Master Indesign: Remove Strokes, Enhance Your Design

In Adobe InDesign, a stroke is a visible line applied to the shape of an object. It can be a circle, square, star, line, or any custom shape. The InDesign Stroke panel allows you to modify your lines in various ways, including weight (thickness), style (solid, dotted, dashed), and colour. To remove a stroke, you can use the Scissors tool to cut the nodes and delete the line, or you can simply select the object and set the stroke colour to None in the Stroke drop-down menu.

Use the Scissors tool to cut the two bottom nodes, then delete the line

To get rid of a stroke in InDesign, you can use the Scissors tool to cut the two bottom nodes and then delete that line. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

• Select the Scissors tool from the InDesign toolbar. The Scissors tool is a useful feature in InDesign that allows you to cut through paths, lines, or shapes without affecting the entire object.
• Identify the two bottom nodes of the stroke you want to remove. Nodes, or anchor points, are the individual points that make up a path or shape. By default, they appear as small squares along the path.
• Click on each of the bottom nodes with the Scissors tool to cut through the stroke. This will separate the bottom line from the rest of the stroke.
• Once the bottom line is cut, you can delete it. Simply select the line by clicking on it and then press the Delete key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can go to the Edit menu and choose "Cut" or "Delete".

Using the Scissors tool is a precise way to modify your strokes in InDesign without affecting the rest of your design. It gives you the flexibility to cut through paths and shapes exactly where you need to. This technique can be especially useful when you want to remove only a specific portion of a stroke, as in your case, where you want to get rid of just the bottom part of a rectangle shape.

Additionally, there are a few other methods you can use to remove strokes in InDesign:

• Using the Selection Tool: Click on the object with the Selection Tool and then go to the Control bar. Click on the Stroke drop-down menu and select "None" to remove the stroke from the shape.
• Changing Stroke Settings: Open the Stroke panel by going to Window > Stroke. Here, you can adjust various stroke settings, including weight and colour. To remove the stroke completely, set the weight to 0 or change the colour to "None".
• Creating a Table: If you're working with a rectangle shape, you can create a one-cell table and style the borders accordingly. This will give you more control over the appearance of the shape, including the ability to remove the bottom stroke.

Remember, when working with strokes in InDesign, you have a lot of flexibility to customise their appearance. You can adjust the weight (thickness), style (solid, dotted, dashed), colour, and even add shapes or arrowheads to the ends of your lines. Experiment with these settings to achieve the desired look for your designs.

Create a one-cell table and style the borders

To get rid of a stroke in InDesign, you can use the Scissors tool to cut the nodes of the stroke you want to remove and then delete that line. Alternatively, you can create a one-cell table and style the borders.

• Go to the "Table" menu and select "Insert Table".
• In the "Insert Table" dialog box, enter "1" for the number of rows and columns.
• You can adjust the width and height of the table to your desired specifications.
• Click "OK" to insert the table into your document.
• With the table selected, go to the "Table" menu again and choose "Table Options".
• In the "Table Options" dialog box, you can specify the stroke weight, style, and color for the table borders.
• You can also use the Stroke Styles feature in the "Stroke" panel to further customize the borders.
• Be sure to select the "No Border" option for any borders you do not want to appear.
• Click "OK" when you are happy with your border settings.

By following these steps, you can create a one-cell table with styled borders to replace the stroke in your InDesign document. This allows you to maintain the structure and format of your design while removing the stroke from the desired area.

Additionally, you can also use the Selection Tool to click within the shape and select the Stroke drop-down menu in the Control bar, choosing "None" to remove the stroke.

Add an anchor point to the centre of the bottom line, direct select it and delete

To get rid of a stroke in InDesign, you can use the Scissors tool to cut the two bottom nodes and then delete that line. Alternatively, you can add an anchor point to the centre of the bottom line, directly select it, and delete it.

• Select the Line Tool: Choose the Line Tool from the InDesign toolbar. This tool allows you to create straight lines and is ideal for adding anchor points.
• Draw the Line: If you haven't already, draw the line that you want to edit. You can do this by clicking and dragging on your canvas to create a straight line.
• Add an Anchor Point: With the line selected, hover your cursor over the centre of the bottom line. You should see the 'intersect' label appear. Press the '+' key on your keyboard to temporarily change the Line Tool into the Add Anchor Point Tool. Click on the intersect point to add an anchor point at the centre of the line.
• Direct Select the Anchor Point: Now that you have added an anchor point, you need to directly select it. Use the Direct Selection Tool (often represented by a white arrow) to click on the anchor point you just created.
• Delete the Anchor Point: Once the anchor point is selected, simply press the delete or backspace key to remove it. This will remove the selected anchor point and the connected stroke.

By following these steps, you can precisely remove the stroke from the bottom part of a rectangle or any other shape while keeping the rest of the stroke intact.

Direct select the stroke and delete it

To get rid of a stroke in InDesign, you can directly select the stroke and delete it. Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Select the Object: Choose the object with the stroke you want to remove using the Selection Tool. This will display selection handles around the object.
• Open the Stroke Panel: Go to Window > Stroke or click on the Stroke icon in the Control panel to open the Stroke panel.
• Select the Stroke: Use the Direct Selection Tool to select the stroke you want to delete. You can access this tool by pressing 'A' or by selecting it from the Tools panel.
• Delete the Stroke: Once the stroke is selected, simply press 'Delete' on your keyboard or right-click and choose 'Delete' to remove it.

By following these steps, you can easily get rid of the stroke from your object in InDesign.

Additionally, if you want to prevent strokes from affecting the size of your objects, you can adjust the "Dimensions Include Stroke Weight" setting in the Control Panel. Disabling this option ensures that the dimensions shown in the Control Panel exclude the stroke weight, allowing for more precise sizing and alignment.

Change the stroke colour to 'None' in the Control bar

To change the stroke colour to None in the Control bar, you need to select the object or shape first. You can do this by using the Selection Tool from the Toolbar. Once the object is selected, you will see selection handles around the outside of the shape.

Next, click on the Stroke drop-down menu in the Control bar. From the stroke colour drop-down list, select None. This will remove the stroke from the selected object.

It is important to note that the stroke is a visible line applied to the shape of an object. It can be a circle, square, star, line, or any custom shape. The stroke has two primary attributes: colour and weight. You can adjust these properties to apply or remove a stroke from an object.

Additionally, you can change the stroke colour of a selected object by targeting the stroke property. This can be done using the icon at the bottom of the Tools panel or the top of the Swatches panel or Colour panel. Simply click on the stroke indicator to bring it forward, then select your desired colour.

Frequently asked questions