What is Intersect in Figma: Definition and Usage

In Figma, Intersect is a boolean operation that creates a new shape from the overlapping area of two or more selected shapes. It keeps only the parts where the shapes overlap, removing all other areas.

How It Works

Imagine you have two transparent colored papers overlapping on a table. The Intersect operation in Figma works like cutting out only the part where these papers overlap, ignoring the rest. It creates a new shape that represents just the shared area between the selected shapes.

This is useful when you want to combine shapes but keep only the common parts. Figma calculates the overlapping region and forms a new vector shape from it, which you can then style or edit further.

Example

This example shows how to use the Intersect operation on two circles in Figma.

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1. Draw two overlapping circles on the canvas.
2. Select both circles.
3. Click the <strong>Intersect</strong> boolean operation button in the top toolbar.
4. The result is a new shape showing only the overlapping area of the two circles.

Output

A new shape appears that looks like the lens-shaped overlap between the two circles.

When to Use

Use Intersect when you want to create complex shapes by keeping only the overlapping parts of multiple shapes. This is helpful in logo design, icon creation, or any time you need precise shape combinations.

For example, if you want to create a custom shape that fits exactly where two objects meet, Intersect helps you cut out that exact area quickly without manual editing.

Key Points

• Intersect keeps only the overlapping area of selected shapes.
• It creates a new vector shape from the shared region.
• Useful for precise shape combinations and custom designs.
• Works with any vector shapes like circles, rectangles, and polygons.

Key Takeaways

Intersect in Figma creates a new shape from the overlapping area of selected shapes.

It is useful for combining shapes precisely by keeping only their common parts.

You can use Intersect for logo design, icons, and custom vector shapes.

The operation works on any vector shapes like circles, rectangles, and polygons.