Skew and Rotate an InDesign CS5 Shape

In an InDesign Creative Suite 5 publication, you can skew and rotate any shape. Skewing a shape is the same as changing its shear, or slant. Rotation pivots a shape around a reference point, such as the shape's center, or a point on its outline.

Skew (shear) a shape

You can change the shear (skew) of a shape by using the Transform panel. After skewing/shearing, the shape is slanted, so you create the appearance of some form of perspective for the skewed or sheared element. This transformation is useful if you want to create the illusion of depth on a page.

1. With a basic shape selected, choose Window→Object and Layout→Transform.

   
   

   The Transform panel appears.

   
   



2. Select a value from the Shear drop-down list in the lower right corner of the Transform panel.

   
   

   After you select a new value, the shape skews (or shears), depending on what value you select. Manually entering a numerical value into this field also skews the shape.

   
   

Rotate a shape

You can change the rotation of a shape by using the Transform panel. The process of rotating a shape is similar to skewing a shape.

1. With a basic shape selected, choose Window→Object and Layout→Transform.

   
   

   The Transform panel opens.

   
   



2. Select a value from the Rotation drop-down list.

   
   

   After you select a new value, the shape rotates automatically, based on the rotation angle you specified. You can also manually enter a value into the text field.

   
   

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