Get the basic skills of working with Photoshop. This section contains descriptions of the Photoshop bars and tools as well as the basic techniques of using them.  Home Photoshop Photoshop Basics The Pen-Tool

The Pen-Tool


Learn how to use the best tool in photoshop... The Pen-Tool!

Step 1

In this tutorial I will teach you how to use maybe the best tool there is in Photoshop. But maybe also the hardest to learn. I use this tool every time I use photoshop. For me the tool has no more secrets. And I want to achieve the same thing for you, because this is a GREAT tool to create vectors or to separate a picture from the background!

image 1

Step 2

When you select the standard Pen-Tool, you will have the opportunity to do many things. Just click around and notice it works the same as the Polygonal Lass-Tool, only now you can scroll while selecting. Notice the squares. These are Anchor-Points. More about those later!!!

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Step 3

If you click first somewhere in the screen, and then click, BUT you hold the mouse button and drag the mouse across the screen. Notice that you can create a curve:

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Step 4

You can't create a straight line after a curve, therefore you must do something else first. Hold ALT and drag the anchor point somewhere else.

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Step 5

Then click somewhere else and notice that you can create a new curve from a straight line!

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Step 6

The Freeform Pen-Tool can be used for many drawing-purposes. It works a bit the same as the pencil in Flash, because it tightens the lines you draw. Not much cools can be done with this unless you're very skilled with a mouse or have a drawing tablet.

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Step 7

Select the +Add anchor-point-Tool and click anywhere on a line to create a new anchor-point to make a different curve or edit the current curve:

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Step 8

The +Remove anchor-point-Tool works the exact the opposite; click on an anchor-point to remove it and make the line continue along the other anchor-points!

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Step 9

The COnvert Point-Tool is used to modify existing anchor-points. Just select the tool and click on an anchor-point. Then drag it around to change the curve:

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Step 10

Below you can see 3 different things I created with the Pen-Tool! Good luck and I hope you will enjoy this tool as much as I do!

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Author's URL: MickM.com
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