How to use pen tool

Photoshop tutorial showing some tricks to help you better understand and master the pen tool.

The pen tool is one area of frustration for those just starting out in Adobe Photoshop. What makes it frustrating initially for most users, is that you can only create a 90 degree curve at any one time.

However, once you grasp the basics of using the pen tool, it isn't as hard as it first seems to draw a full circle. Handy Tip: Set your pen tool to "Paths" option and not "Shape Layers" along the top toolbar. If shape layers is selected, then your pen tool will fill in whatever shape you draw with a color instead of drawing the outline of a shape.

Each time you click your canvas with the pen tool, you create what is referred to as an anchor point. To make the first anchor point, simply click your canvas once. Then when adding the second (and every one there after) anchor point, click and drag it to make a curve.

Functions

Pen tool : Click on artboard to create paths with straight segments, click and drag to create paths with Bezier curves.

Add anchor point tool : Click on a path segment to add anchor points.

Delete anchor point tool : Click on anchor point to remove from path.

Convert anchor point : Click on an anchor point and drag to create bezier handles where there were none, click on an anchor point with handles to a remove them.

Scissors : Not part of the Pen tool group, but definitely associated with it. Click on a path segment to divide into two paths.

2. Keyboard Shortcuts

Select Pen tool (P) Select Add anchor point tool (+) Select Delete anchor point tool (-) Select Convert anchor point tool (Shift + C) Select Scissors tool (C)

3. The Cursors The pen tool takes on different forms depending on what youre doing when youre using it. Each one intuitively makes you aware of the action you are about to perform. (Caps Lock to toggle between pointer and cross hair)

Prepared to begin path Whilst midway through creating or editing a path When mouse is pressed When hovered over path section; to add an anchor point to path When hovered over anchor point; to remove anchor point from path When hovered over begin point of path; to close path When hovered over endpoint of existing path; to continue path When hovered over existing anchor point

4. Secondary Mouse Controls (with path selected) 1. Pen tool hover over anchor point : changes to Delete anchor point tool 2. Pen tool hover over path segment : changes to Add anchor point tool 3. Pen tool hover over end anchor point : changes to Convert anchor point tool 25. Keyboard Controls 1. Hold Shift to constrain movements to 45, 90, 135 or 180 whilst creating or editing anchor points and handles. 2. Select anchor point with Direct selection tool and click Delete. Anchor and adjoining path segments are deleted leaving two paths. 3. Pen tool + Option (Alt) : changes to Convert anchor point tool.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Pen tool hover over bezier handle + Command (Ctrl) : allows editing of bezier curve. Pen tool + Option (Alt) whilst creating bezier curve : splits curve (unhinges handles). Pen tool hover over bezier handle + Option (Alt) : splits curve (unhinges handles). Scissors tool + Option (Alt) : changes to Add anchor point tool. Add anchor point tool + Option (Alt) : changes to Delete anchor point tool. Delete anchor point tool + Option (Alt) : changes to Add anchor point tool.

6. Preferences
(Illustrator > Preferences > Selection & anchor display)

1. Tolerance: Radius of the selection area around anchor points. Must be between 1 and 8 pixels, 1px if youre deadly accurate with your mouse or have a lot of anchors in close range of one another, 8px if you prefer less precision. 3px is the default value.

2. Object Selection by Path Only : When checked, this option allows selection of objects only by clicking their paths. Clicking on their filled areas is ineffective, comparable to working in Outline mode (View > Outline).

3. Snap to Point: Also checkable via View > Snap to Point, though via the Selection & Anchor Display dialogue the tolerance can also be determined from 1 to 8 pixels. This value again represents the radius around anchor points. When lining up two objects, anchor points from one will snap to points of the other should they be positioned within the specified range.

4. Anchor Point and Handle Display: Determines the way in which your path anchor points and handles are displayed.

5. Highlight Anchors on Mouseover: When checked, highlights anchor points when hovered over with cursor.

6. Show Handles When Multiple Anchors are Selected: When checked, this options displays the handles of points when multiple points are selected. Otherwise, handles of multiple selected points are not displayed.

7. Other Shortcuts and Tips

Select the Direct Selection tool before selecting the Pen tool. Press and hold Command (Ctrl) to give you access to the last tool selected (in this case the Direct Selection tool) for editing of paths and handles without deselecting the path. With path selected, use the Spacebar to give you access to the Hand tool. Move your screen without deselecting the path or changing tools. While creating or editing an anchor point, click and hold mouse + Spacebar to alter the position of the anchor point youre working on.

With Direct Selection tool select endpoint and starting point of path. Command (Ctrl) + J to Join. With Direct Selection tool select endpoint and starting point of path. Command (Ctrl) + Option (Alt) + Shift + J to join and average simultaneously. To smoothen a path by reducing the number of anchor points open the Simplify dialogue (Object > Path > Simplify) and adjust according to your needs.

Conversely, should you want more anchor points to improve manipulation go to Object > Path > Add Anchor Points. A new anchor point will appear after every existing anchor point on the selected path. To prevent the Pen tool from changing its function when interacting with other anchor points or paths, open the general preferences dialogue (Illustrator > Preferences > General) and check the Disable Auto Add/Delete option. The Pen tool will now only draw paths.

8. Best Practice Suggestions

Drag handles from the first anchor point when beginning a curved path. Drag your handles around just one third of the curve youre creating for a smooth path.

Position anchor points on a curve where the paths begin to change direction, not in the middle of its curve.

Be sparing with your use of anchor points, fewer points = neater path

The Pen Tool cursor looks like a little crowquill pen with a tiny X on the bottom right corner. With a new document open, click the pen tool once onto your artboard. Congratulations, you have just created your first point! It will show up as a small blue square. Now move the pen tool somewhere else and click again. Heres what youll end up with:

If you continue clicking, youll notice that whichever point youve placed last will show blue, while all the other points are outlined with a white inside:

This is because, at any point, you can go back and edit your points. A blue filled point means youve got that point selected and its ready to modify. You can move them around or even turn them into curved shapes (which well cover shortly). This is one of the best things about vectors: you can tweak them as much as you like, without degrading your file. You cant do that with a pen and ink drawing! As youre clicking, youll notice that little X icon that was appearing next to your pen tool has disappeared. This is because there are a lot of options for your pen tool that only show when youre hovering over a point. Lets take a look at what you can do with your Pen Tool while youre drawing. Editing Paths and Points

Here weve drawn a star. OK, I didnt actually draw this: stars are pretty hard to draw freehand, so I cheated and used the Shape tools Star Tool. Now were going to play around with some of the points, to show some of the things you can do to edit a shape.

Select the star, then bring your pen tool up again (P on your keyboard). Hover your Pen Tool cursor over one of the points in your star: Youll see a little minus sign icon appear to the bottom right of your Pen. If you click on the point while this icon is showing, you will delete that point, like this:

As you can see, by removing that point, the path adjusts to align in between the 2 closest points. Now lets figure out how to add a point to a path. Again, hover your pen over your star shape but this time, hover it on the path weve just created. Now you will see your Pen icon gets a little plus sign icon. If you click on that path, you will get a whole new point to play with:

Since your new point is selected (filled with blue), you can move it around. Click on your direction arrows on your keyboard, and youll see the point moves around:

Tip: If you hold down your shift key while using your keyboards direction arrows, the points you are moving will move much faster. This can be handy when you need to move an point a great distance. Selecting Points and Paths You can also move points around right on screen. To do this, youll need your Selection arrows. There are 2 different arrows in your tool palette. One is black, the other is white. Click on the black arrow first (or hit V on your keyboard). Click on a shape with the black arrow and you will notice all of the points will be selected (filled with blue). Youll also get a little blue square around your entire shape, this is called the Bounding Box:

The bounding box will show you what shape youre working on: this gets very handy when you have a very complicated illustration full of shapes layered on top of each other. As you can see, the black arrow is useful when you need to move an entire shape around. To edit an individual point or path, youll need to use the Direct Selection arrow, the white one. To bring it up, click on the white arrow icon in your Tool palette, or hit A on your keyboard. Click and drag your Direct Select arrow over one of your points. You will see that that point fills with blue, while all the other points fill with white. Youve now selected the blue point and can manipulate it separately from your other points. You can also select multiple points at once.

Creating Curved Paths Now lets play around with curved lines. Were starting with a polygon that we made using the Shape tool. Notice how each point is placed in between a straight line. These are known as corner points, because, well, theyre corners To add curves, well need to learn about Control Handles. Curved paths in vector software are controlled by Control Handles. Think of Control Handles like strings attached to a marionette, the marionette in this case being the path: if you move the Control Handle around, the path will move along in a curved shape, just like a marionettes arm will raise if you pull that string up. Lets start with a simple curve on a point. Select one point on your polygon with your Direct Select arrow (A on your keyboard), and bring up your pen tool again (P). Hover the pen over the point youve selected but this time, hold down the Option key. Your Pen Tool icon will now turn into a little V shape. Click on your point but hold down your mouse button and drag your cursor slowly to one side. On either side of your point, youll get a blue line with a dot on the end. These are your Control Handles, and as you can see, they give the paths on either side of your point a curve:

Random Fact: If you want to get fancy, these curves are also called Bezier curves (beh-zee-ay), named after Pierre Bezier. Hes a French mathematician who developed a formula for defining mathematical curves. Play around with your handles. You can select each handle using your Direct Select arrow. Moving them around will change the shape youre working on, and making them longer or shorter will modify how much of a curve your path will have. Here are a couple of examples of different Control Handle effects on the same shape:

While you are drawing with your pen tool, you can create a curve at any time. To do so, click with your pen tool to create a curve but hold down the mouse button as you do so. Slowly drag the mouse away from your point while still holding the mouse button down, and youll get Control Handles on either side of your point. Converting a Smooth Point into a Corner Point As you play around you will notice that while you can adjust the length of each handle, both handles will move together, like theyre connected along a flat plane. This kind of point is known as a smooth point. To change this, hold down Option as you select one of your handles and move it. Now your point is a corner point again:

Now your handles can move independently of each other. If you decide you want to go back to having your handles attached, bring up your Pen Tool again, and hold down Option while clicking on the point. This will reconnect your handles for you. You can also control your curves by modifying along your path. To do this, bring up your Direct Select arrow again, and click and drag your cursor over one of your paths (in our example, weve selected the curved path at the top of our polygon). Nothing will happen to your points, but youll see that now only one Control Handle is showing:

Click on your keyboards direction arrows and this will move your curve around for you. Itll also add a Control Handle to the point next to your original curved point:

Now you have 2 handles to play around with, one on either end of your path:

Thats how you use some of the basic functions your Pen Tool! It sounds complicated but youll get the hang of the keyboard shortcuts down very quickly. Tip: The best way to experiment with your Pen Tool is to trace something. This will give you practice using the Pen Tool features, and give you experience in adjusting your points and paths to align with an existing shape (the objects in your photograph). At first it will feel very tedious, but over time youll get much faster.