In Figma, creating different shapes is straightforward using the dedicated shape tools available in the toolbar.
You can access a variety of shapes by clicking on the tools menu. Specifically, to find the shape options, click the arrow next to the Rectangle tool in the top toolbar. This action opens a dropdown menu listing the available shapes.
Basic Shapes in Figma
The shape menu provides access to several fundamental geometric shapes and drawing tools:
- Rectangle: The default shape tool, used for drawing squares and rectangles.
- Line: Creates straight lines.
- Arrow: Creates lines with an arrow endpoint.
- Ellipse: Used for drawing circles and ovals.
- Polygon: Allows you to draw polygons with a specified number of sides.
- Star: Creates star shapes with adjustable points and ratios.
- Place Image/Video: While not a drawing shape, this tool is located within the shapes menu and allows you to easily place media onto your canvas.
Creating Perfect Shapes and Resizing
Figma offers useful shortcuts to help you draw and manipulate shapes precisely:
- Creating Perfect Shapes: When using the Rectangle, Ellipse, or Polygon tools, hold down Shift when dragging to constrain the shape's proportions. This allows you to create perfect squares, circles, and polygons (where all sides and angles are equal).
- Drawing/Resizing from the Center: By holding down Option / Alt while drawing or resizing a shape, you can make the shape expand or contract from its central point rather than from a corner or edge.
Example: Drawing a Perfect Circle
- Click the arrow next to the Rectangle tool in the toolbar.
- Select the Ellipse tool from the menu.
- Click and drag on the canvas while holding down the Shift key.
- Release the mouse and the Shift key when your circle is the desired size.
Using these tools and shortcuts makes it easy to add geometric elements to your designs in Figma.
