Adobe InDesign CS3 - Manual (Page 325)

INDESIGN CS3
User Guide
318
Although you can define dashed strokes in the Stroke panel, it’s easier to create a dashed stroke using a custom stroke
style. For more information, see “Define custom stroke styles” on page 318.
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
Add 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 Using any selection tool, select an open path.
2 In the Stroke panel, 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 an anchor point.
2 Choose Object > Paths > Reverse Path.
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.