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Hidden Features of the Pen Tool
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Hidden Features of the Pen Tool

on Aug 14th 2012 with 33 comments
Tutorial Details
  • Applications Used: Adobe Photoshop CS6
  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Estimated Completion Time: 6 Minutes

Final Product What You'll Be Creating

This entry is part 3 of 33 in the Shortcuts on Psdtuts Session
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In this episode we will explain a Pen Tool feature that has the potential to completely change the way that you draw with paths in Photoshop. Let’s get started!

Tags: CS6Videos
 
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Martin is a Hungarian graphic designer, digital artist and an Adobe Certified Expert and Instructor (Design Master). He is currently teaching and working in London but usually travels around the UK and share his love for Adobe products and graphic design. You can follow him on his blog or on Twitter.  

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  • Jorinda

    You should actually do a series on the pen tool for Photoshop CS5. Not everyone has the money to buy the CS6 version. The Pen tool is what I’m struggling with the most in Photoshop. I have no problems with it in Adobe Illustrator, but for some reason, I just can’t work with it effectively in photoshop.

    • Vince

      Its unfortunate that you cant afford CS6, but there is no point in making new content for an old program.

      • InterFerence

        Stupidest reason ever! There are several points of making new content for an old programm. In fact, he can’t afford the new CS6, and this is a valuable reason over more then ten years in Photoshop history.

    • Alan

      Dude, you obviously haven’t even watched the tutorial and you’re dishing out advice? Come on man. It’s stated in the very first minute that this will work with previous versions. At least do the guy the courtesy of watching his material before making a comment.

      • http://www.twistandsnag.com Charlotte

        Completely agree with you. He mentions a couple of times you can use it in previous versions and even shows it in CS5. This is a really excellent tutorial.

    • aMs

      cs6 is the latest version, so doing tutorial for cs5 makes actually less sense; people are interested in some of the new features in the new version; if u’re struggling with cs5 pen tool, find yourself tutorial over cs5 and stop complaining.

      • 4Sight

        Mastering cs5 version makes cs6 less stressful and more sens….RNL

    • jmw3
    • http://wwwfacebook.com/graffects Andy

      I totally agree with Jorinda. It would be great! Graffects.

  • Alan

    Awesome. I draw paths a lot in PS for exporting to other applications so i I have a lot of experience with the pen tool but I didn’t know about this at all and it really is very handy. Thanks a lot.

  • http://www.behance.net/rodriguesallan Allan Rodrigues

    The Illustrator has this Ruber Band feature?

    • Chris

      No it hasn’t. Maybe there is a plugin to get this option but I don’t know nothing about it.

      • http://danrockstreet.deviantart.com Dan Rockstreet

        Well, in Adobe Illustrator CS 2 you can click the next anchor point, and don’t let the mouse button go. Instead, press and hold the SPACE key and voilà, you can move the new anchor point where you need it.

        In Photoshop, you can move *any* anchor point if you press and hold the CTRL key first. This was not mentioned in the vid (only on closed paths already).

        So this vid only shows 1-2 nice tips, but not really something new.

  • http://www.cineindya.com Kumar

    wow thanks a lot for the fast tutorial, its really help me for my job

  • Brenda Malone

    Thank Martin. That was a nice, quick tip.

  • Juliana

    Thanks! It was really a life saver.

  • http://www.parasuniversal.com Parasuniversal.com

    This is so weird. I just discovered this a couple of hours before watching this vid. Glad you posted it though coz it’s a great feature and I don’t know why folks are not talking about it already.

  • Kristof

    Thanks Martin, very useful. You’re the greatest!

  • http://www.darrinhoudek.com deejay

    Thats what Im talking about

    Been working in Photoshop for years and didnt know about the rubber band feature and the alt clik to convert to a corner from bezier point.

    Thanks Bro

  • Trevor

    Well done, great Tut. for all of us who can’t afford CS6

  • Hadi

    Thanks martin! thanks for the “Rubber Band”, It was so tricky, never know about that. waiting to hear from you more :)

  • hi

    Awesome. I’ve followed many PS tutorials. I’ve also done many that talk specifically about mastering the pen tool. But I’ve never come across one that talked about the rubber band. It is totally awesome. Thank you so much!

  • Rob

    Hilarious. I’ve been using this damn pen tool for years, and never even knew that this rubber band thing existed. I’ve always worked without it just fine, but this will definitely help with more free-form drawing for symmetrical purposes.

  • iraa

    thank you soo much :)

  • Jana

    Nice tutorial with useful information. Especially the rubber band.
    But one thing is missing:
    By holding ALT you can not only convert anchor points.
    Try to hold ALT and then click and drag… this will create an anchor point with only one handle.
    ALT click this anchor point again and it will be converted to one with two handles.

  • http://allsnoringcures.com/ Sisir

    Pen tool skills are hard to come by. But when you master it, its a very powerful tool.

  • Fr4

    Usefull! :-)
    So thank you for your tips!

  • http://www.antsmagazine.com Nahid

    Pen tool has always been a problem to almost everyone. But yeah this is it.

  • Ashleigh

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This was really helpful.

  • http://www.hsquares.in Sandesh

    Good tut for newbies like me! Little tough to use it.

  • http://www.depidesign.com Dejay

    Wow… Nice tutorial… I never knew that the pen tool rubber band feature existed, especially for PS CS5 edition. Thanks!

  • http://www.lifesub.de Stefan Rynkowski

    Awesome and very useful tutorial. The pen tool is very hard to learn but your little tips are very clever!

  • sonny

    Excellent tut the pen tool was the hardest thing to learn in photoshop for me