7 Shape Tools
Used for creating
paths in geometric shapes
Found at #25 in the Toolbar diagram at left
Please note that the line tool has
its own page.
The shape tools are all grouped under the rectangular shape tool icon
in the tool bar. To access the others, click on the one which is showing
(the last one used will be visible in the toolbar). Choose the one you
want from the pop-up menu.
The shape tools create a preset range of geometric paths. Paths are outlines which can be used to make selections, or which can be stroked or filled with color. Paths are made from mathematical formulas, called Beziér Curves, which do not print, and which contain no pixels. Paths in the image can be accessed for editing from the Paths palette. The pen tool is also used for drawing paths.
Objects, and lines created with the shapes, and pen tools are called “vector objects” and are edited differently from painted objects, or shapes in an image which are created from pixels. For example, all, or part of a vector object can be selected simply by clicking on it with one of the special selection tools found at #8 in the toolbar diagram at left.
Vector objects are also resolution independent. This means they can be scaled as much as you like with no loss of quality. Since the object exists as a mathematical formula, scaling does not involve the adding or subtracting pixels which would result in image degradation.
To use a shape tool, select it in the toolbar, set its options in the options bar (see below), and then click and drag in the image.
A full description of vector object editing is beyond the scope of these pages. The pen tool is difficult to learn. The shape tools provide an easy way to take advantage of vector object qualities without having to struggle with the underlying concepts.
The keyboard shortcut for the shape tools is the letter U. You can cycle through all of the shape tools by holding down the Shift key while pressing the shortcut letter.
All of the shapes have approximately the same options bar with some minor variations (the polygon shape has a Sides text box for entering the desired number of edges, and the rounded rectangle [shown below] has a Radius setting for the corners). The options bar that you see depends more on which type of shape you choose to make.
Before you start drawing a new shape, be sure and choose whether you
want to create a new shape layer (button on the left), a work path (button
in the middle), or a pixel filled area (draw a raster/pixel line on the
current layer in the Layers palette). A shape layer will exist on its
own layer in the Layers palette as well as the Paths palette. When this
option is chosen, the Style and Color options will be available on the
options bar. Those options are not available if you choose the work path
option. A work path only exists in the Paths palette and is lost if you
create another path before naming/saving it. Work paths are not visible
unless you stroke or fill them. The stroke or fill will appear on the
currently selected layer in the Layers palette.
The group of boxy icons to the right of the Radius option determine how
the next path you draw will interact with the current path. When you have
the work path option chosen from the group shown above, the New Path option
is not available. As long as the original work path is selected, additional
paths will be interacting with it. When you have the pixel fill option
chosen, these buttons disappear from the options bar.
They are (as shown above) 1) New Shape (no interaction), 2) Add to Shape,
3) Subtract from Shape, 4) Intersect Shape (only overlapping areas will
remain), and 5) Exclude Overlapping (overlaps will be deleted leaving
the nonintersecting areas intact).
If the little chain icon to the left of the Style and Color choices is selected (showing a white background) then Style and Color changes will affect the current shape layer. If the chain button is deselected, Style and Color changes will be applied to the next shape you make but will not alter the current shape.
To find out about Styles, go to the Styles page. Click on the color box to open the color picker where you can choose a new hue.
If you choose the pixel fill option (third button), you won’t be offered
the Styles palette, but you will get to choose a blend mode and opacity.
Right-clicking within a selected work path, or on a (vector) shape when its layer is selected in the Layers palette will get you a variety of useful menus depending on the context.
If you look at the options bars shown above, the little tiny down arrow
next to the custom shape icon will provide a pop-up of options depending
on which shape you have chosen.
In addition, the custom shape tool has an additional pop-up menu of shapes
which shows up to the right of that options menu. Click that thumbnail
to get the custom shapes pop-up palette. Use the pop-up palette menu to
find alternate shapes palettes (there are quite a few).
Below you can see the options menus of all the shapes except the ellipse, which is nearly the same as the rectangle. The default selection is usually Unconstrained. I selected Fixed Size, or Proportional so you could see that option, active.
Please note that this entire tools section has been updated from a Photoshop 6 version (which was updated from a 5.5 version). Wherever the tool is essentially the same as it was in 6, I have continued to use the screen capture illustrations made using that version (as with all of the illustrations shown below). So if you notice cosmetic discrepancies in the options bar, menus or palettes, that’s why. In all instances where features were added or changed, I have made new screen captures.
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