The document provides instructions for using various pen tools in Photoshop to create paths and shapes. It describes how to use the standard pen tool to draw straight lines and curves by clicking to add anchor points. It also covers using the freeform pen tool to draw paths automatically, and the magnetic pen tool which allows paths to snap to edges in an image. Key steps include dragging the pen tool to extend direction lines to control the shape of curves, and holding alt to convert smooth points to corners when drawing multiple curved segments.

1. Using the pen tool in Photoshop
About the Pen tools
Photoshop provides multiple Pen tools. The standard Pen tool draws with the greatestprecision; the
Freeform Pen tool draws paths as if you were drawing with pencil on paper, and the magnetic pen
option lets you draw a path that snaps to the edges ofdefined areas in your image. You can use the
pen tools in conjunction with the shape tools to create complex shapes. When you use the standard
Pen tool, the following options are available in the options bar:
 Auto Add/Delete,which lets you add an anchor pointwhen you click a line segmentor delete
an anchor pointwhen you click it.
 Rubber Band, which lets you preview path segments as you move the pointer between clicks.
(To access this option, click the pop-up menu to the right ofthe Custom Shape icon.)
Note:
Before drawing with the Pen tool, you can create a new path in the Paths panel to automatically save
the work path as a named path.
Draw straight line segments with the Pen tool
The simplestpath you can draw with the Pen tool is a straight line, made by clicking the Pen tool to
create two anchor points. By continuing to click, you create a path made ofstraight line segments
connected by corner points.
Clicking the Pen tool creates straight segments.
1. Selectthe Pen tool.
2. Position the Pen tool where you want the straight segmentto begin, and click to define the first
anchor point(do notdrag).
Note:
The first segmentyou draw will not be visible until you click a second anchor point. (Selectthe Rubber
Band option in Photoshop to preview path segments.) Also,ifdirection lines appear, you’ve accidentally
dragged the Pen tool; choose Edit > Undo, and click again.
1. Click again where you want the segment to end (Shift-click to constrain the angle ofthe
segmentto a multiple of45°).
2. Continue clicking to setanchor points for additional straight segments.
3. The last anchor pointyou add always appears as a solid square, indicating that it is selected.
Previously defined anchor points become hollow, and deselected, as you add more anchor
points.
4. Complete the path by doing one ofthe following:
 To close the path, position the Pen tool over the first (hollow) anchor point. A small
circle appears nextto the Pen tool pointer when it is positioned correctly. Click or
drag to close the path.

2.  To leave the path open, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) anywhere
away from all objects.
 To leave the path open, you can also selecta differenttool.
Draw curves with the Pen tool
You create a curve by adding an anchor point where a curve changes direction, and dragging the
direction lines that shape the curve. The length and slope ofthe direction lines determine the shape of
the curve.
Curves are easier to editand your system can display and print them faster if you draw them using as
few anchor points as possible. Using too many points can also introduce unwanted bumps in a curve.
Instead, draw widely spaced anchor points, and practice shaping curves by adjusting the length and
angles ofthe direction lines.
1. Selectthe Pen tool.
2. Position the Pen tool where you want the curve to begin, and hold down the mouse button.
3. The first anchor pointappears, and the Pen tool pointer changes to an arrowhead. (In
Photoshop, the pointer changes only after you’ve started dragging.)
4. Drag to setthe slope ofthe curve segmentyou’re creating, and then release the mouse button.
In general, extend the direction line aboutone third ofthe distance to the nextanchor pointyou plan to
draw. (You can adjust one or both sides ofthe direction line later.)
Hold down the Shift key to constrain the tool to multiples of45°.
Drawing the first point in a curve
A. Positioning Pen tool B. Starting to drag (mouse button pressed) C. Dragging to extend direction
lines
1. Position the Pen tool where you want the curve segmentto end, and do one ofthe following:
2. To create a C-shaped curve, drag in a direction opposite to the previous direction line. Then
release the mouse button.
Drawing the second point in a curve
3. To create an S-shaped curve, drag in the same direction as the previous direction line. Then
release the mouse button.

3. Drawing an S curve
Note:
To change the direction ofthe curve sharply, release the mouse button, and then Alt-drag (Windows) or
Option-drag (Mac OS) the direction pointin the direction ofthe curve. Release the Alt(Windows) or
Option (Mac OS) key and the mouse button, reposition the pointer where you want the segmentto end,
and drag in the opposite direction to complete the curve segment.
1. Continue dragging the Pen tool from different locations to create a series ofsmooth curves.
Note that you are placing anchor points at the beginning and end ofeach curve, notat the tip of
the curve.
Note:
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) direction lines to break outthe direction lines ofan anchor
point.
1. Complete the path by doing one ofthe following:
2. To close the path, position the Pen tool over the first (hollow) anchor point. A small circle
appears nextto the Pen tool pointer when it is positioned correctly.Click or drag to close the
path.
3. To leave the path open, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) anywhere away from
all objects or selecta differenttool.
Finish drawing a path
 Complete a path in one ofthe following ways:
 To close a path, position the Pen tool over the first (hollow) anchor point. A small circle appears
nextto the Pen tool pointer when it is positioned correctly.Click or drag to close the path.
 To leave a path open, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) anywhere away from
all objects.
Draw with the Freeform Pen tool
The Freeform Pen tool lets you draw as if you were drawing with a pencil on paper. Anchor points are
added automatically as you draw. You do notdetermine where the points are positioned, butyou can
adjust them once the path is complete. To draw with greater precision, use the Pen tool.
1. Selectthe Freeform Pen tool .
2. To control how sensitive the final path is to the movementofyour mouse or stylus, click the
inverted arrow nextto the shape buttons in the options bar, and enter a value between 0.5 and
10.0 pixels for Curve Fit. A higher value creates a simpler path with fewer anchor points.
3. Drag the pointer in the image. As you drag, a path trails behind the pointer. When you release
the mouse, a work path is created.
4. To continue the existing freehand path, position the pen pointer on an end pointof the path,
and drag.

4. 5. To complete the path, release the mouse. To create a closed path, drag the line to the initial
pointof the path (a circle appears nextto the pointer when it is aligned).
Draw straight lines followed by curves
1. Using the Pen tool, click corner points in two locations to create a straight segment.
2. Position the Pen tool over the selected endpoint. A small diagonal line, or slash, appears next
to the Pen tool. To setthe slope ofthe curved segmentyou’ll create next, click the anchor
point, and drag the direction line that appears.
Drawing a straight segment followed by a curved segment (part 1)
A. Straight segmentcompleted B. Positioning Pen tool over endpoint C. Dragging direction point
 Position the pen where you want the next anchor point; then click (and drag, ifdesired) the new
anchor pointto complete the curve.
Drawing a straight segment followed by a curved segment (part 2)
A. Positioning Pen tool B. Dragging direction line C. New curve segmentcompleted
Draw curves followed by straight lines
1. Using the Pen tool, drag to create the first smooth pointofthe curved segment, and release the
mouse button.
2. Reposition the Pen tool where you want the curved segmentto end, drag to complete the
curve, and release the mouse button.
3. Selectthe Convert Pointtool from the toolbox, and then click the selected end pointto convert
it from a smooth pointto a corner point.
Note:
Press Alt(Windows) or Option (Mac OS) to temporarily change the Pen tool to the Convert Point tool.
4. Selectthe Pen tool from the toolbox, position the Pen tool where you want the straight segment
to end, and click to complete the straight segment.
Draw two curved segments connected by a corner

5. 1. Using the Pen tool, drag to create the first smooth pointofa curved segment.
2. Reposition the Pen tool and drag to create a curve with a second smooth point; then press and
hold Alt(Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and drag the direction line toward its opposing end to
setthe slope ofthe nextcurve. Release the key and the mouse button.
3. This process converts the smooth pointto a corner pointby splitting the direction lines.
4. Reposition the Pen tool where you want the second curved segmentto end, and drag a new
smooth pointto complete the second curved segment.
Drawing two curves
A. Dragging a new smooth point B. Pressing Alt/Option to splitdirection lines while dragging, and
swinging direction line up C. Result after repositioning and dragging a third time
Draw using the magnetic pen options
The Magnetic Pen is an option ofthe Freeform Pen tool that lets you draw a path that snaps to the
edges ofdefined areas in your image. You can define the range and sensitivity ofthe snapping
behavior, as well as the complexity ofthe resulting path. The Magnetic Pen and Magnetic Lasso tools
share many of the same options.
1. To convertthe Freeform Pen tool to the Magnetic Pen tool , selectMagnetic in the options
bar, or click the inverted arrow next to the shape buttons in the options bar, selectMagnetic,
and setthe following:
 For Width, enter a pixel value between 1 and 256. The Magnetic Pen detects edges
only within the specified distance from the pointer.
 For Contrast, enter a percentage value between 1 and 100 to specify the contrast
required between pixels for that area to be considered an edge. Use a higher value for
low-contrast images.
 For Frequency, enter a value between 0 and 100 to specify the rate at which the Pen
sets anchor points. A higher value anchors the path in place more quickly.
2. If you are working with a stylus tablet, selector deselectPen Pressure. When this option is
selected, an increase in pen pressure causes the width to decrease.
3. Click in the image to setthe first fastening point.
4. To draw a freehand segment, move the pointer or drag along the edge you want to trace.
5. The mostrecent segmentofthe border remains active. As you move the pointer, the active
segmentsnaps to the strongestedge in the image, connecting the pointer to the last fastening
point. Periodically, the Magnetic Pen adds fastening points to the border to anchor previous
sections.

6. Click to add fastening points, and continue tracing.
1. If the border doesn’tsnap to the desired edge, click once to add a fastening pointmanually and
to keep the border from moving. Continue to trace the edge and add fastening points as
needed.Ifyou make a mistake, press Delete to remove the lastfastening point.
2. To dynamically modify the properties ofthe Magnetic Pen, do one ofthe following:
 Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) to draw a freehand path.
 Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to draw straight segments.
 Press the open square bracketkey ([) to decrease the Magnetic Pen width by 1 pixel;
press the close square bracketkey (]) to increase the pen width by 1 pixel.
3. Complete the path:
 Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to end an open path.
 Double-click to close the path with a magnetic segment.
 Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and double-click to close the path with a
straight segment.