Adobe InDesign CS3
Adding Fill and Stroke to Objects
InDesign allows you to adjust the border of an object or fill objects with color. InDesign refers to the border of an object as the Stroke. This document explains how to add fill and stroke to objects. For information on drawing objects, please refer to Drawing Objects with InDesign.
Adding Stroke
InDesign allows you to change the attributes of an object's border (stroke). You can choose to change aspects such as the color, thickness, and line style of an object's stroke.
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From the Toolbox, select the Selection Tool
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Select the object you want to add the stroke to
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If the Stroke palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Stroke
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Stroke when the Stroke palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click STROKE
The Stroke palette appears.
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In the Weight text box, use the nudge buttons or pull-down list to select the desired value
OR
In the text box, type in the desired value -
To specify the location of the stroke relative to the object's edge, from the Align Stroke section, select Center
, Inside
, or Outside
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From the Type pull-down list, select the desired Stroke type
NOTES:
If Dash is selected, a set of options appears to let you create custom gaps.
If you do not see the type of stroke you selected, increase the stroke's weight. -
Select additional options as desired
Option |
Effect |
|---|---|
| Weight | Thickness of the stroke |
| Cap | Types of effects displayed at the endpoints of the stroke |
| Miter Limit | Specifies a width when stroke corners are beveled instead of pointed |
| Join | Types of effects displayed at the corners of the object |
| Align Stroke | Draws the stroke on the inside, outside, or center of the object |
| Type | Style of the stroke (e.g., a solid or dashed line) |
| Start | Effects at the beginning of the stroke line |
| End | Effects at the end of the stroke line |
| Gap Color | Color that appears within gaps in the stroke |
| Gap Tint | Opacity of a color HINT: Smaller percentages causes paler colors |
Adding Stroke Color
You can change the color of the stroke using the Swatches Palette or the Color Palette. After applying a color, you can change its opacity.
Adding Stroke Color: Swatches Palette
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If the Swatches palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Swatches
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Swatches when the Swatches palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click SWATCHES
The Swatches palette appears.
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From the Swatches palette, select a color
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Click and drag the swatch over the stroke you want to color
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Release the mouse button
The stroke changes to the selected color.
Adding Stroke Color: Color Palette
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From the Toolbox, select the Selection Tool
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Select the desired stroke
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If the Color palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Color
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Color when the Color palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click COLOR
The Color palette appears.
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On the Color palette, select Stroke
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Adjust the color parameters appropriately by sampling the desired color from the Color Spectrum
OR
Move the sliders for each color until the desired color is achieved
HINT: To select a different color mode (LAB, CMYK, or RGB), use the MENU button
Changing the Opacity of the Stroke
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From the Toolbox, select the Selection Tool
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Select the desire stroke
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If the Color palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Color
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Color when the Color palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click COLOR
The Color palette appears.
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On the Color palette, select Stroke
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If the Effects palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Effects
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Effects when the Effects palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click EFFECTS
The Effects palette appears.
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To set the opacity for the stroke, in the Opacity text box, type a value
OR
Click the Opacity arrow
and drag the slider bar
Adding Fill
To add color to a document, you can fill the inside of objects with colors.
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From the Toolbox, select the Selection Tool
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Select the shape you want to fill
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If the Color palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Color
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Color when the Color palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click COLOR
The Color palette appears.
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In the Color palette, select Fill
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Adjust the color parameters appropriately by sampling the desired color from the Color Spectrum
OR
Move the sliders for each color until the desired Fill color is achieved
The object is filled with the selected color.
HINTS:
To select a different color mode (LAB, CMYK, or RGB), use the MENU button
Removing Fill
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From the Toolbox, select the Selection Tool
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Select the object to remove fill from
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If the Color palette is not already displayed, from the Window menu, select Color
NOTE: A check mark appears next to Color when the Color palette is displayed.
OR
On the Dock, click COLOR
The Color palette appears.
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In the Color palette, select Fill
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From the Color Spectrum, click NONE
