How To Change Pen Tool Settings In Photoshop

In this article, we'll discuss:

The basics of the Pen Tool in Photoshop

What is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?
What are some common uses for the Pen Tool?
Where is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?
Where is the Paths Panel in Photoshop?
Pen Tool settings overview

How to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop

How to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop to create a path

Creating a new path with the Pen Tool
Creating a curved path segment with the Pen Tool
Creating a straight path segment after a curved path segment with the Pen Tool
Endmost your path with the Pen Tool

How to salve your path
How to modify an existing path with the Pen Tool

How to add together additional paths to an existing path using the Pen Tool
How to modify existing points and curves along a path
How to add new points to a path
How to remove points from a path
How to employ the Convert Point tool

How to create a option from a path
How to cut out an object from the groundwork

Removing a background by copying a selection
Removing a background by creating a layer mask

How to create a shape using the Pen Tool

How to transform or calibration a Shape Path

Other Pen Tool options

Can you lot use other Photoshop Pen Tools?

Curvature Pen Tool
Freeform Pen Tool
Magnetic Pen Tool

Tin you use a stylus with Photoshop and the Pen Tool?

What is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?

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The Pen Tool in Photoshop creates paths and shapes which tin can be duplicated and manipulated to create circuitous selections, masks and objects.

Unlike the Brush Tool and Pencil Tools, which "draw" pixels onto your image, the Pen Tool always creates a vector path when used. These paths announced as either Work Paths or Shape Paths in the Paths Panel.

What are some mutual uses for the Pen Tool?

Considering you can modify, store and reuse the paths created with the Pen Tool every bit oft as you desire, information technology could become your go-to tool every time y'all need to remove a product image from its groundwork or select a portion of a production image to alter its color, for instance. You can create multiple paths within an epitome, and you can create multiple path segments within a path.

Shape Paths created with the Pen Tool allow you to create custom shapes on your image which you tin apply to call out specific portions of an image. Unlike shapes created with the standard Shape Tools (such as the Rectangle Tool or Ellipse Tool), shapes created with the Pen Tool tin can exist manipulated any way you want.

Where is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?

By default, the Pen Tool is located in the lower half of the Toolbar. If you click and concord on the Pen Tool in the Toolbar, you'll see six separate Pen Tool options in both Photoshop CC 2022 and 2022 (if you're using an older version of Photoshop, you lot may only see five Pen Tool options).

You can also admission the Pen Tool past typing "P" on your keyboard.

Where is the Paths Panel in Photoshop?

The Pen Tool and the Paths Panel go hand in paw, and so Paths should exist visible when you begin to use the Pen Tool.

In the Essentials (default) workspace, Paths are accessible by clicking on the Paths tab visible in the Layers Panel. If y'all don't come across a Paths Panel in your workspace, you can access Paths past clicking on the Windows drib-down menu and selecting Paths.

Pen Tool settings overview

In Photoshop CC 2022, there are 4 different Pen Tools you can utilise to create a new path:

The standard Pen Tool
The Curvature Pen Tool
The Freeform Pen Tool
The Magnetic Pen Tool (only visible by adjusting the settings of the Freeform Pen Tool)

The other Pen Tool options are the Add Anchor Point Tool, the Delete Anchor Indicate Tool, and the Catechumen Signal Tool. These tools are used to modify an existing path.

When you access either the standard Pen Tool, the Curvature Pen Tool or the Freeform Pen Tool, yous tin can set your Pen Tool setting to either Path or Shape in the options bar at the top of the application window.

Drawing with the Pen Tool when Path is selected creates a new Work Path that appears in the Paths Panel. Drawing with the Pen Tool when Shape is selected creates a new Shape Path that appears in both the Paths Panel and the Layers Console.

When you cull Shape, you can too change a few different settings, including stroke color, thickness and fill color of the shape. Nosotros'll go over the specifics of creating a shape with the Pen Tool at the end of this article.

When you cull Path, yous'll encounter an icon that looks like two modest overlapping squares (this icon is also available when Shape is chosen one time you've already begun drawing your path). If you're creating an initial path to become a choice, set this option to Combine Shapes.

Y'all'll see a few other icons in the options bar, but for the purposes of this tutorial, you should leave those at their default values.

How to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop to create a path

The standard Pen Tool allows you to create straight and curved paths with amazing accuracy, but mastering it takes some practise. Don't get discouraged if it's difficult at start. Yous tin ever suit a path after you create it.

To create a path that you can then employ as a choice, choose the standard Pen Tool, and then cull Path in the options bar drop-downward menu at the top of the application window.

Creating a new path with the Pen Tool

To start your path, click on your image with your mouse where you want to begin your path. To keep things simple, choose a starting indicate that is at the border of a direct line, such equally the edge of the coffee cup in the image below.

Click again forth the edge of your object with the Pen Tool to draw the first segment of your path. Y'all should now see a straight line appear.

Also, note that a Piece of work Path appears in the Paths panel as soon as you place the 2nd signal.

Creating a curved path segment with the Pen Tool

To create a bend with the standard Pen Tool (such as the curve at the edge of the coffee cup), click to create the adjacent bespeak and drag with the Pen Tool before you release the mouse button. You'll see lines, called handles, appear.

These handles are tangential to the curve beingness formed by the path. Moving the mouse effectually will adjust the handles, which will then arrange the line's curvature. In one case yous're satisfied with the shape of the curve, release the mouse push.

Note that the handles formed from curved line appear before and after the bespeak. Therefore, the next portion of the path that you depict after creating a curved line will follow the trajectory of the handle from the last point.

When you click the next point, drag the mouse to create new handles and alter the curve that appears with your new bespeak.

Creating a straight path segment subsequently a curved path segment with the Pen Tool

If you want to prevent the next segment of your path from curving along the handle of your last point, you tin "corner" the point by clicking on the point with the mouse while typing ALT (Option on Mac). The second handle volition disappear.

The next bespeak you ready volition be unaffected by the previous bend.

Closing your path with the Pen Tool

Once your path is complete, close your path by hovering the Pen Tool over the very starting time point you prepare down. When you see a small circle appear to the right of the Pen Tool, click on the point.

Your path will at present be closed.

How to save your path

Saving your path is super important here. Without saving, y'all could accidentally overwrite your difficult work when you create some other path.

To save your path, get to your Paths Console and look for a new Work Path. Double click on Work Path to name your path and save it.

How to change an existing path with the Pen Tool

Once you've created your path, you can change any areas that need tweaking. It's helpful to zoom in on dissimilar areas of your path to ensure the path follows the object exactly.

If y'all don't see your path in your image, click on the path's name in the Paths Panel.

The path will appear in your image, and you'll exist able to adjust information technology equally necessary.

How to add additional paths to an existing path using the Pen Tool

In our java cup example, in that location'south a path effectually the outside of the cup. Just to truly isolate the cup from the background, we'll also need to create a path around the within of the handle.

With the path selected in the Paths panel, select the Pen Tool from the Toolbar. In the options bar at the top of the screen, click on the icon that looks like two little overlapping squares, and choose Exclude Overlapping Shapes.

While the current path is still visible, brainstorm to describe the expanse that y'all want to exclude from your option with the Pen Tool. Shut the path when yous're done.

When we brand a pick from our path later, the area created with this new path will exist cutting out from the residuum of the selection.

How to modify existing points and curves along a path

To modify an existing point or handle on a path, find the Path Pick tools in the Toolbar. These tools each wait like an pointer, and by default are located below the Type Tool in the Toolbar.

When you click on the visible Path Option Tool, you lot'll come across options. Choose the Direct Selection Tool, which looks like a white arrow.

Clicking directly on a path segment with the Direct Option Tool will reveal all points every bit white boxes, forth with the handles of the selected segment. You tin use the Direct Selection Tool to drag visible handles to adjust segment curves or move existing points.

How to add new points to a path

The Add together Anchor Point Tool, attainable past clicking and property on the Pen Tool in the Toolbar, will add actress points along the path.

With the Add Anchor Betoken Tool selected, hover over the path and click to create a new signal.

In one case you've set up downwardly the new point, you tin employ the Direct Selection Tool to alter the point'southward location or its handles.

How to remove points from a path

The Delete Anchor Point Tool, also accessible past clicking and holding on the Pen Tool in the Toolbar, removes existing points from the path.

With the Delete Anchor Signal Tool selected, hover over an existing point until the tool becomes visible and click. The betoken will disappear, and the surrounding path segments will conjoin into ane segment.

How to use the Convert Point tool

The Convert Point Tool, accessed by clicking and property on the Pen Tool, allows you to dispense handles of exiting points the same way you would manipulate handles using the Direct Choice Tool.

Unlike the Direct Selection Tool, however, the Catechumen Point Tool does not allow you to motility existing ballast points, considering when you click on a point with the Convert Signal Tool, the path segments adjacent to the indicate convert from straight lines to curved lines, and vice versa.

If yous click on a indicate that has handles with the Catechumen Point Tool, the handles volition disappear and the ballast point will become a corner. If the surrounding anchor points have handles, those handles will still go along to bear upon the bend of adjacent path segments.

If you utilize the Catechumen Point Tool to click on an ballast point that does not have handles, the indicate will gain handles on either side, which yous tin can and then manipulate using the Convert Point Tool or the Directly Selection Tool.

How to create a selection from a path

In your Paths panel, select your path. And so, click on the icon at the lesser of the panel that looks like a circle with a dashed outline. A option in the shape of your path will announced in your image.

You lot tin can also create a pick with the Pen Tool. With the path selected, and with the Pen Tool selected, click on the Selection push button next to Make: in the options bar.

A dialog box allowing you to brand adjustments to the pick will appear. If you're creating the option in guild to isolate an object from its background, you should keep the Feather Radius at 0 and continue Anti-Aliased checked. If this is the first selection you're creating, the radio button next to New Selection will be selected.

Once you've created your option, you tin use the selection to change the color of the object or to remove the object from its background.

How to cutting out an object from the background

Once you've created your choice from your path, you can remove the portion of the image from its background past either copying it into another layer, or by creating a layer mask. In society to do any of the following methods, you must be in the layer which contains the epitome you wish to isolate.

Removing a background past copying a pick

Yous can copy your selection by typing CTRL+C (Control+C on a Mac) and and then pasting the selection by typing CTRL+Five (COMMAND+5 on a Mac). Your selection will automatically appear in a new layer. You can make your original layer invisible in the layers panel to encounter the isolated object.

Removing a background by creating a layer mask

To create a layer mask, locate the Layer Mask icon. This icon is available in both the Paths panel and the Layers panel at the bottom of the panel and looks like a white rectangle with a circle inside.

Click on the icon to automatically create a Layer Mask.

How to create a shape using the Pen Tool

Yous can designate a path to be a Shape Path before you lot create the path by selecting Shape from the menu in the options bar for the Pen Tool.

We mentioned this earlier: Next to the Shape pick, you can modify the shape's colour by double-clicking on the color rectangle next to Fill. A color menu volition appear — the top bar of the color bill of fare allows you to alter the color by choosing no fill (transparent), a solid colour, a gradient color, a pattern or a custom color. The lesser portion of the bill of fare shows available swatches.

You lot can also change the shape's outline color by double clicking on the color rectangle adjacent to Stroke. And to adjust the width of the stroke, change the width in the drop-down menu simply to the right of the Stroke's color.

Once you have your Shape Path's settings correct, yous can depict a shape with the Pen Tool the same mode you would depict a regular path.

When you create a shape using the Pen Tool, you automatically create a new Layer containing that shape, also as a Shape Path in your Paths panel.

How to transform or scale a Shape Path

With the Shape Path selected in your Paths console, click on the Edit drop-down menu at the top of the screen and cull Transform Path to admission any of the transform functions. You can also choose Costless Transform Path from the Edit drib-down menu, or type CTRL+T (Control+T on a Mac) to scale or rotate your path.

Y'all can also transform a regular path using the transform functions, merely yous probably will never need to.

Can yous utilize other Photoshop Pen Tools?

The standard Pen Tool from Photoshop offers the most control over your path as you create it. However, one of the other Pen Tools may be ameliorate for your project depending on your needs.

Learn virtually other tools in Photoshop with this beginner's guide >

Curvature Pen Tool

The Curvature Pen Tool estimates the bend you want to create betwixt points without needing to click and drag. No handles are apparent as you lot utilise the tool.

This tool is very good if you take a very uniform shape to follow, such as an curvation or a circle. Once yous've created your path using the Curvature Pen Tool, you can modify it the same way you lot would a path created by the standard Pen Tool.

Freeform Pen Tool

The Freeform Pen Tool creates a path every bit you describe freely with your mouse. Instead of clicking and placing points, yous simply "describe" with the Tool the same way you would describe with the Brush Tool or the Pencil Tool.

Paths created with the Freeform Pen Tool are difficult to control and oft require aplenty modification afterward cosmos.

Magnetic Pen Tool

The Magnetic Pen Tool is accessed by choosing the Freeform Pen Tool and so checking the Magnetic checkbox in the options bar.

When you describe with this tool, Photoshop attempts to detect the edges of an object and snap the path to those edges.

Can you use a stylus with Photoshop and the Pen Tool?

The Pen Tool is like shooting fish in a barrel to use with a stylus. When using a mouse with the Pen Tool, you click to class a bespeak, and click and elevate to create points with handle curves. With a stylus, you tap to form points and tap and drag to create points with handle curves.

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Becky Kilimnik

Bio: With over xviii years feel as a graphic designer, Becky is passionate virtually helping people enhance their content by mastering image manipulation software. Becky has worked with a variety of educational publishers in the U.S. and U.K. and has taught design at half dozen universities.