Skew an object

Skewing (or shearing) is a transformation that distorts an object by a specified angle from an axis. For example, when you skew a square, it becomes a parallelogram.

To skew an object

1. Select the object that you want to skew, or shear, by using either the Selection tool or the Direct Selection tool .

2. In the Properties panel, under Transform, click the Skew tab .

3. Enter the desired skew values, in pixels (or, device-independent units that are approximately 1/96 inch), in the boxes for the X, Y, and Z (only for three-dimensional objects) properties.

Tip

If you don't have to enter precise values for the object that you want to skew, you can drag the skew handles on the object to freely skew the object to the desired shape on the artboard. Hold the Alt key if you want to maintain the position of the center point (instead of maintaining the position of the opposite corner or edge).