How do I skew objects or text in Adobe® InDesign®?

The Shear tool or Skew on the Control and Transform palettes slants an object or text along its horizontal axis. The Shear dialog box can also shear an object along a vertical or slanted axis. Skewing or Shearing may be used to create a shadow or simulate some types of perspective.

Control palette and Transform palette

• Click on the object or text with the Selection tool or highlight text with the Type tool.
• Click a point on the Proxy, the object is skewed from this point.
• Type an angle measurement in the Skew (object) or Shear X Angle (text) field (same field - different name).
  • Positive values skew to the right.
  • Negative values skew to the left.
  • Press Enter/Return or
• Choose an angle from the drop-dowm menu. 
• Text is given a false italic with the Skew tool, use it with caution.

Shear tool

• Select the object with the Selection tool.
• Click on the Shear  tool.
• Click away from the object and drag.
• Drag to the left to shear to the right, drag to the right to shear to the left.
• The farther from the object you click, the more control you will have.
• The object will shear from the point selected on the Proxy.
• Hold down the Shift key to constrain the shear to 45° increments.

Shear dialog box

• Select the object or text with the Selection tool.
• Double click on the Shear tool.
• InDesign CS4 & CS3 - To get the Shear tool:
• Click on the Scale tool, hold the mouse down and click on the Shear tool from the pop-out menu. 
• Type an angle in the Shear Angle field. The object will shear clockwise from the current axis.
• Choose the Horizontal or Vertical axis
• InDesign CS2 or CS:
  • Add an Angle measurement to shear on an angled axis.
  • If the object is in a frame and the frame and object should both shear, check Shear Content in the Options section.
• InDesign CS4 & CS3: The same effect can be created using the Control palette
• Check Preview to see the change take place.
• Click OK to finish.
• Click Copy to shear a copy of the object. Use this option if a shadow will be created behind the object.

InDesign CS4 & CS3
Shear Horizontal 

InDesign CS4 & CS3
Shear vertical

InDesign CS2 & CS

• To create the shadow:
  • Select the top copy with the Selection tool or highlight text with the Type tool.
  • In the Swatches, select a Tint percentage in the Tint % field.
  • Send the shadow to the back. Go Object > Arrange > Send to Back or Windows: Ctrl + Shift + [ or Mac: Command + Shift + [ .
• Reposition the shadow if necessary.

Another way to create a shadow

• Draw your object or create your text.
• Select the object or text with the Selection tool.
• Copy the object or text by selecting Edit > Copy or Windows: Ctrl + C, Mac: Command + C.
• Paste in Place by selecting Edit > Paste in Place or Windows: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V or Mac: Command + Option + Shift + V (Like PageMaker’s Power Paste).
• Select the object with the Selection tool or highlight the text with the Type tool.
• In the Swatches, select a Tint percentage in the Tint % field.
• Skew with the Skew or Shear tool.

• Send the shadow to the back. Go Object > Arrange > Send to Back or Windows: Ctrl + Shift + [ or Mac: Command + Shift + [.
• Reposition the shadow if necessary.