ADOBE INDESIGN CS3
Chapter 7
CREATING GRAPHICS
LESSON 1
Introduction
InDesign allows you to create graphics using
tools in InDesign
The Pen Tool can be used for drawing
straight lines, curved lines, polygons, and
irregularly shaped objects
You can create shapes with the Rectangle
Tool, Ellipse Tool, and Polygon Tool
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
The Pen Tool creates straight or curved line
segments called paths
Clicking Pen Tool on artboard creates an
anchor point
Line segments are automatically placed between
every two anchor points
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Anopen path is a path with
unconnected end points
A closed path is a path consisting of
continuous lines that do not contain
end points
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Straight line segments are created by
creating corner anchor points
Click Pen Tool once, then release
Lines connected by corner points
Reconnecting to a path
Position Pen Tool over path’s end point until
diagonal line appears beside Pen Tool, then click
end point
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Closed paths
Open and
curved path
Straight path
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LESSON 1
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
Deselect path first, then click with Direct Selection Tool
Click anchor point and drag to new location
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Deleting anchor points
When Pen Tool positioned over existing anchor point, it
automatically changes to Delete Anchor Point Tool
Click to delete anchor point
When deleted, two line segments are joined into one
Drawing curved segments with the Pen Tool
To draw curve, click an anchor point, then click and drag Pen Tool
when creating next anchor point
Anchor points are called smooth points
Direction lines determine arc of curved path
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Changing the shape of path using direction lines
Manipulate direction lines with Direct Selection Tool
Click point you want to modify, then drag direction handle
in new direction to change direction, shorten or elongate it
When two segments joined at corner, they can be
manipulated independently
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Converting anchor points
Direction lines move in tandem but can be moved
independently with the Convert Direction Point Tool
Smooth point changed into corner that joins two unrelated
curves
Convert Direction Point Tool can change corner points to
smooth points
Click Convert Direction Point Tool on anchor point and drag
pointer until new direction lines appear
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LESSON 1
Use the Pen Tool
Corner point
Use the Convert
Direction Point
Tool to change
corner points to
smooth points
and smooth
points to corner
points
Click and drag
Resulting point corner point with
is smooth Convert
Direction Point
Tool pointer
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Reshaping frames
Toolbox offers tools for creating shapes
Rectangles
Ellipses
Polygons
Click a path with the Direct Selection Tool or the
Pen Tool to manipulate the path and the anchor
points within shapes
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Reshaping frames
When Selection Tool selected bounding box
appears with eight handles, which can be
manipulated
When you select Direct Selection Tool, bounding
box disappears and is replaced with its path
Clicking the Pen Tool has same effect as clicking
Direct Selection Tool
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Example of
path selected
with Direct
Selection
Tool
Anchor points
can be moved
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Defining Strokes
Color that you apply
to a path is called a
stroke
You can manipulate
a stroke with the
Stroke panel once it
is applied
Options in the
Stroke panel
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LESSON 2
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
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
A cap defines end points when stroke added
Butt caps – produce square ends
Round caps – produce round ends
Projecting caps – apply square edges that extend
anchor points
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Examples of caps and joins applied to artwork
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Defining the miter limit
Miter limit determines when 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
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Examples of miter
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Creating a dashed stroke
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
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LESSON 2
Reshape frames and apply stroke effects
Dashes have
12 pt. Butt caps
gaps
6 pt. dash
24 pt. dash
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LESSON 3
Work with polygons and compound paths
Creating polygons
Polygon dialog box
Toolbox offers Polygon Tool
and Polygon Frame Tool to
create multisided objects such
as triangles, pentagons, and
hexagons
To determine number of sides
you want, double-click tool to
open Polygon dialog box
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LESSON 3
Work with polygons and compound paths
Creating compound paths
Create compound paths to cut hole in another object
Use Make Compound Path command to create
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LESSON 3
Work with polygons and compound paths
Two paths that make
up a compound path
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LESSON 3
Work with polygons and compound paths
Complex
compound
paths create
interesting
visuals
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LESSON 3
Work with polygons and compound paths
Creating anchored objects
Objects you create and use as text characters
Objects placed or pasted into text blocks at intersection
point
Once part of text any modification of text affects object
If you want to reserve space for anchored object not yet
available, click Object on menu bar, point to Anchored
Object then click Insert
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LESSON 3
Work with polygons and compound paths
Example of anchored objects
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LESSON 4
Work with advanced text features
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, then click path
Begin typing
When text positioned on path, default start, end, and
center brackets appear, as well as in port and out port for
threading
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LESSON 4
Work with advanced text features
Positioning type on a line
Drag start bracket with either of selection tools to move
text along path
If you drag from center text will flow in opposite direction
Once entered, edit text just as in text frame
Use Baseline Shift text box in Character panel to make
text flow above or below path
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LESSON 4
Work with advanced text features
Converting text to outline
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
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LESSON 4
Work with corner effects
Applying Corner Effects
A simple way to convert the corners of a frame or polygon
To access corner effects, click Object on menu bar, then
click Corner Options
Click Effect list arrow in Corner Options dialog box and click
Preview box
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LESSON 4
Work with drop shadows
Applying a drop shadow
Drop Shadows – a soft-edge graphic that appears behind
another, appearing as a shadow
Click Object on menu board, point to Effects, then click
Drop Shadow
Effects dialog box opens with Drop Shadow category
checked
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LESSON 4
Work with drop shadows
Applying a drop shadow
Dialog box contains three sections for specifying
appearance of drop shadow
Blending section lets you choose mode, color, and
opacity
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LESSON 4
Work with drop shadows
Effects dialog box
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