HINT: To edit a Freeform Pen shape, select the Direct Selection Tool, which is a hidden tool under the Path Selection Tool. NOTE: The ending point does not have to be the same as the beginning point. To finish a freeform shape, release the mouse button. NOTE: With the Freeform Pen Tool, you do not need to add anchor points, they are automatically added. To begin drawing, click and drag the mouse anywhere on the canvas to create your shape. įrom the Options bar, click Shape Layers. HINT: If you want your cursor to be more precise, press. To finish your shape, click on the first anchor point you created.įrom the Toolbox, select the Freeform Pen Tool. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed to create the desired shape.

NOTE: Dragging the mouse will not change the position of the anchor point, but will adjust the arc of the curve. Drag the mouse to create the proper curve for that segment.To draw a curved line connecting the last anchor point with a new anchor point, click and hold the mouse button where you would like to add the new anchor point.

To draw a straight line, click the mouse button to create a second anchor point.Ī straight line connects the two anchor points. To begin drawing your shape, click the mouse button to create your first anchor point. HINT: If you want your cursor to be more precise, you can press to turn it into a crosshair.įrom the Options bar located near the top of the screen, select Shape Layers. The Pen Tool allows you to draw straight lines and curves, and the Freeform Pen Tool allows you to draw customized shapes. The Pen Tool automatically creates a closed shape filled with your chosen foreground color by connecting each new anchor point with both the first anchor point and the previous anchor point. The Pen Tool works in much the same way as the Lasso Selection Tool, except that when you are drawing, nothing becomes selected. Anchor points can be used to alter lines without redrawing them.Ĭonverts a smooth point (e.g., an arc) into a corner point or a corner point into a smooth point. You can edit the selection further using the other selection tools.Īdds anchor points along a path. This tool is useful for making fast selections that do not require as steady of a hand as the Marquee Tools do. The path/selection follows the same path as your mouse. To adjust an anchor point, use the Delete Anchor Point Tool, the Convert Point Tool, or the Direct Selection Tool.Īllows you to make customized paths that are not straight by default. By using the Pen Tool you are creating a path of adjustable anchor points. The Pen Tool, located in the Toolbox, has five hidden tools: the Pen Tool, Freeform Pen Tool, Add Anchor Point Tool, Subtract Anchor Point Tool, and the Convert Point Tool.Īllows you to make very precise selections that would be difficult to accomplish using the Marquee Tools. For more information on making selections, refer to Selecting an Area. In Photoshop CS3, the Pen Tool is another way to draw shapes or make selections. This article is based on legacy software. (Archives) Adobe Photoshop CS3: Using the Pen Tools

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