Rectangle shape tool

The shape tools allow you to add graphic shapes in the form of a filled layer with a vector mask, a solid fill, or as a path outline. Using the shape tools you can draw rectangular, rounded rectangular, elliptical, polygon, line or custom shapes.

The shape tool modes include a Shape mode (shown selected in Figure 1) which will create filled shape layers. Alternatively, there is a Paths mode available from this menu which can be used to create a pen path based on the shape tool settings. Also, a Pixels mode which can be used to simply draw a shape and fill with the current foreground color.

Figure 1 This shows the rectangle shape tool options bar, showing the rectangle shape tool geometry options. This menu offers several choices. You can have the default unconstrained option which allows you to define a rectangle shape using any size or proportions that you like. Or you can select the Square option to constrain the proportions to a square. The Fixed Size option can be used to create rectangle shapes of an exact size, which could be useful if creating a series of boxes that must match in size exactly. When this option is selected, just click to add a new shape. Below, there is a Proportional option that will allow you to constrain a rectangle shape to a specific aspect ratio. Lastly, when the From Center checkbox is checked this forces the rectangle shape drawing to draw from the center outwards.

Shape tool modifier menu

The shape tool shape modifier options are also available from the shape tools' Options bar when using the Shape or Path modes. These are described below in Figure 2.

Figure 2 The shape tool options include the following modifying modes. From the top: the default 'New Layer' mode for always adding a new shape layer. The 'Combine Shapes' mode allows you to draw a shape and add to the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Subtract Front Shape' mode allows you to draw a shape and subtract from an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Intersect Shape Areas' mode allows you to draw a shape and intersect the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Exclude Overlapping Shapes will do the inverse and allows you to draw a shape such that you end up combining one shape/path with another, but exlude the overlap area with an exisiting path or shape layer.

Fill and Stroke options

In 'Shape' mode, the appearance of a shape layer is determined by the Fill and Stroke options in the Options bar. Here you have a choice of fill options that include having no fill, a solid color fill, a gradient fill, or a pattern fill. In Figure 3 below I had the Fill menu set to allow me to choose a gradient to fill the shape layer with.

Figure 3 This shows a view of the rectangle shape tool Fill menu.

Rounded rectangle shape tool

The shape tools allow you to add graphic shapes in the form of a filled layer with a vector mask, a solid fill, or as a path outline. Using the shape tools you can draw rectangular, rounded rectangular, elliptical, polygon, line or custom shapes.

The shape tool modes include a Shape mode (shown selected in Figure 4) which will create filled shape layers. Alternatively, there is a Paths mode available from this menu which can be used to create a pen path based on the shape tool settings. Also, a Pixels mode which can be used to simply draw a shape and fill with the current foreground color.

Figure 4 The rounded rectangle shape tool options bar, showing the rounded rectangle shape tool geometry options. This will offer several choices. You can have the default unconstrained option which allows you to define a rounded rectangle shape using any size or proportions that you like. Or, you can select the Square option to constrain the proportions to a square. The Fixed Size option can be used to create rounded rectangle shapes of an exact size, which could be useful if creating a series of boxes that must match in size exactly. When this option is selected, just click to add a new shape. And there is a Proportional option that allows you to constrain a rounded rectangle shape to a specific aspect ratio. The From Center checkbox will force the rounded rectangle shape drawing to draw from the center outwards. And lastly, there is a Radius option in the Options bar itself that determines the ‘roundness’ of the corners.

Figure 5 The shape tool options include the following modifying modes. From the top: the default 'New Layer' mode for always adding a new shape layer. The 'Combine Shapes' mode allows you to draw a shape and add to the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Subtract Front Shape' mode allows you to draw a shape and subtract from an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Intersect Shape Areas' mode allows you to draw a shape and intersect the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Exclude Overlapping Shapes will do the inverse and allows you to draw a shape such that you end up combining one shape/path with another, but exlude the overlap area with an exisiting path or shape layer.

Ellipse shape tool

The shape tools allow you to add graphic shapes in the form of a filled layer with a vector mask, a solid fill, or as a path outline. Using the shape tools you can draw rectangular, rounded rectangular, elliptical, polygon, line or custom shapes.

The shape tool modes include a Shape mode (shown selected in Figure 6) which will create filled shape layers. Alternatively, there is a Paths mode available from this menu which can be used to create a pen path based on the shape tool settings. Also, a Pixels mode which can be used to simply draw a shape and fill with the current foreground color.

Figure 6 The elliptical shape tool options bar showing the elliptical shape tool geometry options. This will offer several choices. You can have the default unconstrained option which will allow you to define an elliptical shape using any size or proportions that you like. Or you can select the Circle option to constrain the proportions to a circle. The Fixed Size option can be used to create elliptical shapes of an exact size, which could be useful if creating a series of circles that must match in size exactly. When this option is selected, just click to add a new shape. And there is a Proportional option that will allow you to constrain an elliptical shape to a specific aspect ratio. The From Center checkbox will force the elliptical shape drawing to draw from the center outwards.

Figure 7 The shape tool options include the following modifying modes. From the top: the default 'New Layer' mode for always adding a new shape layer. The 'Combine Shapes' mode allows you to draw a shape and add to the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Subtract Front Shape' mode allows you to draw a shape and subtract from an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Intersect Shape Areas' mode allows you to draw a shape and intersect the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Exclude Overlapping Shapes will do the inverse and allows you to draw a shape such that you end up combining one shape/path with another, but exlude the overlap area with an exisiting path or shape layer.

Polygon shape tool

The shape tools allow you to add graphic shapes in the form of a filled layer with a vector mask, a solid fill, or as a path outline. Using the shape tools you can draw rectangular, rounded rectangular, elliptical, polygon, line or custom shapes.

The shape tool modes include a Shape mode (shown selected in Figure 8) which will create filled shape layers. Alternatively, there is a Paths mode available from this menu which can be used to create a pen path based on the shape tool settings. Also, a Pixels mode which can be used to simply draw a shape and fill with the current foreground color.

Figure 8 The Polygon Shape tool Options bar. The Polygon geometry shape options include options to add smooth corners and also to create an inverted ‘star’ polygon shape with optional smooth indents.

Figure 9 The shape tool options include the following modifying modes. From the top: the default 'New Layer' mode for always adding a new shape layer. The 'Combine Shapes' mode allows you to draw a shape and add to the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Subtract Front Shape' mode allows you to draw a shape and subtract from an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Intersect Shape Areas' mode allows you to draw a shape and intersect the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Exclude Overlapping Shapes will do the inverse and allows you to draw a shape such that you end up combining one shape/path with another, but exlude the overlap area with an exisiting path or shape layer.

Line tool

The line shape tool can be used to create single pixel or wider lines. The line tool modes include a Shape mode (as selected in Figure 10), which will create a line shape layer. Alternatively, there is a Paths mode available from this menu which can be used to create a pen path based on the line tool settings. Also, a Pixels mode which can be used to simply draw a line filled with the current foreground color.

To constrain the drawing angle by 45 degree increments, hold down the key. If you click on the line tool options button this will reveal the Arrowheads options (as shown below in Figure 10). These will allow you to add arrowheads to a line shape and customize the appearance and proportions of the arrowheads. For example, you can have an arrowhead appear at the beginning of a line, at the end, or add arrowheads to both ends.

Figure 10 The line tool Options bar. The line tool Arrowheads options will let you add and define the proportions and appearance of arrowheads that can be added to any line shape.

Figure 11 The shape tool options include the following modifying modes. From the top: the default 'New Layer' mode for always adding a new shape layer. The 'Combine Shapes' mode allows you to draw a shape and add to the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Subtract Front Shape' mode allows you to draw a shape and subtract from an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Intersect Shape Areas' mode allows you to draw a shape and intersect the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Exclude Overlapping Shapes will do the inverse and allows you to draw a shape such that you end up combining one shape/path with another, but exlude the overlap area with an exisiting path or shape layer.

Custom shape tool

The shape tools allow you to add graphic shapes in the form of a filled layer with a vector mask, a solid fill, or as a path outline. Using the shape tools you can draw rectangular, rounded rectangular, elliptical, polygon, line or custom shapes.

The shape tool modes include a Shape mode (shown selected in Figure 1) which will create a filled shape layer. Alternatively, there is a Paths mode available from this menu which can be used to create a pen path based on the shape tool settings. Also, a Pixels mode which can be used to simply draw a shape and fill with the current foreground color.

You can also import custom shapes from vector graphics, such as a regularly used company logo, and store these as Shape presets using the Shape Picker menu in the custom shape tool options panel or via the Photoshop Edit menu Preset Manager (see Figure 14 below).

Figure 12 The Custom Shape tool Options panel. If you go to the custom shape picker menu you will see there are a few shapes there that can get you started. But if you go to the shape picker menu options you can load a whole lot of extra shape designs and add these to the shapes picker list.

Figure 13 The shape tool options include the following modifying modes. From the top: the default 'New Layer' mode for always adding a new shape layer. The 'Combine Shapes' mode allows you to draw a shape and add to the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Subtract Front Shape' mode allows you to draw a shape and subtract from an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Intersect Shape Areas' mode allows you to draw a shape and intersect the area of an exisiting path or shape layer. The 'Exclude Overlapping Shapes will do the inverse and allows you to draw a shape such that you end up combining one shape/path with another, but exlude the overlap area with an exisiting path or shape layer.

Figure 14 If you go to the Edit menu and choose Preset Manager… this will open the Preset Manager dialog shown here, where you can manage all your various presets, including the custom shapes presets.

Figure 15 You can save a path outline as a new custom shape by making the path outline active and going to the Edit menu and choosing Define Custom Shape… This opens the Shape Name dialog shown here. Enter a name for the shape and click OK. This then appends the new shape to the Custom Shapes list and will also appear listed in the custom shape tool options custom shape picker menu.