anchor Point Tool: Select the tool. Click on an existing anchor point to delete it.

• Convert Direction Point Tool: Select the tool. Click on an existing anchor point. Hold the mouse button. The handles of that anchor point will appear. If you drag the mouse now, you will be able to change an already existing curve. If a handle is already visible, if you click on the handle itself and drag it, you will also change an existing curve.

  Additionally, the following glossary entries from Sue Chastain, the About Graphics Software Guide, will help you understand how the pen tool works.

  • Path
  • Bezier Curve
  • Nodes, Tangent Points, or Handle Points
  • Control Handles, Control Points, Direction Handles

• The Selection Tools
• Selecting Objects in a Group
• Selecting Objects Under Other Objects
• Selecting All or Some Objects
• The Pen Tool
• The Type Tool
• The Pencil Tool
• The (Hidden) Smooth Tool
• The (Hidden) Erase Tool
• The Line Tool