| Most of the time, the initial path you create, whether produced by converting a selection or drawing with the Pen tool, won't be perfect. It's often too difficult to get the selection just right or the lines and curves perfectly placed on the first try. You have probably already realized this while following the previous steps in this hour . Fortunately, you can easily alter paths after they are created and, once again, you use the Pen tool (and its associated tools) to do this. The Path Tools First, look at the various Path tools available in Photoshop. Click and hold the Pen tool (see Figure 13.16). -
Pen toolYou already know this tool intimately. It's used to create new paths. -
Freeform Pen toolAs the name suggests, you can use this tool to draw a freeform path in any shape or direction. Photoshop will add the necessary points and handles as you go, so you can adjust any part of your path that's not quite what you had in mind. It's Magnetic  | Remember the Magnetic Lasso that formed itself around what you were trying to select? The Freeform Pen has a magnetic option, on the Tool Options bar, that works the same way. Use it for tracing a shape. It's under that down arrow to the right of the strip of tool icons. |
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Add Anchor Point toolUse this tool to add points to a path. -
Delete Anchor Point toolUse this tool to cut points from a path. -
Convert Point toolYes, you can even change the type of point after you have initially created one. For example, you can turn a corner point into a smooth point, a smooth point into a sharp curve, and so on. You'll learn more about this tool in the next section. Figure 13.16. Photoshop's Path tools. 
There are also two Path Selection tools to help you work with paths. They're found in the toolbox right above the Pen tools. One is the Direct Selection tool and the other is the Path Selection tool. The Direct Selection tool (represented by a hollow arrow) moves individual segments of the path. The Path Selection tool (the black arrow) moves all the components of a single path at once. If you have several subpaths within the same path, the Path Selection Tool will move one path at a time. If you want to move them all together, use the Select All command first. You can switch between the Pen and Freeform Pen tools in one of two ways: either by clicking and holding down over the Pen tool in the toolbar so that the other Pen tools appear, or by pressing Shift+P on the keyboard. Press A to switch to the Path tools, and press Shift+A to switch between the Direct Selection tool and the Path Selection tool. And, if you're already using a Pen tool, press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) to temporarily switch to the Direct Selection tool. Basic Path Techniques You've probably already figured these out on your own, but just in case, here are a few basic techniques for navigating among and using paths: -
To select a path, simply click its name in the Paths palette, just as you wouldclick a layer to activate it. Selected paths show up in your image, as you would expect. -
To deselect a path, click another path name or click in the empty area of the Paths palette. This makes the path disappear from the main window. -
To delete a path, select the path in the Paths palette and drag it to the trash button at the bottom of the palette, just as you would delete a layer. -
To create a new path, you can do one of four things: Simply start drawing the path with one of the Pen tools in the main image window. This makes a work path or, if an existing path is selected, adds to the existing path. Before using the Pen tool, choose New Path from the palette's menu. This also lets you name the path before you draw it. Click the Create New Path button at the bottom of the palette. This places a new path on the Paths palette. Create a selection and then use the Make Work Path command or button. -
To duplicate a path, select the desired path in the palette and drag it to the Create New Path button. This works in the same manner as duplicating a layer.  |
