How to Use the Pen Tool in Photoshop Part Two

In this tutorial, I cover how to add, subtract and move points and handles.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Adobe Photoshop

1. 
    
   The Path Tab with Work Path

   Open Photoshop. If you are continuing from part one of this tutorial, open the file you were working with. Go to the lower right hand of your screen to the Layers Pallete and click on the Paths tab. The path you created will be listed. Select it.
   
   If you are not working from the previous lesson, create a path if you know how or see part one of this tutorial to learn.

2. 
    
   Selecting the Path

   Make sure the Pen Tool is selected. You can either select in in the Tool Bar on the left of your screen or by pressing P.
   
   Once the Pen Tool is selected, move your cursor to your path. Click once on the path while pressing the Command key on a Mac or the Control key on a PC. This selects your path.
   
   You can also select a point at any time by Command click (Mac) or Control click (PC)

3. 
    
   New Points with Handles

   You can add points to an existing path by clicking where you want the new point to be. If you look closely at the Pen Tool cursor, you will see a small + sign to the lower right, indicating "Add Point".
   
   New points have handles. In this example, I have added two points and have selected both of them so you can see them better.

4. 
    
   Dragging Handles on an Added Point

   If you drag your handles while adding a point, will create an S-shaped Bezier curve.
   
   If you Option click (Mac) or Alt click (PC) to remove handles from a point with points on either side, both handles are removed - not just one as when a point has no point in front of it.
   
   You can add handles by selecting a point and dragging away.

5. 
    

   If you use Option Click (Mac) or Alt Click (PC) on an a point to remove handles and there are points on either side, both handles with be removed.

6. 
    
   Moving a Point

   To move a point, select it by Command clicking (Mac) or Control clicking (PC). While still holding the left mouse button, drag the point to where you want it to be.

7. 
    
   Moving a Handle

   To move a handle, Option click (Mac) or Alt click (PC) and drag a handle till the curve is where you want it to be.

8. 
    
   Creating a compound curve.

   You can create compound curves by moving the handles of the points on either side of a path segment.
   
   You can correct a compound curve with the same method.

9. 
    
   Deleting a Point in a Closed Path

   To delete a point in a series, click it once. If you look closely at the Pen Tool cursor, you will see a small - sign to the lower right, indicating "Delete Point".
   
   To delete the last point you made in an unclosed path, simply press Delete once. Pressing Delete twice will erase the whole path. Pressing Delete once with a selected point in a closed path will erase that path segment.

10. These are the fundamentals of how to use the Pen Tool. In the next tutorials, we'll look at how to create multiple paths, selections, masks, strokes and fills and how to transform paths.

[mbravo1020]

on 2/4/2009 good details I will def come in handy thanks 5 starzzz