Adobe InDesign CS4 - Manual (Page 345)

337 USING INDESIGN CS4
Drawing
Join Specify the appearance of the stroke at corner points:
• Miter join Creates pointed corners that extend beyond the endpoint when the miter’s length is within the miter
limit.
• Round join Creates rounded corners that extend half the stroke width beyond the endpoints.
• Bevel join Creates squared corners that abut the endpoints.
Note: You can specify miter options for a path that doesn’t use corner points, but the miter options will not apply until
you create corner points by adding them or by converting smooth points. Also, miters are easier to see at thicker stroke
weights.
Align Stroke Click an icon to specify the position of the stroke relative to its path.
Type Choose a stroke type in the menu. If you choose Dashed, a new set of options appears.
Start Choose for the beginning of the path.
End Choose for the end of the path.
Gap Color Specify a color to appear in the space between dashes, dots, or multiple lines in a patterned stroke.
Gap Tint Specify a tint (when a gap color is specified).
Although you can define dashed strokes in the Stroke panel, it’s easier to create a dashed stroke using a custom stroke
style.
Add start and end shapes
Keep the following guidelines in mind as you work with start and end shapes:
• 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.
Updated 18 June 2009