- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Create documents
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Trace images
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measurement
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Select objects
- Layers
- Group and expand objects
- Move, align, and distribute objects
- Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
- Snap objects to glyph
- Snap objects to Japanese glyph
- Stack objects
- Lock, hide, and delete objects
- Copy and duplicate objects
- Rotate and reflect objects
- Intertwine objects
- Create realistic art mockups
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Reflow Viewer
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Use the shape tools to effortlessly draw basic shapes like line segments, rectangles, and circles.
The shape tools in Illustrator let you create basic shapes with precision and ease. What's more, most shapes crafted using these tools are live shapes, enabling you to adjust them dynamically without the need to switch to a different tool.
Draw basic shapes
You can find most shape tools when you select and hold the Rectangle tool in the toolbar. To find the other shape tools, select at the bottom of the toolbar.
|
Select the Rectangle (M) tool and drag on the canvas to draw a rectangle. Press Shift as you drag to draw a square. |
|
Select the Rounded Rectangle tool and drag on the canvas to draw a rounded rectangle. |
|
Select the Ellipse (L) tool and then drag on the canvas to draw an ellipse. Press Shift as you drag to draw a circle. |
|
Select the Polygon tool, select the canvas, and specify the Sides of the polygon. |
|
Select the Star (S) tool and then drag on the canvas to draw a star. |
|
Select the Line Segment (\) tool and then drag on the canvas to draw a line. |
|
Select the Arc tool and then drag on the canvas to draw an arc. |
|
Select the Spiral tool and then drag on the canvas to draw a spiral. |
|
Select the Shaper tool and draw rough shapes such as polygons, circles, and rectangles. The Shaper tool converts them to perfect geometrical shapes. |
The shapes that you draw with the Rectangle tool, Rounded Rectangle tool, Ellipse tool, Polygon tool, Line Segment tool, and Shaper tool are live shapes.
Draw basic shapes using advanced options
Draw lines
-
Select the Line Segment tool.
-
Click on the canvas where you want the line to begin. In the dialog box, specify the Length and the Angle of the line. If you want to fill the line with the current fill color, select Fill Line.
-
Select the Arc tool.
-
Click on the canvas where you want the arc to begin. In the Arc Segment Tool Options dialog box, set the following options:
- : Select the reference point locator to determine the point from which the arc is drawn.
- Length X‑Axis: Specify the width of the arc.
- Length Y‑Axis: Specify the height of the arc.
- Type: Specify whether you want the arc to be an open path or a closed path.
- Base Along: Specify the direction of the arc. Select X Axis or Y Axis depending on whether you want to draw the arc's base along the horizontal (X) or vertical (Y) axes.
- Slope: Specify the direction of the arc’s slope. Enter a negative value for a concave (inward) slope. Enter a positive value for a convex (outward) slope. A slope of 0 creates a straight line.
- Fill Arc: Fill the arc with the current fill color.
- : Select the reference point locator to determine the point from which the arc is drawn.
-
Select the Spiral tool.
-
Click on the canvas where you want the spiral to begin. In the Spiral dialog box, set the following options:
- Radius: Specify the distance from the center to the outermost point in the spiral.
- Decay: Specify the amount by which each wind of the spiral should decrease relative to the previous wind.
- Segments: Specify how many segments the spiral has. Each full wind of the spiral consists of four segments.
- Style: Specify the direction of the spiral.
-
Select the Star tool.
-
Click on the canvas where you want the center of the star to begin. In the Star dialog box, set the following options:
- Radius 1: Specify the distance from the star's center to the star’s innermost points.
- Radius 2: Specify the distance from the star's center to the star’s outermost points.
- Points: Specify how many points (arms) you want the star to have.
You can also use the up and down arrow keys to increase or decrease the number of Points in the star.
To modify live shapes, you can use the on-shape control widgets.
Scale live shapes
To scale a live shape, drag any of its eight bounding box handles.
Rotate live shapes
To rotate a live shape, move the cursor toward an anchor point until you see the Rotate icon, and then drag.
Move live shapes
To move a live shape, drag its center point widget to the desired area.
Create pie shapes
To create a pie shape, drag the pie widget of an ellipse.
Add or remove sides from polygons
To change the number of sides of a polygon, drag its side widget.
Change the corner radius of live shapes
To change the corner radius of a live shape, drag a corner widget. To change a star's inner and outer corner radius, drag its inner and outer corner widgets, respectively. Switch to the Direct Selection tool for more control over shaping the corners.
Add or remove sides from stars
To change the number of sides (points) of a star, drag its side widget.
Change the inner and outer radius of stars
To change the inner and outer radius of a star, drag its inner and outer radius widgets respectively.
You can also modify the shapes from the Transform section of the Properties panel. For more options, select in the Transform section. Alternatively, open the Transform panel (Window > Transform).
When you switch to the Direct Selection tool, a corner widget appears next to each corner point of the selected shape. Drag a corner widget to automatically drag all corners, or select and drag a specific corner widget.
Change the corner settings
-
Double-click a corner widget.
-
Select the widget's Corner and Rounding styles, and then specify a corner Radius.
Tips and tricks
You can't change the corner radius after drawing a rounded rectangle. If you feel that you might need to change the corner radius, draw a regular rectangle, select Effect > Convert to Shape > Rounded Rectangle, and then specify the rounded rectangle parameters.
- To hide or view corner widgets when you select the Direct Selection tool, select View > Hide Corner Widget or View > Show Corner Widget.
- To enhance the live appearance of objects when you work on them, select the following option:
- Edit > Preferences > Performance > Real-Time Drawing and Editing (Windows)
- Illustrator > Preferences > Performance > Real-Time Drawing and Editing (macOS)
- To hide corner widgets for corner angles greater than a specified value, select the following option:
- Edit > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display > Hide Corner Widget for angles greater than (Windows)
- Illustrator > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display > Hide Corner Widget for angles greater than (macOS)
- Edit > Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display > Hide Corner Widget for angles greater than (Windows)
More like this
Have a question or an idea?
If you have a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in Adobe Illustrator Community. We would love to hear from you and see your creations.