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How to Create a Triangle in Illustrator

Creating triangles in Adobe Illustrator is easy once you know the various methods. While there is no dedicated “Triangle Tool”, you can use other shape tools to make triangles of any size and shape. Here are the main ways to create triangles in Illustrator:

Use the Polygon Tool

The easiest way to make a basic triangle is with the Polygon Tool:

  1. Select the Polygon Tool (hidden under the Rectangle Tool)
  2. Click on your artboard where you want the triangle
  3. In the dialog box, set Sides to 3 and adjust the Radius
  4. Click OK and your triangle will appear

You can then adjust the triangle shape by clicking and dragging the anchor points or handles.

Use the Rectangle or Square

Another method is to start with a rectangle or square and convert it:

  1. Draw a rectangle/square with the Rectangle Tool
  2. With the shape selected, go to Object > Path > Add Anchor Points
  3. Delete the top anchor point with the Delete Anchor Point Tool
  4. Adjust the remaining points to form a triangle

Hold Shift while dragging with the Rectangle Tool to easily create squares.

Use the Pen Tool

For more control, use the Pen Tool:

  1. Select the Pen Tool
  2. Click on the artboard to place the first anchor point
  3. Click again to place the second point
  4. Click a third time to complete the triangle
  5. Adjust points as needed with the Direct Selection Tool

Use Shift to constrain angles to 45 degree increments.

Create Right Triangles

To make right triangles (90 degree angles):

  1. Draw a square and delete an anchor point as above
  2. With the Direct Selection Tool, select two adjoining points
  3. Right click and select Make Corner

Round the Corners

To round the corners of triangles:

  1. With the triangle selected, grab a corner widget
  2. Drag inward to adjust the corner radius
  3. Repeat for other corners as needed

Tips and Tricks

  • Hold Alt/Option while dragging widgets to round one corner only
  • Use Smart Guides to align shapes and points
  • Apply stroke and fill colors to customize triangles
  • Use Effects like Drop Shadow to enhance triangles
  • Group triangles (Ctrl/Cmd + G) to move/resize together

With these methods, you can create triangles of any shape, size, and color in Illustrator. Experiment with the various tools to become comfortable making triangles. Refer to Adobe’s documentation for more details on each tool.

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