Boolean operations (union, subtract, intersect, exclude) in Figma - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the Union boolean operation do in Figma?

Union combines two or more shapes into one single shape that covers all areas of the original shapes.

beginner

Explain the Subtract boolean operation in Figma.

Subtract removes the top shape's area from the bottom shape, leaving a cut-out effect.

beginner

What is the result of the Intersect boolean operation?

Intersect keeps only the overlapping area shared by all selected shapes.

beginner

Describe the Exclude boolean operation in Figma.

Exclude removes the overlapping area between shapes, leaving only the non-overlapping parts combined.

intermediate

Why are boolean operations useful in designing dashboards or reports?

They help create complex shapes and icons easily by combining simple shapes, improving visual clarity and design speed.

Which boolean operation in Figma combines all selected shapes into one shape covering all areas?

A Exclude

B Subtract

C Intersect

D Union

Union merges all shapes into one shape covering every part of the originals.

If you want to cut out the top shape from the bottom shape, which boolean operation do you use?

A Union

B Exclude

C Subtract

D Intersect

Subtract removes the area of the top shape from the bottom shape.

Which boolean operation keeps only the overlapping area of shapes?

A Intersect

B Union

C Subtract

D Exclude

Intersect keeps only the shared overlapping area between shapes.

What does the Exclude operation do?

A Combines all shapes fully

B Removes overlapping parts, keeps non-overlapping

C Removes the top shape from the bottom

D Keeps only overlapping parts

Exclude removes overlapping areas and keeps only the non-overlapping parts combined.

Boolean operations in Figma help designers by:

A Combining simple shapes to create complex designs quickly

B Making shapes more complex manually

C Removing all colors from shapes

D Automatically generating data reports

Boolean operations let designers combine simple shapes quickly to form complex shapes.

Describe each of the four boolean operations in Figma and give a simple example of when you might use each.

Think about how shapes overlap and what you want to keep or remove.

Explain why boolean operations are important for creating dashboard visuals or icons in Figma.

Consider how combining shapes helps in design.