How do I change the corners of a square in Illustrator?

You can easily change the corners of a square in Adobe Illustrator, most commonly by rounding them or altering their appearance, using the Live Corners feature or the Properties panel.

Understanding Live Corners in Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator's "Live Corners" feature allows you to dynamically modify the radius and type of corners on a shape. This is particularly useful for design flexibility, letting you adjust corners at any time without redrawing the shape.

Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Corners

To begin, you need a square shape:

1. Draw a Square: Open Adobe Illustrator and select the Rectangle Tool (M) from the toolbar. Click and drag on your artboard while holding down the Shift key to draw a perfect square. You can then fill it with a color like black, as demonstrated in various tutorials.
2. Select the Square: Use the Selection Tool (V) to select the square you've just drawn. Once selected, you'll see small circular widgets appear inside each corner of the square.

Now, you have two primary methods to change the corners:

Method 1: Using Live Corner Widgets

This is the quickest and most intuitive way to round corners:

• Drag the Widgets: With the square selected, click and drag any one of the small circular corner widgets inward towards the center of the square. All four corners will round simultaneously.
• Adjust Radius: Dragging further inward increases the corner radius (makes them more rounded), while dragging outward decreases it (makes them sharper).
• Change Individual Corners: To change a single corner, click directly on its live corner widget with the Direct Selection Tool (A) once. The selected widget will appear blue. Now, drag just that specific widget to modify only that corner.
• Cycle Corner Types: While dragging a corner widget, you can press the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) key to cycle through different corner types:
  • Rounded: The default smooth curve.
  • Inverted Round: Creates a concave curve.
  • Chamfer (Straight): Creates a straight, beveled edge.

Method 2: Using the Properties Panel

For more precise control, use the Properties panel:

1. Select the Square: Ensure your square is selected with the Selection Tool (V).
2. Access Corner Options: In the Properties panel (usually on the right side of your workspace), locate the "Transform" section. You'll see icons for width, height, and rotation. Below these, you'll find the Corner options, indicated by a square icon with a small corner radius.
3. Adjust Radius Numerically:
   • Click the chain icon next to the corner radius input fields to link or unlink the corners. If linked, changing one value will change all four. If unlinked, you can set individual corner radii.
   • Enter specific numerical values for the desired corner radius in points (pt).
4. Change Corner Type: Click on the "Corners" icon (the square with a rounded corner) to open a small dropdown menu. Here, you can select from:
   • Round
   • Inverted Round
   • Chamfer

This method provides exact control over the radius and corner style, which is crucial for precision in design.

Summary of Corner Modification Options

By utilizing these methods, you can effectively change the corners of any square or rectangle in Illustrator, whether you're aiming for subtly softened edges or dramatically styled angles.