Drawing and editing

About the drawing tools in Photoshop and ImageReady.

Keep in mind the following differences when using the drawing tools in Photoshop and Image Ready:

• The pen tools, polygon tool, and custom shape tool are available only in Photoshop.
• In Photoshop, you can use the drawing tools to create a work path; in ImageReady, you can’t create a work path.       
• In Photoshop, you can draw multiple shapes in layer and specify how overlapping shapes interact. In ImageReady, you can only draw one shape in a layer.
• In Photoshop, you can edit shapes after you draw them. In ImageReady, you can move and transform shapes, but you can’t edit them.

Creating shape layers

You create a shape layer using a shape tool or a pen tool. Technically, a shape layer is a fill layer with a layer clipping path; the fill layer defines the color of the shape, while the layer clipping path defines the geometric outline of the shape. You can change the color and other attributes of a shape by editing its fill layer and applying layer styles to it. You can change the outline of a shape by editing its layer clipping path.

Setting shape tool options

Each shape tool provides specific options; for example, you can set options that allow you to draw a rectangle with fixed dimensions or a line with arrowheads.

Adding, deleting, and converting anchor points

The add anchor point and delete anchor point tools let you add and delete anchor points on a shape. The convert direction point tool lets you convert a smooth curve to a sharp curve or to a straight segment, and vice versa. If you have selected Auto Add/Delete in the options bar for the pen tool or freeform pen tool, when you click a line segment, a point is added, and when you click an existing point, it is deleted.

Transforming and retouching

You can transform images in many ways. For example, you can redefine an image’s perspective; manipulate areas of an image as if the pixels in those areas had been melted; scale, rotate, or flip a selection or image in two dimensions; and transform an object in three dimensions. You can also apply filters to create special effects. Tools for retouching an image include the clone stamp, pattern stamp, smudge, blur, sharpen, dodge, burn, and sponge tools.