How to create a triangle in Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is one of the hallmarks of digital art. However, figuring out how to make a triangle in the app can be tricky. It does not have a dedicated tool for creating triangles, unlike other common shapes like rectangles and circles. Fortunately, triangles won’t be out of reach for long.

This article shows four ways to create triangles in Illustrator.

Draw triangles using the Polygon tool

Perhaps the easiest way to create a triangle is with the Polygon tool:

1. Create a new Illustrator page and click the “Rectangle” tool icon.
   
2. Scroll down the drop-down menu and select the “Polygon” tool.
   
3. Click on the blank page to open the polygon settings menu.
   
4. Navigate to the “Sides” settings and enter a value of 3 that represents the three sides of a triangle.
   
5. Click “OK” and an equilateral triangle will appear on the blank page.
   

Make a triangle using the Pen Tool

The easiest way to create a freehand triangle is to use the Pen Tool. This feature works very similar to its counterpart found in theAdobe Photoshopapplication. You will also have to manually set the corners when using this method, which is not the case with the Polygon tool. The instructions below will guide you to make the triangle:

1. Select the Pen tool in the toolbar to activate it.
   
2. Click on the canvas four times using the tool. The first three clicks mark the three points of the triangle and the fourth should go to the first point created to close the shape.
   

Alternatively, you can:

1. Click the Pen tool in the toolbar.
   
2. Select the three points where you want the corners of your triangle to be using the tool.
   
3. Click on the “Direct Selection” tool.
   
4. Use it to select two of the triangle’s open endpoints.
   
5. Press Ctrl+J on your keyboard to close the form.
   

The Pen tool allows for incredible flexibility and is a great option if you don’t need the triangle angles to be a specific size. But, long pressing the Shift key when using the alternative method will create a shape with angles that take 45⁰ increments.

Create a right triangle from a rectangle

Right triangles can be a little cumbersome, but you can make them by reducing a rectangle to three points. Below are the steps to help you make this shape:

1. Select the Rectangle tool from the toolbar.
   
2. Drag the cursor to create a diagonal, which Illustrator will automatically fill as a rectangle. Alternatively, press and hold the Shift key while clicking and dragging on the blank page to create a square.
   
3. Activate the “Direct Selection” tool.
   
4. Use it to select one of the square corners, then click “Delete” to delete the selected anchor point.
   
5. Connect the remaining points to finish the triangle.
   

You can also create an isosceles right triangle from a square. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Select the Rectangle tool on the toolbar.
   
2. Hold down the Shift key and drag the tool across the canvas to create a smooth square.
   
3. Select the square and click “Object” in the top navigation bar.
   
4. Choose “Route” from the drop-down menu.
   
5. Click “Add Anchor Points” in the pop-up menu.
   
6. Select the “Pen Tool” and move it along the top right corner of the square until a “-” sign appears.
   
7. Click on it to remove the corner anchor. Repeat the process for the anchor at the top right, middle right, and middle left.
   
8. A new isosceles triangle will be created.
   

You can also remove the anchor point at the bottom center for a smooth finish on all sides.

Create a triangle using the Star tool

The Star tool is very similar to the Polygon tool in how it works. But the Star tool provides more flexibility to create more triangle variations. Below are the steps that will guide you to create this shape with the Star tool:

1. Go to the toolbar and click on the “Rectangle” icon.
   
2. Select the “Startup Tool” from the drop-down menu.
   
3. You will notice that your cursor takes on a “+” symbol with a dot in the center. Drag it to your canvas and click once.
   
4. Enter a value of 200 in the “Radius 1” field and 100 in the “Radius 2” field in the “Star” dialog box.
   
5. Enter a value of 3 in the “Points” field.
   
6. Click “OK” to create a triangle.
   

You can enter different values ​​to see their effect on the triangle. You’ll also notice that the triangle you create with the Star tool has more waypoints than the one created with the Polygon tool. This allows you to quickly transform the shape.

Create triangles using the Shaper tool

The Shaper tool can be used to create a variety of shapes. This is how you can use it to make a triangle:

1. Navigate to the toolbar and select the tool. It is symbolized by a stick with an irregular shape underneath.
   
2. If you can’t see it in the basic toolbar, switch to the advanced toolbar by clicking the “Meatball” menu icon.
   
3. Click the checklist icon in the top right corner of the drop-down menu and select advanced in the panel that appears.
   
4. Use the Modeler tool to freely draw the triangle shape.
   

Additional Transformations You Can Perform on a Standard Triangle

Illustrator offers a variety of tools and features that allow you to experiment with different designs. You can perform some additional transformations to this triangle as explained below:

• Isosceles triangle: This triangle only has two identical edges. To transform a regular triangle into an isosceles triangle, you will need the help of the “Selection Tool”. It allows you to manipulate the shape by selecting and dragging the sides until you achieve your preferred design.
• Scalene triangle: None of the three sides of this triangle correspond. The Direct Selection tool will help you convert your triangle into a scalene shape. Use the tool to adjust the sides or corners of the triangle to the desired angles.

Design endless variations of triangles with Illustrator

Learning how to make triangles in Illustrator is an essential skill that helps improve your artistic designs. The best and easiest way to create a triangle is to use the Shaper tool, as the design is very flexible and you can get a perfect triangle from the beginning. Using the Pen Tool is ideal if you are looking to create dynamic triangles. All in all, these methods are useful for creating triangles in Illustrator, since there is no dedicated tool for drawing them.