Make a Perfect Triangle Path in Illustrator

There is no triangle tool in Illustrator, which to this day, boggles my mind (come on, Adobe). I have memories of the times when I first started using Illustrator and really tried to get to know the program in depth. This was one of the things that frustrated me regularly (making a perfect, equilateral triangle) until I finally figured out a simple solution.

If you use Adobe Illustrator on a regular basis, chances are you might need to create an equilateral triangle every once in a while. This may seem like a simple task, and it is, but not as easy as it should be. You can craft all kind of shapes but there is no way to craft a triangular path in illustrator.

So, you have to make some simple changes in the dimensions and properties of the other geometrical shapes to create a circle. Thus, it is about putting in correct numbers. You can create bigger or smaller triangles by putting different set of figures in the same pattern. I'll show you how to easily make a perfect triangle path in Illustrator, and hopefully, you will have one less vector headache to deal with in the future.

What is art board in the illustrator? Art board carries all the elements and immediate tools for designer to provide quick-hand access to all the available tools and saved files. Some quick designing tools also include making changes to the different shapes and editing the figures to align them for your own use. Some designers do not use art board but they should be aware of its use.

1. Select the Star Tool

Yes, believe it or not, the Star Tool is what you will use to make a triangle. I know it sounds weird, but go with me here.

2. Click Once on the Artboard

By only clicking once, you will get the Star Tool Options pane. This is where you can reduce the number of points to “3.” The trick is to set one radius 2 at your desired size for your triangle, then set the other radius at exactly half. Note: It doesn't matter which radius is which. Radius 1 and 2 can be reversed as long as one is double/half the other. Choose the size of your triangle and click OK.

3. Get Rid of the Extra Anchor Points

Now that you have your triangle, you might want to get rid of the extra anchor points created by the Star tool.

You can select the Subtract Anchor Point tool or hit the keyboard shortcut “-” (minus) and delete the 3 points that are in between the corners of your path.

Done!

There you have it. A perfect Triangle path in only a few easy steps, no pen tool necessary!

From here you can do anything you need to with it, like maybe reflect it and make it have the wide part at the bottom, etc. Remember that the angles in every equilateral triangle are 60 degrees, so if you need something to line up with one of the sides of your equilateral triangle, rotate that object in 60 degree intervals and you should be able to perfectly align things to your T-angle! I hope this little tip saves you some time and headache. It is often-times the little things that help the most. (from my experience)

This tutorial may be boring for you even if you are a passionate and crazy designer but it is definitely worth your time and skill.