Pen+tool

=Using the Pen Tools= In Photoshop CS3, the //Pen Tool// is another way to draw shapes or make selections.

The Pen Tools
The //Pen Tool//, located in the //Toolbox//, has five hidden tools: the //Pen Tool//, //Freeform Pen// //Tool//, //Add Anchor Point// //Tool//, //Subtract Anchor Point// //Tool//, and the //Convert Point Tool//.
 * Pen Tool**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen.gif width="27" height="24"]]Allows you to make very precise selections that would be difficult to accomplish using the Marquee Tools. By using the Pen Tool you are creating a path of adjustable anchor points. To adjust an anchor point, use the //Delete Anchor Point Tool,// the //Convert Point Tool,// or the //Direct Selection Tool//.
 * Freeform Pen Tool**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-frefrm.gif width="26" height="22"]]Allows you to make customized paths that are not straight by default. The path/selection follows the same path as your mouse. This tool is useful for making fast selections that do not require as steady of a hand as the //Marquee Tools// do. You can edit the selection further using the other selection tools.
 * Add Anchor Point Tool**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-anchorpt.gif width="26" height="22"]]Adds anchor points along a path. Anchor points can be used to alter lines without redrawing them.
 * Delete Anchor Point Tool**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-deletept.gif width="27" height="24"]]Deletes anchor points from a path.
 * Convert Point Tool[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-convert.gif width="27" height="20"]]**Converts a smooth point (e.g., an arc) into a corner point or a corner point into a smooth point.

Creating Shapes with the Pen Tools
The //Pen Tool// works in much the same way as the Lasso Selection Tool, except that when you are drawing, nothing becomes selected. The //Pen Tool// automatically creates a closed shape filled with your chosen foreground color by connecting each new anchor point with both the first anchor point and the previous anchor point. The //Pen Tool// allows you to draw straight lines and curves, and the //Freeform Pen Tool// allows you to draw customized shapes.
 * 1) From the //Toolbox//, select the **//Pen Tool//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen.gif width="27" height="24"]]**The cursor becomes a pen tip. HINT: If you want your cursor to be more precise, you can press [**Caps Lock**] to turn it into a crosshair.
 * 2) From the //Options// bar located near the top of the screen, select //**Shape Layers**//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/shapelayer.gif width="18" height="19"]][[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/toolbar/pen.gif width="519" height="31"]]
 * 3) To begin drawing your shape, click the mouse button to create your first anchor point
 * 4) To draw a straight line, click the mouse button to create a second anchor pointA straight line connects the two anchor points.
 * 5) To draw a curved line connecting the last anchor point with a new anchor point,
 * 6) Click and hold the mouse button where you would like to add the new anchor point
 * 7) Drag the mouse to create the proper curve for that segment NOTE: Dragging the mouse will not change the position of the anchor point, but will adjust the arc of the curve.
 * 8) Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed to create the desired shape
 * 9) To finish your shape, click on the first anchor point you created

Using the Freeform Pen Tool

 * 1) From the //Toolbox//, select the **//Freeform Pen Tool//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-frefrm.gif width="26" height="22"]]**The cursor becomes a pen tip. HINT: If you want your cursor to be more precise, press [**Caps Lock**].
 * 2) From the //Options// bar, click **SHAPE LAYERS**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/shapelayer.gif width="18" height="19"]]
 * 3) To begin drawing, click and drag the mouse anywhere on the canvas to create your shape NOTE: With the //Freeform Pen Tool//, you do not need to add anchor points, they are automatically added.
 * 4) To finish a freeform shape, release the mouse button NOTE: The ending point does not have to be the same as the beginning point. HINT: To edit a //Freeform Pen// shape, select the **//Direct Selection Tool//**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/directselect.gif width="27" height="23"]], which is a hidden tool under the Path Selection Tool.

Selecting with the Pen Tool
Using the //Pen Tool// to make selections allows for a high degree of precision due to anchor points. Anchor points can be adjusted after the path is created. You will begin by creating a path around the object you want to select, which you will then turn into a selection.

Creating a Path

 * 1) From the //Toolbox,// select the //**Pen Tool**//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen.gif width="27" height="24"]]
 * 2) From the //Options// bar, click **PATHS**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/paths.gif width="18" height="20"]]
 * 3) Select your object by clicking at regular intervals around the area NOTE: A path is a line of anchor points. HINT: This is like creating a shape with the pen tool, except the shape is not filled with the foreground color.
 * 4) Adjust the placement of existing anchor points by clicking and dragging them to better conform to the area you are selecting
 * 5) To add an anchor point,
 * 6) Select the //**Add Anchor Point Tool**//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-anchorpt.gif width="26" height="22"]]
 * 7) Click at the desired location on the path
 * 8) To delete an anchor point,
 * 9) Select the //**Delete Anchor Point Tool**//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-deletept.gif width="27" height="24"]]
 * 10) Click the anchor point you want to remove
 * 11) To convert an anchor point from corner to smooth or vice versa,
 * 12) Select the //**Convert Point Tool**//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/pen-convert.gif width="27" height="20"]]
 * 13) Click the anchor point you want to convert
 * 14) Repeat steps 4-7 until the path best represents the selection you want to make

Turning a Path into a Selection

 * 1) To select your path, select the //**Path Selection Tool**//[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/path-selec.gif width="28" height="24"]]
 * 2) From the //Window// menu, select //**Paths**//
 * 3) From the //Paths// palette, click **MENU**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/menu.gif width="16" height="14"]]//**»**// select //**Make Selection**//**OR**From the //Paths// palette, click **LOAD PATH AS A SELECTION**[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/buttons/path-selection.gif width="20" height="13"]]The //Make Selection// dialog box appears.[[image:http://www.uwec.edu/help/PhotoshopCS3/Images/dialog/path-selection.gif width="302" height="233"]]
 * 4) To feather your selection, in the //Rendering// section, in the //Feather Radius// text box, type a number HINT: The higher the number, the more pronounced the feathering action will be.
 * 5) To smooth the corners of the selection, select **//Anti-Aliased//**
 * 6) Click **OK** The path becomes a selection.