Using the Shape Tool

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Using the Shape Tool

The Shape Tool in Photoshop is a basic and powerful tool to use when scrapping. When used as a clipping mask, the possibilities are endless.

Usually you will see the little square icon in the tool palette. If you hold down on the icon a fly-out menu will pop up and you can select the shape you want to make.

There are 3 options for shapes. "Shape" will allow you to change the size, but won't be easily used for other things. "Path" makes a path for working with (see here). And "Pixel" just makes a basic shape; this is the mode I use almost always.

When making any shape, remember that you can hold down "shift" to make a perfect shape.

Change the radius when using the rounder rectangle tool to change how round the edges are.

Change the number of sides when using the polygon tool to make lots of cool geometric shapes.

Change the width of the line tool to make fatter lines. Also, when you hold down shift with the line tool you can make straight lines.

The Custom Shape Tool gives you the most power. Photoshop comes with a few different sets, and you can search the web for more!

omg this is awesome! I had no idea!!! smiley thanks Marisa~!

Marisa,
This was exactly what I needed! I figured out that I had shape layers chosen on the options bar above rather than fill pixels. I knew it was something little I was missing! And this was what should also fix the problem that one of the other ladies was having with the stroke path not being grayed out and not available to her. Thanks so much I really appreciate the ongoing energy and efforts you and Jordan provide us on this super fun site. smiley Kristine

Thank you so much! I really needed this information!!!

There are lots of free Photoshop shapes if you google it. Many of them are Commercial Use also, and most, but not all, are FREE! xoxox Beth

Thanks for the info,i use psp so i try my best to follow the program you use,plus,i am still learning psp.
Appreciate the input tho.

Thanks for the great tips! Always providing useful information. I appreciate it.

Same here, Mersija... smiley I want to do the same things that Photoshop users are doing....which is not always easy to do because I use PSP also.

I love shapes. It's fun using them.

Thank ÿou thank you thank you!

I love making my own shapes as well. Do you have any suggestions for getting the shapes to look more smooth? For example. When I create a shape, have selected it and go the make work path part, no matter what tolerance I choose, it never looks completely smooth. Maybe you have a tutorial on this and I missed it.

Thanks again for these tutorials.

@Lynetta: Hmm, not sure what the problem is. Are you recoloring the shape? Sometimes things get fuzzy during recoloring. See here for tips on that.

Thank you so much for this tutorial! I also had the "shape" layer selected. It was driving me nuts! smiley

Thank you, I've always wondered how to round the corners of my photos and though I might try use the rounded rectangle as clipping mask to try get this effect.

I LOVE YOU!!! I don't use my photoshop very often due to the learning curve and difficulty finding good tuts. This was perfect. Thank you!

Thank you for this great tutorial

Thanks smiley

Oh! I didn't know I could change all the settings as easily as this WOW, thank you. thank you so much

thanks, thanks...

Great info.

Marisa - I am learning so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge so freely. It is making my crafting experience (which is done on a budget of $0) so much more fulfilling and challenging.

Thanks for this! I knew there were brushes out there...I never even THOUGHT of looking for shapes...

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

I can't see where to change the radius in PSE. Am I just missing it?

I would think they should have the option somewhere. If you haven't found it yet, try asking a question here.

Thanks so much! I'm new here and loving every bit of this site! Thanks again!

Great information, thank you. smiley

Julie, you can find the radius just to the right of the top geometry options on the far left in pse 10. It's easier to say it's right under the word image on the top bar LOL. I hope this helps.

This will come in handy.. Thank you!

If shape is selected it creates a new layer automatically but with pixels selected you need to create a new layer first- am I doing it correctly? I just dl photoshop and I am working my way through the tutorials. Thank you so much!

Thanks!

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