Adobe Photoshop 2023: Vector Shapes

Name: Adobe Photoshop 2023: Vector Shapes
Author: Jeff Drylewicz

Learn how vector shapes can be a versatile alternative to pixel-based graphics

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 3 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello, welcome to Knowledge Cities course on Adobe Photoshop. My name is Jeff Dreilowitz and today I will be teaching you the difference between roster and vector -based graphics and how to use the pen tool. So what exactly is the difference between roster and vector -based? Simply put, roster graphics are pixel -based and those pixels are uniformly placed into rows and columns, while vector graphics on the other hand are points, lines, curves and shapes that are based on a mathematical formula. The big difference is the loss of quality when you scale both types of graphics up. So with my shapes right here, I've got this circle. The right side is roster, the left side is vector. When I do Command -T to blow this up, we can see as I get larger, the right side is still showing those very pixelated edges while the left side is staying very smooth and clean. That is why you want to choose roster or vector based on what your printing needs, whether you're going to be working on your screen or whether you're printing something out. So let's bring this back. So how do we create a vector -based shape? That can be done using the pen tool. So with the pen tool, we need to make sure that our presets up here are on shape. If we're not trying to create a path and we want to have a color inside of it. And when I start clicking, I'm putting down anchor points. As I make more anchor points, pads are created between them. I can continue clicking down anchor points and I've got a lot of freedom over what sort of shape I want to make. I need to make sure that I'm closing my shape when I'm finished. So that circle you notice next to my little pen tool icon up there, that lets me know that I'm making a closed shape. Now the color inside of it is black. One thing to note here, the color inside of a shape that you make using your pen tool does not correspond necessarily to the color in your color picker. So if I were to pick on my color picker right now and go to green, nothing happens. In order to change the color within the shape, I need to come up here into my presets and I've got a fill and I've got all these colors. I've got the recently used colors. I've got all these folders I can choose from, find something that I like. Or if I want to go with the traditional color picker, I've got this one here and this one notice it says fill color next to it. That allows me to click a color and have more control over it and place it inside of my shape. I've also got another option up here which comes in very handy. It's called stroke, aka an outline. So when I click on that, the same exact way that I chose my color for the fill, I'll also choose that for the stroke. So if I want to give it a black outline, I can choose black and notice that that fill is very big. I don't want it that big. So what I've got over here next to the stroke is this little slider bar that allows me to shrink the size of that stroke down. I can also come over a little further to the right and change my stroke to either dash line, dotted line and decide whether I want my stroke to be aligned to the center, the inside or the outside of my shape. I'm going to stick with outside, hit OK and then come back to just a solid stroke. So I hope you've gained a basic understanding of roster and vector based graphics as well as some insight into using the pen tool. In the next lesson, we'll learn how to add anchor points to a path and use the freeform and curvature pen tools. Thank you for watching.

Beginner Provider : Jeff Drylewicz 3 Lessons · 13m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

Mastering the Pen Tool is an essential skill for designers that unlocks a world of possibilities to create precise and custom shapes and outlines. The Pen Tool allows you to harness the power of Anchor Points and seamlessly curve and manipulate them to bring your creative visions to life. Beyond its shape creation capabilities, the Pen Tool also serves as a versatile tool for designing custom frames, making selections within images, and illustrating complex details. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced designer, understanding how to utilize the Pen Tool opens a realm of creative possibilities and enables you to craft visually stunning and meticulously crafted designs.

In this course on Adobe Photoshop 2023: Vector Shapes, you will learn about the Pen Tool and Shape Tools that work with vector shapes. We will discuss how to place anchors using the Pen Tool to create Paths and Shapes. We will also explain how to select different shapes using the Shape Tool and how to use Custom Shapes. By the end of this course, you will be able to customize and personalize your designs like never before.

What You'll Learn

Utilize the different Pen Tools to place anchor points and create paths and shapes
Access and modify the Shape Tools as needed
Distinguish between raster-based and vector-based graphics
Use the Freeform and Curvature tools to curve and manipulate anchor points
Select different shapes with the Shape Tool and apply Custom Shapes

Key Takeaways

The Pen Tool lets you place anchor points to create precise, custom paths and shapes in Adobe Photoshop 2023.
Beyond shape creation, the Pen Tool can design custom frames, make selections within images, and illustrate complex details.
The course explains how to access the Shape Tools, modify them, select different shapes, and use Custom Shapes.
Understanding the difference between raster- and vector-based graphics is part of working with vector shapes.
The Pen Tool is suited to both beginners and experienced designers for crafting visually stunning, meticulously crafted designs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is suited to both beginners and experienced designers who want to understand and use the Pen Tool to craft custom designs in Adobe Photoshop 2023.

What does this course cover?

It covers the Pen Tool and Shape Tools that work with vector shapes, including placing anchors to create paths and shapes, selecting different shapes with the Shape Tool, and using Custom Shapes.

What skills will I gain?

You will learn to utilize the different Pen Tools, access and modify the Shape Tools, and recognize the difference between raster- and vector-based graphics, building skills in Adobe Photoshop and vector graphics.

What lessons are included?

The course includes lessons on the difference between raster and vector images, using the Freeform and Curvature tools, and using the Shape Tool.