Page 45 - Adobe InDesign 2021

More about Working with InDesign Objects

Transforming Objects Manually
You have a number of options for transforming objects in an When you drag a handle, you can press Shift to maintain
InDesign layout. Using the Selection tool, you can the object’s original height-to-width proportions during the
transformation. Press Option/Alt while dragging to transform
• Click a center bounding-box handle and drag to resize an
object in one direction. the object around its center point.
• Click a corner handle and drag to resize an object in both You can also use one of the Transformation tools to rotate,
directions at once. scale, or shear an object (or use the fi elds in the Control,
• Click outside a corner handle and drag to rotate an object. Transform, or Properties panels to apply transformations).

Scale X Percentage Shear X Angle

Scale Y Percentage Rotation Angle

Using the Pathfinder
You can apply a number of transformations to objects using the Pathfi nder panel (Window>Object & Layout>Pathfi nder).
Paths Pathfinder Convert Shape Convert Point
Join Path Add Rectangle Plain Point
Open Path Subtract Rounded Rectangle Corner Point
Close Path Intersect Beveled Rectangle Smooth Point
Reverse Path Exclude Overlap Inverse Rounded Rectangle Symmetrical Point
Minus Back Ellipse
Triangle
Polygon
Line
Horizontal/Vertical Line

Path options break (open) a closed path, connect (close) the Convert Shape options change the overall appearance of
endpoints of an open path, or reverse a path’s direction (start an object using one of the six defi ned basic shapes or using
becomes end and vice versa). the default polygon settings; you can also convert any shape
to a basic line or an orthogonal (horizontal or vertical) line.
Pathfinder options create objects by combining multiple

existing objects. When you use the Pathfi nder (other than Convert Point options affect the position of direction
Subtract), attributes of the front object are applied to the handles when a specifi c anchor point is selected.
resulting shape; Subtract maintains attributes of the back object. • Plain creates a point with no direction handles.
• Add results in a single combined shape from selected objects. • Corner creates a point that produces a sharp corner;
• Subtract results in the shape of the back object minus changing the direction handle on one side of the point
any overlapping area of the front object. does not affect the handle on the other side of the point.
• Intersect results in the shape of only the overlapping • Smooth creates a point with opposing direction handles
areas of selected objects. that are exactly 180° from one another; the two handles
• Exclude Overlap results in the shape of all selected can have different lengths.
objects minus any overlapping areas. • Symmetrical creates a smooth point with equal-length
• Minus Back results in the shape of the front object minus opposing direction handles; changing the length or
any area where it overlaps other selected objects. position of one handle applies the same change to the
opposing handle.

Project 1: Letterhead Design 55