How to Make Shapes in Adobe InDesign: The Ultimate Guide

When it comes to creating visually impactful layouts and designs, shapes are a fundamental building block. And if you‘re using Adobe InDesign, you‘re in luck—the software provides a robust suite of intuitive tools for creating and editing shapes with speed and precision.

But with so many options and techniques available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That‘s why we‘ve put together this in-depth guide on three quick ways to make shapes in InDesign, complete with expert tips and best practices to level up your designs.

But first, let‘s touch on why mastering shapes in InDesign is so important. According to 2022 statistics, over 91% of creative professionals use InDesign for page layout and design, making it the industry-standard software. And in an Adobe survey of InDesign users, "creating and editing shapes" was cited as one of the top five most frequently used features.

As designers, we know that compelling visual communication often comes down to strong graphic elements—and shapes are about as fundamental as it gets. When used strategically, shapes can help to:

• Organize and structure content
• Guide the viewer‘s eye and create visual flow
• Convey moods, tones, and concepts
• Add interest and visual flair
• Create unified, cohesive designs

The ability to efficiently create and manipulate shapes is an essential skill for any InDesign user looking to elevate their designs. So without further ado, let‘s jump into the three key ways to make shapes in InDesign like a pro.

Method 1: InDesign‘s Preset Shape Tools

The first and arguably quickest way to create shapes in InDesign is by using the built-in shape tools. These allow you to draw common shapes with just a few clicks, making them a go-to for many designers. InDesign‘s main shape tools include:

Rectangle Tools

InDesign actually provides two rectangle tools: the Rectangle Frame Tool (F) and the Rectangle Tool (M). So what‘s the difference?

• Rectangle Frame Tool: Creates a rectangular frame that can contain text or other objects. Frames are essentially containers for holding and formatting content.
• Rectangle Tool: Creates a simple rectangular shape. These are standalone graphic elements that can be used for visual design and decoration.

Both tools work the same way: select the tool, then click and drag on the page to define the size of your rectangle. Hold Shift while dragging to constrain proportions to a perfect square.

Pro tip: To draw a rectangle from the center instead of the corner, hold Option/Alt while dragging.

Ellipse Tools

Like with rectangles, InDesign offers two ellipse tools: the Ellipse Frame Tool for creating elliptical text/object containers, and the Ellipse Tool (L) for drawing oval shapes.

The usage is the same as the rectangle tools. Click and drag to define the ellipse size, hold Shift to create a perfect circle, and hold Option/Alt to draw from the center.

Polygon Tool

The Polygon Tool lets you create equilateral polygons with a specified number of sides. Here‘s how to use it:

1. Select the Polygon Tool from the Tools panel or press Shift+M until it appears.
2. Click and drag on the page to set the size of your polygon. The default is a 6-sided hexagon.
3. To change the number of sides, double-click the Polygon Tool icon. In the dialog box, enter the number of sides (3-100) and click OK.
4. For a star shape, specify a Star Inset percentage. 1% creates sharp points, 50% creates a full star, and 99% creates thin spikes.

Once you‘ve drawn a shape with any tool, you can customize its appearance using the Fill, Stroke, and other options in the Properties panel or Control panel. Experiment with colors, gradients, stroke weights, corner options, and more to fit your design.

Method 2: Drawing Custom Paths with the Pen Tool

While InDesign‘s preset shape tools are great for quickly creating basic shapes, they limit you to predefined forms. To draw truly custom and complex vector shapes, the Pen Tool (P) is your best friend.

If you‘re new to the Pen Tool, it can feel daunting at first. But trust us—with a bit of practice and patience, you‘ll be creating stunning freeform shapes in no time. Let‘s break it down step by step.

Understanding Anchor Points and Paths

At its core, the Pen Tool works by placing anchor points that define the shape of your path. There are two types of anchor points:

• Corner points: Indicate straight lines or sharp angles in a path. Created by single-clicking with the Pen Tool.
• Smooth points: Create curved path segments. Made by clicking and dragging with the Pen Tool to extend Bézier direction handles.

To draw a path with the Pen Tool:

1. Select the Pen Tool from the Tools panel or press P.
2. To start your path, click once on the artboard to create a corner point.
3. To draw a straight line, simply click again in a different spot. InDesign will connect the two points with a straight path.
4. To draw a curve, click and drag in the direction you want the curve to go. The longer you drag, the longer and more pronounced the curve will be. Release the mouse to set the curve.
5. Continue clicking and/or clicking and dragging to add more points and draw your complete path.
6. To finish an open path, press Enter or select another tool. To close a path, click on the first point again.

With practice, you‘ll get a feel for how to manipulate the Pen Tool to create the shapes you envision. Don‘t worry if your paths aren‘t perfect at first—you can always refine them after the fact.

Editing Paths with the Sub-Selection Tool

The Sub-Selection Tool (A) (also called the Direct Selection Tool) lets you fine-tune your paths after drawing them. With the Sub-Selection Tool, you can:

• Move individual anchor points by clicking and dragging them
• Adjust curve segments by dragging anchor point handles
• Add or delete anchor points on an existing path
• Convert between corner and smooth points (more on that in a bit)

To edit a path, first use the Selection Tool (V) to select the entire path. Then switch to the Sub-Selection Tool and click the anchor point or segment you want to modify.

Making small tweaks with the Sub-Selection Tool can make a big difference in refining your shapes to perfection. Don‘t be afraid to zoom in and make precise adjustments.

Drawing Freeform Shapes with the Pencil Tool

For a more organic drawing experience, you can use the Pencil Tool (N) to quickly sketch out freeform shapes. It‘s great for roughing out curvy, natural forms.

Simply select the Pencil Tool and click and drag to draw. InDesign will automatically place anchor points along the path based on your mouse movement. The faster you draw, the smoother and less detailed the path will be.

To edit your freeform path, use the Smooth Tool to selectively smooth out jagged areas, and the Erase Tool to delete unwanted sections. You can also use the Sub-Selection Tool to adjust individual points and segments.

Converting and Joining Anchor Points

By default, the Pen Tool creates corner points when you click and smooth points when you click and drag. But what if you want to convert a corner point to a smooth point for a curved segment, or join two separate paths together?

With the Convert Direction Point Tool (Shift+C), you can easily switch between point types. Simply select an existing anchor point and click with the Convert Point Tool to toggle between corner and smooth.

To join two open endpoints together, select both points with the Sub-Selection Tool and go to Object > Paths > Join. InDesign will connect them with a new path segment.

Method 3: Combining Shapes with Pathfinder

For even more shape-building power, look no further than InDesign‘s Pathfinder panel (Window > Object & Layout > Pathfinder). Pathfinder lets you combine multiple shapes using boolean operations to create complex compound shapes.

Here‘s a quick overview of the key Pathfinder commands and how to use them:

Pathfinder Shape Modes

The top section of the Pathfinder panel contains four buttons for applying shape modes:

• Unite: Merges selected shapes into a single shape, eliminating overlaps
• Minus Front: Subtracts the topmost shape from the one behind it
• Intersect: Creates a shape from only the overlapping areas of selected shapes
• Exclude: Creates a shape from all non-overlapping areas, deleting overlaps

To apply a shape mode, first select two or more overlapping shapes. Then click the desired mode button in Pathfinder. Your original shapes will be replaced by the newly combined shape.

Experiment with different shape mode combinations to discover new creative forms. You can even apply Pathfinder to text frames and other objects for interesting effects.

Compound Paths

In addition to shape modes, Pathfinder can also be used to create compound paths—single shapes with holes or cut-out areas. A common example is a donut shape.

To make a compound path, select two or more shapes and click the "Compound Path" button at the bottom of Pathfinder. The topmost shape will become a "hole" inside the other shape(s).

To release a compound path back to separate shapes, select it and go to Object > Paths > Release Compound Path.

Applying Pathfinder to Multiple Page Items

By default, clicking a Pathfinder button will immediately apply the effect and replace your original shapes. But what if you want to apply Pathfinder to multiple groups of shapes all at once?

To do this, first select all the desired shapes/groups on the page. Then click the "Apply To Multiple Page Items" icon at the bottom of Pathfinder (it looks like a multi-page icon). Now when you click a shape mode button, it will be applied to each selected group individually.

This batch processing trick can be a huge time-saver when you have lots of shapes to combine.

Putting It All Together: Creative Ideas and Examples

Now that you know three key ways to create shapes in InDesign, the creative possibilities are virtually endless. Here are a few ideas to get your inspiration flowing:

• Use the Polygon Tool with a high number of sides (try 40+) to create intricate circular burst designs
• Combine simple shapes with Pathfinder to create custom icons and logos
• Use the Pen Tool to hand-draw organic sketches and illustrations
• Create patterned frames and shapes by applying stroke styles and corner effects
• Convert text to outlines and apply Pathfinder modes for eye-catching typographic designs

Don‘t be afraid to mix and match tools and techniques to discover new forms and aesthetics. Play around, experiment, and most importantly, have fun!

When in doubt, you can always look to other designers‘ work for inspiration. Peruse your favorite design blogs and portfolios and reverse-engineer techniques you admire.

Integrating with Illustrator

If you really want to take your InDesign shape-building skills to the next level, it‘s worth integrating your workflow with Adobe Illustrator.

While InDesign is a powerhouse for page layout and typesetting, Illustrator is the go-to for advanced vector drawing and illustration. Its vast toolkit and features are purpose-built for creating and editing shapes and paths.

By creating your shapes and graphics in Illustrator first, then placing them into your InDesign layouts, you can get the best of both worlds—Illustrator‘s drawing finesse and InDesign‘s layout prowess.

Illustrator artwork will import seamlessly into InDesign with full editability. You can even copy and paste shapes directly between the programs.

To further streamline your multi-app workflow, take advantage of Creative Cloud Libraries. You can save your most-used shapes, graphics, colors, and more as library assets for instant access across InDesign, Illustrator, and other Creative Cloud apps.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

We covered a lot of ground in this guide, but don‘t worry—mastering InDesign shapes is an ongoing journey. The key is to start with the basics and gradually level up your skills through regular practice and experimentation.

To recap, the three main ways to quickly make shapes in InDesign are:

1. Use the preset shape tools for fast rectangles, ellipses, and polygons
2. Draw custom paths and freeform shapes with the Pen and Pencil tools
3. Combine and build complex shapes using Pathfinder operations

Remember, there‘s no one "right" way to create shapes. The best method for you will depend on your specific design needs and personal workflow preferences.

As you continue to sharpen your shape-building skills, here are a few next steps and resources to keep you growing:

• Practice, practice, practice! Set aside dedicated time to experiment with InDesign‘s shape tools and techniques. Try recreating shapes and logos you admire.
• Dive deeper into the Pen Tool with online tutorials and courses. Mastering the Pen is a foundational skill that will serve you in countless Adobe programs.
• Explore InDesign‘s advanced shape features like corner options, stroke styles, shape/path blends, and more.
• Browse inspirational templates, illustrations, and design assets on Adobe Stock for fresh ideas and motivation.
• Connect with the global InDesign community through forums, social media groups, and local user groups. You can learn so much by sharing ideas and techniques with fellow designers.

Armed with your new knowledge and resources, you‘re well on your way to becoming an InDesign shape expert. So fire up InDesign and start creating—your next shape masterpiece awaits!