How To Draw A Triangle In Illustrator

Triangles are one of the most basic shapes we have all scribbled on every piece of paper we could get our hands on as kids. You may not have thought you needed a tutorial on making a triangle. Please do not feel bad, this is a different medium, and it is okay to learn things even when they feel so familiar. 

To draw a triangle in Illustrator, select the Polygon tool and click once on the canvas. In the dialog box, choose the number of sides to 3. Now click OK, and you will have an equilateral triangle. 

To learn how to draw other types of triangles, continue reading. 

Draw An Equilateral Triangle Using The Polygon Tool

An equilateral triangle is one in which all three sides of the triangle are equal. In Illustrator, an equilateral triangle is the most basic and initial form of a triangle that you can make. 

The foundation for all triangles is this; tweaks can be made later. 

To draw an equilateral triangle: 

  1. Open a new document. 
  2. Select the Polygon tool.
  3. On the canvas, click once.
  4. A dialog box will appear. 
  5. In this dialog box, look for the Sides section. 
  6. Enter the number, in this case, 3. 
  7. Click OK, and a triangle will appear. 

Draw An Isosceles Triangle Using The Polygon Tool In Illustrator

You would not always want to use a triangle with perfectly equal sides. An isosceles triangle has two identical sides, while one of the sides is of a different length. To achieve such an object, follow the steps given below. 

  1. Open a new document and select the Polygon tool. 
  2. On the canvas, click here once. 
  3. In the dialog box that appears, look for the Sides section. 
  4. Enter the number 3 here. 
  5. An equilateral triangle will appear. 
  6. Select the triangle and then the Selection Tool from the tools panel.
  7. On the triangle’s base, click your cursor on the circle that appears and drag it up or down. 
  8. The two sides will have the same length and get longer or shorter. The base will remain the same length. 
  9. Once done, release the cursor, and your isosceles triangle is ready. 

Draw A Scalene Triangle In Illustrator

A scalene triangle is one in which all of the sides are not identical and have different lengths. Now we’re talking, right? 

This is the triangle that allows for the most freedom. To make a scalene triangle, look at the detailed instructions given below. 

  1. Draw an equilateral triangle as mentioned in the steps above. 
  2. To transform this triangle, go to the tools panel and select the Direct Selection tool. 
  3. On one of the corners of the triangle, draw your selection. 
  4. Now you can drag the corners in any way you want to switch up the length and angles of all the sides of the triangle. 
  5. Continue doing so until you are satisfied. 

Draw A Right Angled Triangle In Illustrator

Drawing a right-angled triangle is different in Illustrator. You will not be using the familiar Polygon tool. Follow the instructions below to achieve this smoothly. 

  1. Go to the polygon tool and right-click on this.
  2. In the options that appear, select the Rectangle Tool.
  3. Hold down the Shift key and drag your cursor on your canvas to draw a perfect square. 
  4. Select the Direct Selection tool and make a selection on one of the corners of the square.
  5. Once done, look at the properties panel on top.
  6. Select the option which says “Remove Selected Anchor Point.”
  7.  Your square will turn into a right-angled triangle. 

Watch this video for more help.

How To Make A Rounded Triangle?

Not every piece of art needs geometry. Sometimes the sharp edges do not achieve the desired effect, but rounded edges do. 

To make a triangle with rounded corners, follow the given steps. Using this method, you can learn how to make a circle using a different technique in Illustrator. 

  1. Zoom into the triangle that you wish to work with.
  2. In the corners, notice that there are small anchors on the inside. 
  3. Click on one of these, and drag it inwards. 
  4. The more you drag, the more rounded the corners will become. They will eventually form a circle. 
  5. Once you are happy with the amount of roundness you have given your triangle, save your document. 

Conclusion

Did this feel like a lesson in Maths rather than a lesson in Adobe Illustrator? Art is sometimes bordering on mathematics, especially when it comes to geometry. Trust us when we say that making these different types of triangles will be far more rewarding and enjoyable than reading about them. We can vouch for that.