Adobe® Photoshop® 7.0 Classroom in a Book®

About paths and the pen tool

The pen tool draws straight and curved lines called paths. A path is any contour or shape you draw using the pen, magnetic pen, or freeform pen tool. Of these tools, the pen tool draws paths with the greatest precision; the magnetic pen and freeform pen tools draw paths as if you were drawing with a pencil on paper.

Press P on the keyboard to select the pen tool. Pressing Shift+P repeatedly toggles between the pen and freeform pen tools. (In this lesson, you’ll stay with the regular pen tool.)

Paths can be open or ...