Creating Paths


You use the Paths palette to save the paths you create, and you use the Pen tools and Shape tools to actually draw each path. The tool you should use to create the path depends on the desired shape for the path .

Note

Paths do not print unless you fill them with color or color their border.

Adding a Shape Path

The "Drawing a Rectangle, Oval, or Other Shape" section in Chapter 3, "Adding Content with Tools," explained how to use the Rectangle tool (and the other shape tools you access via the Rectangle tool) to draw shapes on an image. You also can use these tools to create a path for later use, as described here.

  1. Click and hold the Rectangle tool in the toolbox. Its shortcut menu will appear.

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  2. Click on the desired shape tool to use in the submenu. The selected tool will become the active tool.

    Note

    If you choose the Custom Shape tool, be sure to use the Shape drop-down list on the options bar to specify which kind of shape to draw.

  3. Click on the Paths button on the options bar. The selected tool will become active for path selection.

  4. Click and drag diagonally on the picture in the work area. Keep the mouse button pressed as you drag in any desired direction. When you release the mouse button, the path will appear.

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  5. Click on Window . The Window menu will appear.

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  6. Click on Paths . The Paths palette will become the active tab in the Layers palette window. The Paths palette will show that the path you've drawn appears as a temporary path called a work path.

    Tip

    Instead of opening the Window menu and choosing Paths, you can click on the Paths tab in the Layers palette window.

  7. Click on the Paths palette menu button . The palette menu will appear.

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  8. Click on Save Path . The Save Path dialog box will open .

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    Note

    You don't have to save a temporary work path unless you want to reuse it later.

  9. Type a name for the path in the Name text box. Your new name will replace the temporary name in the text box.

  10. Click on OK . The Save Path dialog box will close, and Photoshop will finish saving the path under the name you specified.

  11. Click on a blank area in the Paths palette. Photoshop will deselect the path.

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  12. Click on the Layers tab in the Layers palette window. (Alternately, you can choose Window, Layers.) Photoshop will return to the regular view of layers in the image.

Note

If you skip this last step when using a tool to create a path, the path will remain selected, and any further actions you take pertain to that path. For example, if you tried to create a path with another tool, it would simply be added into the current path rather than created as a separate work path.

Making a Pen Path

The Pen tool enables you to create paths with straight lines, curves, and angles. Use this tool when you want to create a path that's irregular in shape or has swooping, controlled curves.

Note

You must be careful when using the mouse with the Pen tool. Different mouse actions have different results. The following steps illustrate the various mouse techniques you need to master when using the Pen tool.

  1. Click on the Pen tool in the toolbox. Its options will appear in the options bar.

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  2. Click on the Paths button on the options bar. The Pen tool will become active for path selection.

    Note

    If you click on the Shape Layers button (instead of the Paths button) on the options bar for any tool described in this chapter, the tool draws a shape or outline on a new layer in the image rather than simply creating a path.

  3. Click on the starting point for the first segment in the path. An anchor point appears at the location where you clicked.

  4. Click on the location where you want to end the segment. A straight-line segment appears between the anchor points.

  5. Press Ctrl+Z . This will undo the path segment.

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  6. Drag on the location for the end of the next segment. Because you dragged, Photoshop will create a curved segment.

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  7. Drag the direction point at the end of the direction line and then release the mouse button. Photoshop will adjust the depth and direction of the curved segment based on where you drag the direction point.

  8. Drag in the opposite direction on the location for the end of the next segment. Because you dragged in the opposite direction, Photoshop will create a segment that curves in the opposite direction.

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    Tip

    To create a corner point between segments, press and hold the Alt key when you set the anchor point for the next segment. Press and hold the Ctrl key to drag an anchor point or corner point.

  9. After you create all the needed segments, finish drawing the path in one of two ways:

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    • Click on the first anchor point to close the path shape. Note that when the mouse pointer is over the first anchor point, a small circle appears along with the pointer to tell you that clicking would then close the path.

    • Click on the Pen tool in the toolbox to finish the path without closing the shape.

  10. Click on the Paths palette menu button . The palette menu will appear.

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  11. Click on Save Path . The Save Path dialog box will open.

  12. Type a name for the path in the Name text box. Your new name will replace the temporary name in the text box.

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  13. Click on OK . The Save Path dialog box will close, and Photoshop will finish saving the path under the name you specified.

  14. Click on a blank area in the Paths palette. Photoshop will deselect the path.

  15. Click on the Layers tab in the Layers palette window. (Alternately, choose Window, Layers.) Photoshop will return to the regular view of layers in the image.

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Making a Freeform Path

The Freeform Pen tool enables you to create a path by dragging on the image. In addition, you can turn on the Magnetic option with the Freeform Pen tool to have the path outline "snap to" a shape in the image. This tool comes in handy when you want to create a path around a particular item or region in an image.

  1. Click and hold the Pen tool in the toolbox. Its shortcut menu will appear.

  2. Click on Freeform Pen Tool . The Freeform Pen tool will become the active tool.

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  3. Click on the Paths button on the options bar. The Freeform Pen tool will become active for path selection.

  4. Click on the Magnetic check box to check it, if desired. Checking this option will cause the Freeform Pen tool to function as the Magnetic Pen tool, and your path will snap to the outline for an item in the image.

    Note

    The Magnetic feature works via color and tone contrast. You can click on the Magnetic check box near the center of the options bar to make the Freeform Pen tool work magnetically.

  5. Drag on the picture in the work area. Keep the mouse button pressed as you drag in any desired direction. When you release the mouse button, the path will appear.

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    Tip

    If you're using the Magnetic Pen tool, you can click to set specific anchor points and press Delete to remove the most recent anchor point. However, with the Freeform Pen tool, you must keep the mouse button pressed as you drag.

  6. Finish drawing the path in one of three ways:

    • Click on the first anchor point to close the path shape. Note that when the mouse pointer is over the first anchor point, a small circle appears along with the pointer to tell you that clicking would then close the path.

    • Double-click on the next-to-last anchor point to close the path automatically.

    • Click on the Freeform Pen tool in the toolbox to finish the path without closing the shape.

    Note

    When you're drawing any path, you can press Esc to stop drawing the path.

  7. Click on the Paths palette menu button . The palette menu will appear.

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  8. Click on Save Path . The Save Path dialog box will open.

  9. Type a name for the path in the Name text box. Your new name will replace the temporary name in the text box.

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  10. Click on OK . The Save Path dialog box will close, and Photoshop will finish saving the path under the name you specified.

  11. Press Esc . Photoshop will deselect the path.

  12. Click on the Layers tab in the Layers palette window. (Alternately, choose Window, Layers.) Photoshop will return to the regular view of layers in the image.

Viewing and Changing a Path

The Paths palette enables you to view and work with the paths in an image file. When you change a path, you move, add, and delete anchor points.

  1. Click on Window . The Window menu will appear.

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  2. Click on Paths if it is not already selected. The Paths palette will become the active tab in the Layers palette window.

    Tip

    Instead of opening the Window menu and choosing Paths, you can click on the Paths tab in the Layers palette window.

  3. Click on the desired path in the Paths palette tab. The path will become the active path.

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  4. Use the Navigator to pan the path into view, if necessary. The path will become visible in the work area.

  5. Click and hold the Pen tool in the toolbox. Its shortcut menu will appear.

  6. Click on Add Anchor Point Tool . The Add Anchor Point tool will become the active tool.

  7. Click on the path at the location where you want to add the new anchor point. The anchor point will appear.

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  8. Drag the new anchor point (and any others) to the desired location. The path will reshape accordingly .

  9. Click once on an anchor point that you want to delete. It will appear filled in.

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  10. Press Delete on your keyboard. The Anchor Point will be deleted, and the path will reshape accordingly.

  11. Click once on an anchor point that you want to modify. It will appear filled in.

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  12. Drag anchor points to reposition them as needed. Again, the path will reshape accordingly, but in this case, you didn't have to add new anchor points.

  13. Press Esc . The path will be deselected, but your changes will remain in the path. From here, you can click on the Layers tab in the Layers palette or choose Window, Layers to resume working with layers.

Filling or Coloring a Path

You can fill a path with color to add a blotch of color in an image, or you can "stroke" the path outline with color to add a subtle outline of color in the image. Although by default a path doesn't print, it will print after you fill or stroke it with color. These steps explain how to use color with a path.

  1. Click on the desired fill or outline color in the color ramp at the bottom of the Color palette. The color will become the active foreground color.

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  2. Click on Window . The Window menu will appear.

  3. Click on Paths . The Paths palette will become the active tab in the Layers palette window.

    Tip

    Instead of opening the Window menu and choosing Paths, you can click on the Paths tab in the Layers palette window.

  4. Click on the desired path to color in the Paths palette. The path will become the active path.

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    1. Click on the Fill Path with Foreground Color button at the bottom of the Paths palette. Photoshop will fill the path with the color you selected in step 1.

    OR

    1. Click on the Stroke Path with Brush button at the bottom of the Paths palette. Photoshop will apply a very thin outline of the foreground color to the path outline.

  5. Review the resulting color . This example shows the path filled with color. If you merely stroked the path with color, the result could be fairly subtle and may not be visible until you finish working with the Paths palette.

    Note

    At this point, you can click on the Layers tab in the Layers palette or choose Window, Layers to finish working with paths.

Using a Path to Make a Selection

As noted earlier in this chapter, you can use a path as a selection at any time, making it easy for you to work with the path area later, applying a filter or other effect.

  1. Click on Window . The Window menu will appear.

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  2. Click on Paths if the Paths palette is not already open. The Paths palette will become the active tab in the Layers palette window.

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  3. Click on the desired path . The path will become the active path.

  4. Click on the Load Path as a Selection button at the bottom of the Paths palette tab. A selection marquee will appear around the path. You then can work with the selection just as you would any other selection.

Using a Path to Create a Vector Mask

A vector mask enables you to define a mask based on an outline (rather than based on image pixels and colors, as for a layer mask). You base a vector mask on a work path that you've previously created. Once you've created the vector mask, you can move or resize it as needed to adjust the masked area ” something you can't easily do with a layer mask.

Note

Vector masking does not work on the Background layer, so right-click on the Background layer and click Duplicate Layer. Enter a name for the new layer in the Duplicate Layer dialog box and then click on OK. Finally, click the eye icon beside the original Background layer in the Layers palette to hide that layer so you can see the effects of your vector mask.

  1. Click on Window . The Window menu will appear.

  2. Click on Paths if the Paths palette is not already open. The Paths palette will become the active tab in the Layers palette window.

  3. Click on the desired path .The path will become the active path.

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  4. Click on the Layers tab in the Layers palette window. Photoshop will return to the regular view of layers in the image.

  5. Click on the layer with the content to mask. The layer will become the active layer.

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  6. Click on Layer . The Layer menu will appear.

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  7. Point to Add Vector Mask . The Add Vector Mask submenu will appear.

  8. Click on Current Path . The mask will be created and applied immediately.

  9. Review the resulting mask . Layer content outside the mask (path) will be hidden.

    Note

    At this point, you could use the Path Selection tool to move the mask around on the layer or to adjust the shape of the mask. To turn off the mask, right-click on the mask thumbnail in the Layers palette and then click on Disable Vector Mask. Right-click again and then click on Enable Vector Mask to reapply the mask.




Adobe Photoshop CS Fast & Easy
Adobe Photoshop CS Fast & Easy (Fast & Easy (Premier Press))
ISBN: 1592003451
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 179

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