How Do You Make a Rounded Corner Triangle in Illustrator?

Making a rounded corner triangle in Adobe Illustrator is a straightforward process primarily involving the use of the Polygon Tool and the "Round Corners" effect. This method allows you to easily transform a standard sharp-cornered triangle into one with smooth, rounded edges.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Rounded Corner Triangle

Here's how you can create a rounded corner triangle in Illustrator, based on established methods:

1. Create the Base Triangle

The first step is to generate a standard triangle using Illustrator's shape tools.

• Locate the Polygon Tool: The Polygon Tool is often bundled with the Rectangle Tool in the Tools panel. You might need to click and hold (or hover for a moment) on the Rectangle Tool icon until a fly-out menu appears, revealing other shape tools, including the Polygon Tool.
• Draw the Triangle:
  • Select the Polygon Tool.
  • Click once on your artboard. A dialog box will appear.
  • In the dialog box, set the "Sides" value to 3 (for a triangle) and specify your desired radius (size).
  • Click "OK" to create the triangle. Alternatively, you can click and drag on the artboard with the Polygon Tool selected. While dragging, use the down arrow key on your keyboard to reduce the number of sides until you have a triangle (3 sides).

2. Apply the Round Corners Effect

Once your triangle is created, you'll apply an effect to round its corners.

• Select the Triangle: Ensure your newly created triangle is selected on the artboard.
• Navigate to the Effect Menu: Go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corners...
• Adjust the Radius: A dialog box will appear for the "Round Corners" effect. Enter a "Radius" value. This value determines how pronounced the rounding will be. You can check the "Preview" box to see the changes in real-time as you adjust the radius.
• Confirm: Click "OK" once you are satisfied with the rounded appearance.

3. Optional: Expand Appearance for Editable Anchor Points

The "Round Corners" effect is a live effect, meaning it can be edited or removed via the Appearance panel. If you need the rounded corners to be permanent paths with their own anchor points (e.g., for direct manipulation of the rounded segments), you can expand the appearance.

• Select the Rounded Triangle.
• Go to Object > Expand Appearance.

After expanding the appearance, your triangle will no longer have the "Round Corners" effect listed in the Appearance panel. Instead, it will be converted into a shape with six anchor points—two for each rounded corner, allowing for precise manipulation of the rounded segments.

By following these steps, you can efficiently create rounded corner triangles in Illustrator for various design needs.