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How to use the Pen tool in {{photoshop}}
Learn why the Pen tool is one of the most powerful features {{photoshop}} offers for photo editing and graphic design.
What is the Pen tool in {{photoshop}}?
Draw lines and shapes.
Create a straight line by setting two anchor points. Add and move a third anchor point to create a curved line or use the Freeform Pen tool to draw lines by hand. The marks you make with the pen tool are called paths.
Fill and Stroke.
To outline the path you created, right-click (for PC) or control-click (for Mac) on your path and choose the Stroke Path option. Then use the Colour Picker to select a colour. To fill a shape with a colour, pattern or gradient, choose the Fill Path option.
Mask a layer.
Want to hide one portion of a layer and reveal the layers below? You can use the Pen tool to select and mask the parts of the layer you don’t want to see.
Make selections.
With the Pen tool you can trace the outline of one element of your image that you want to cut out or touch up separately.
What are paths?
One of the Pen tool’s most powerful functions is the ability to draw paths. When you use the Pen tool, you aren’t adding colour to the canvas. You’re creating a line path which can then be used to make a vector shape — a flexible, scalable object.
Unlike pixel-based lines and shapes, which lose definition when they’re scaled up, a vector path maintains its sharp edges at any size. Every path you draw can be found in the Paths panel, where you can edit them individually or as a group.
Using the Pen tool in {{photoshop}}.
Draw shapes made of straight line segments.
Use the Standard Pen tool to draw straight lines between multiple points, creating rectangles or more complex shapes.
- Select it:
Select the Pen tool. - Anchor it:
Click where you want your line to begin to place your first anchor point. - Connect it:
Click where you want your line to end to place a second anchor point. A straight path will connect them.
Draw a curved path between two points.
Use the Curvature Pen tool to create and fine-tune smoothly curved paths.
- Select it:
From the Pen Tools menu, select the Curvature tool. - Anchor it:
Place two anchor points the same way you would with the Standard Pen tool. - Curve it:
Click and drag your line path with your mouse to create a curve, which will automatically adjust to maintain smoothness. - Release it:
When you’re satisfied with the shape of the curve, let go of the mouse button to place the third anchor point, which will set the curve of your segment.
Draw freely using your mouse.
Use the Freeform Pen tool to draw freehand and anchor points will automatically appear. From the Pen Tools menu, select the Freeform Pen tool. Click the inverted arrow next to the shape buttons in the Options bar and enter a value between 0.5 and 10.0 pixels in the Curve Fit window. A higher number places fewer anchor points to create a simpler path.
Drag the pointer across the image to draw a path the same way you would with a pen or pencil on a sheet of paper. Release the mouse button to create a path. To create a closed path, drag the line back around to connect with the path’s starting point.
How to create a paper texture overlay from scratch.
Creating a paper texture of your own is a more complex task than downloading one, but it gives you more control over every aspect of the texture effect.
- Select it:
In the Options bar for the Pen tool, select Shape. - Colour it:
Double-click the coloured rectangle next to the Shape option to bring up a colour menu where you can choose the shape’s colour, make it transparent, give it a gradient or pattern or create a customised colour. - Outline it:
Double-click the rectangle beside the Stroke option to choose a colour for the shape’s outline. If you want to alter the width of the outline, choose from the options in the drop-down menu beside the colour options. - Draw it:
Draw your shape line by line by placing anchor points.
How do I create a selection with the Pen tool?
You can use the Pen tool to create a path around a section of your image, then convert that path into a selection to cut it out of the image.
- Draw it:
Use the Pen tool to trace the outline of the segment you want to select. - Save it:
From the Paths palette, double-click Work Path and then name and save the path you’ve created . - Load it:
To turn your path into a selection, go to the bottom of the Paths palette and find the Load Path as a selection option — the third icon from the left, which looks like a circle of dashed lines. Alternatively, just press Ctrl+Enter (on Windows) or Command+Return (on Mac).
Discover other{{photoshop}} features.
Now that you’ve mastered the Pen tool, explore tutorials to help you to understand more {{photoshop}} tools and functions.
Try a wild new style.
Learn how to use Gaussian Blur, Liquify and other brushes to create vibrant, colourful images.
Make your outdoor pictures pop.
See how you can touch up a nature photo to make the great outdoors look even greater.
