Learn how to merge multiple shapes into one or break up a complex shape into individual parts in Apple Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
Working with shapes in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote is easy and can enhance your document. Whether you’re inserting a shape for a specific purpose or just for appearance, there’s a good selection to choose from. But if the exact shape you need isn’t in the collection, you may need to get a little creative.
Sure, you can search the web for the shape you want, but if you have the basic tools to create it yourself, you can save time. You can combine shapes in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote to create something unique. And, of course, you can break apart combined shapes as well.
Combine shapes on Mac
You’ll follow the same steps to combine shapes in all three applications on Mac. And you have a few options for combining the shapes, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.
- Open your document and make sure that the shapes are overlapping or touching the way you want them.
- Select the shapes you want to combine. You can do this by clicking the first, holding the Shift key, and then clicking the second one.
- Hit the Format button in the top right of the window to open the sidebar.
- Select the Arrange tab.
- At the bottom of the sidebar, you’ll see the four options you have to combine your shapes. Click the one you want to use, and keep in mind that each will create a different shape.
Unite: Combines the single shapes into one merged shape.
Intersect: Combines the overlapping portion of the two shapes to create a new shape.
Subtract: Removes the shape that is on top of or overlapping the other.
Exclude: Removes the overlapping area between the two shapes.
As you can see in the screenshots above, each setting to combine your shapes provides a distinct appearance for your new shape.
If you don’t like a combination, press the Command + Z keys to undo the change.
Break up shapes on Mac
Maybe one of the shapes you need is a compound shape with too many pieces, or perhaps the pieces need adjusting. Just like combining shapes, you can also break shapes apart in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
- Select the shape you want to break apart. For this tutorial, we’re using the firetruck shape from the Transportation category.
- Click Format > Shapes and Lines in the top menu bar.
- Pick Break Apart.
You’ll see that the shape is broken down into its individual components, which you can remove or edit separately.
For our example, we took the firetruck shape, broke it apart, and then used the Rotate button to move the ladder.
Combine shapes on iPhone and iPad
You can combine shapes on your iPhone or iPad, too. And while you may not have as much room to do so as you do on Mac, it still works the same.
- Select the shapes you want to combine. You can do this by tapping and holding the first while you tap the second one.
- Hit the Style button (brush icon) at the top.
- Select the Arrange tab.
- You’ll see the same four options as on Mac to combine your shapes. If you don’t see this, tap the More Tools option first.
Tap the one you want to use to create your unique shape. If you’re not happy with the result after combining the shapes, tap the Undo button to start over.
Here are the results from all four effects using glasses and mustache shapes.
Break up shapes on iPhone and iPad
You can break apart or ungroup compound or combined shapes on iOS pretty easily as well.
- Select the shape you want to break apart.
- Tap the Style button and select the Arrange tab.
- Pick Break Apart. Now, the compound image is separated into its various pieces for you to manipulate the individual parts of the shape.
If you use Pages, Numbers, or Keynote for diagrams, brochures, flyers, reports, or something similar where shapes are beneficial, then knowing how to combine and break them up can be very useful.
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