Define custom stroke styles – Adobe InDesign User Manual
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You can’t edit the available start and end shapes, but if you’ve obtained plug-in software that adds more options, the Start and End menus in
the Stroke panel can include additional shapes.
Start and end shapes are sized in proportion to the stroke weight. However, adding a start or end shape does not change the length of the
path.
Start and end shapes automatically rotate to match the angle of an endpoint’s direction line.
Start and end shapes appear at endpoints of open paths only; they won’t appear on individual dashes of a dashed stroke.
If you apply start and end shapes to a compound path that includes open subpaths, each open subpath will use the same start and end
shapes.
You can apply start and end shapes to a closed path, but they won’t be visible unless you open the path.
Sample start and end shapes
Create arrows using start and end shapes
Use the Start and End menus in the Stroke panel to add an arrowhead or other shape to the end of an open path.
1. Use the Line tool to draw a line, or create an open path.
2. With the line or path selected, open the Stroke panel, and choose a style in the Start and End menus. The Start menu applies a shape to
the first endpoint of a path (as determined by the order in which the path’s points were drawn), and the End menu applies a shape to the last
endpoint.
Switch a path’s start and end shapes
1. Using the Direct Selection tool , select a path.
2. Choose Object > Paths > Reverse Path, or click the Reverse Path button in the Pathfinder panel.
Define custom stroke styles
You can create a custom stroke style using the Stroke panel. A custom stroke style can be dashed, dotted, or striped; in the style, you can define
the stroke’s pattern, cap, and corner attributes. You specify other stroke attributes, such as weight, gap color, and start and end shapes, after the
custom stroke style has been applied to an object.
Custom stroke styles
A. Dashed B. Dotted C. Striped
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