Exercise: Pen Tool

This tutorial will go through and explain all of the Pen tools as well as the Paths window.

Tutorial

  1. This exercise will focus on these two tools: the Pen tool and the Selection tool. It then moves onto functions you can use with your drawn vector.

  2. Paths window

    If you don't see a Paths window, go to Window >> Show Paths. By default, if you don't create your own path, any shapes you make with the pen tool will go on a path called Work Path.

  3. Create New Path New path

    This has the same symbol as Create New Layer. The Paths window is similar to the Layers window except it is for your Pen vectors.

  4. Freeform Pen tool Freeform Pen tool

    This tool allows you to draw your own shape. It will then put in the points for you. I won't be using this tool for the rest of the tutorial.

  5. Pen tool Pen tool

    This allows you to make starter points on your shape. Put in a few points. If you click on your first point, you will close off the shape.

  6. Add Anchor Point tool Add Anchor Point tool

    Click on the line between any 2 points to add more points.

  7. Delete Anchor Point tool Delete Anchor Point tool

    Click on any point with the Delete Anchor Point tool to get rid of it.

  8. Path Component Selection tool Path Component Selection tool

    This tool will let you move the whole shape by clicking and dragging anywhere on the shape.

    (Note: You can also use this tool to right click on the shape and do a "Free Transform".)

  9. Direct Selection tool Direct Selection tool

    This one let's you alter each point individually. You can click on a point and move it around.

    Notice that when you move the original points that you made with the Pen tool Pen tool, they keep sharp corners. However, when you move points made with the Add Anchor Point tool Add Anchor Point tool, they are curved and have 2 small lines sticking out of them.

    You can move the position of the small lines with the Direct Selection tool Direct Selection tool...

    ...and you can also extend the small lines.

  10. Convert Point tool Convert Point tool

    You can convert the points with sharp corners to curves using this tool. Just click on a point and drag.

  11. Fill path with foreground color Fill path with foreground color

    Let's look at the actions we can use in the Paths window now, starting with the first one. This will fill your shape with whatever color is on your Foreground palette.

  12. Stroke path with brush Stroke path with brush

    This will make a border where your lines are.

  13. Load path as selection Load path as selection

    This will take your shape and turn it into a selection.

  14. Make work path from selection Make work path from selection

    This is the opposite of the previous action. If you make a selection, let's say a simple rectangle in this example, you can use this action to make a path out of it.

  15. Delete current path Delete current path

    Lastly, we have the Delete action which will remove your path.

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