How to Make a Dotted Line in Photoshop
Unlike other image editing programs, Adobe Photoshop does not have a built-in tool for creating a dotted line. By utilizing a rarely used feature, the "Brush Palette," you can create the same effect without duplicated images, creating new layers or making custom patterns. The Brush Palette can be used to make a dotted line out of any available Photoshop brush, such as a thin line, star pattern or grass.
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Instructions
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1
Open the "Brush Palette." The easiest way to open the Brush Palette is by clicking "F5" on your keyboard. You can also find it by selecting the "Window" menu and clicking "Brushes."
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2
Select your brush. For a simple dotted line, select one of the smaller circular brushes. Alternatively, select one of the shaped brushes (such as the leaf, the star or the grass) to create an evenly spaced pattern.
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3
Modify the brush. Uncheck "Dynamic Spacing" and "Smoothing" from the left-hand pane of the Brush Palette. Click on "Brush Tip Shape" and adjust the "Spacing" slider (at the bottom of the right-hand pane) until the line is spaced to your preferences.
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4
Draw the line. Hold down the "Shift" key while drawing to create a perfectly straight line, or, if you have a steady hand, draw a free-form line.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want your dotted line to have square dots instead of round ones, adjust the "Roundness" (above the "Spacing" slider). The larger the brush, the more roundness it will need to be "dotted." For example, a 19-pixel brush with zero percent roundness will appear as a long line, rather than a dotted line, even at 1,000 percent spacing.
