Here's how I create less than four rounded corners on a rectangle:

1. Draw the rectangle at the desired size.

2. Draw a circle with the correct radius for the corners you wish to create.

3. Align the circle to the corner of the rectangle you wish to round. (If you're going to round more than one, make a copy of the circle first.)

4. Using the direct selection tool, delect the arcs and point of the circle except the arc that will become the rounded corner. I find it easiest to first delete the arcs, then go back in keyline mode and delete the stray points that are left.

5. Using the direct selection tool, delete the corner point of the rectangle where the rounded corner will be.

6. Select one end point of the arc, and the nearest endpoint of the rectangle, and join them together to restore the edge of the rectangle. Repeat for the other edge to complete the shape.

7. If you wish to round another corner, go back to step 3.

Not necessarily better, but as the author said there are almost always multiple ways to accomplish the same task in Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.

I use a javascript from Adobe Exchange, called "Round Any Corner" that rounds a single corner, or as many corners as selected. Works great. The script prompts a radius input in points with the default set to 10. Download it here: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&ex...

You can use this script: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&extid=1045709#

And pick any corner to transform only that corner!

Makes it so much easier :)

Thanks for this tutorial and for the gift of your rounded corners library...that will be very helpful! :)

Debbie

THANKS a Lot. I am learing a lot of things from this Site.
Thanks A LOT >

What's also easy?

For those of us migrated from Freehand anyway...

Keep your copy of Freehand! It still has uses. Or go get a free download from Adobe's site, I think they still offer it. If you've upgraded to MAC OS 10.6.x, you'll need to also retrieve the new version of "FreeHand MXa Registration" from Adobe and stick it in your Library > Application Support > Macromedia folder so Freehand opens once again.

Then just open Freehand, make your box with the 1, 2 or 3 rounded corners and save the file. Open it again in AI (CS4) and save as AI doc. Then copy and paste into your working AI doc. All done.

But thanks for your effort in giving us ex-Freehanders a library of rounded corner styles until Adobe gets their act together and allows all of us to selectively apply rounded corners in AI, without all of the tedious workaround and frustration.

The round corner Effect only works good on 90 degree corners. On all other angles, the corner radius is totally arbitrary. Real good corners are made in CAD and imported in Illustrator. Don't try to make them perfect in there.

Learnt some cool tips

Graphic style does not show up in CS4 - can you amend?

thanks for the tutorial. i'm new to illustrator from freehand.

by the way your interpretation of the freehand functionality is incorrect. freehand allows you to apply a different radius to any of the corners of an object. the great thing is that this is then editable in the property inspector, so if you would like to change the radius of a corner you can easily change it at any time. of course if you like you can also go through the same process as you carried out above in freehand too.

as we all have to move to illustrator now it's shame that it falls so far behind in some regards (this and colour management in particular), especially as certain areas (effects, etc) are more advanced.

This tutorial is complete rubbish. You are making a SIMPLE procedure into an unecessarily complicated drama.

The method you have given above is floored for a few reasons, the most obvious to me is that following your process you end up with several shapes combined. So then if you want to apply a blend mode to the overall shape (eg 'multiply') you get an inconsistent blend effect becuase your shapes are more opaque where their internal shapes overlap. No good.

The simple CORRECT way to solve this problem is as follows (for a shape with 2 rounded corners):

-Create a rectangle.
-Duplicate this rectangle.
-To rectangle 1 apply the rounded corner effect (effect > stylize > rounded corners)
-Then with rectangle 1 still selected go to Object > Expand Appearance (This relesases the shape from its Effect)
-Offset rectangle 2 (with square corners) so that it covers two rounded corners of rectangle 1 (use alignment controls to ensure the two rectangles are aligned).
-Select rectangle 1 and 2 and in the pathfinder pallette hit 'Transform' (first option).

Now you have a single shape with 2 rounded corners and 2 square corners. Obviously this method can be adapted to make a shape with 3 or 1 rounded corners.

Simple 5 second procedure.

I need to know IF you can do the opposite rounded corners. I only want two out of 4 corners rounded on an image.
thanks again for any suggestions