Using the pen tool

Use the pen tool to create straight lines and smooth, flowing curves with great precision. The pen tool creates freeform paths made up of one or more straight or curved segments. The beginning and end of each segment are marked by control points, which work like pins holding wire in place. You change the shape of a path by editing its control points using the pen selection tool.

A path is either open, like an arc, or closed, like a circle. For an open path, the starting and ending control points for the path are called endpoints. You can control a curve by dragging its direction points at the end of direction lines. These appear at control points that form curves.


Path segments A. Selected endpoint B. Selected control point C. Curved path segment D. Direction line E. Direction point

Paths can have two kinds of control points--corner points and smooth points. At a corner point, a path abruptly changes direction. At a smooth point, path segments are connected as a continuous curve. You can draw a path using any combination of corner and smooth points. If you draw the wrong kind of point, you can always change it.


Corner and smooth points A. Four corner points B. Same point positions using smooth points C. Same point positions combining corner and smooth points

A corner point can connect any two straight or curved segments, while a smooth point always connects two curved segments.


Corner point connecting straight segments and curved segments

Related Subtopics:

Drawing straight segments
About direction lines and direction points
Drawing curved segments