Editing Paths in Photoshop

Often, it is easier and less time consuming to try to get a reasonably decent, but not perfect path with the Pen tool. Then after you’ve got that, go back and edit your path for more accuracy. And while following the Eyeball-It-Then-Fix-It strategy is valuable any time in your Photoshop career, it is especially true when you’re first learning to use the Pen tool.

Photoshop offers you a bevy of editing tools that can make your path repair a snap. These tools even share the same flyout menu as the Pen tool. In addition, the arrow tools, which Adobe calls the Path Selection and Direct Selection tools, are also extremely helpful when it comes to finetuning your path. In fact, you may find, like I do, that the Direct Selection tool is one of your favorite tools — so simple to use, yet so functional.

To edit a path, follow these steps:

1. If you can’t see the path you want to edit, select the path in the Paths palette.
This activates the path.

2. To see the individual anchor points so that you can edit them, select the Direct Selection tool (remember, it’s the white arrow). Click anywhere along the path.
You should now see the individual anchor points and segments that comprise the path. Most of the anchor points, if not all, will be hollow because they are unselected.

3. If you need to move an anchor point, click it with the Direct Selection tool.
When selected, the point becomes solid. Drag to move the anchor point. If you need to, you can move a curved or straight segment in the same fashion.

4. If you’re in need of some major repair and need to move an entire path, use the Path Selection tool (the black arrow).
You can also select multiple paths by pressing the Shift key while clicking the paths.

If you move any part of the path beyond the boundary of the image canvas, it is still available — just not visible. Use the Zoom tool to zoom out until you see the hidden portion of the path.

5. Manipulate the direction lines to change the shape of the curve. First, click the anchor point of the curve to select it. Then click and drag the direction point going the same direction as the bump.
By lengthening or shortening the direction line, you can control how steep or flat the curve is. By rotating the direction line, you change the slope of the curve.

-->To add an anchor point in your path, use the Add Anchor Point tool. Click in the path where you need an anchor point. This tool always adds a smooth point, no matter where you click.

--> To delete an anchor point, select the Delete Anchor Point tool, position the cursor over the anchor point you no longer need, and click it. The anchor point disappears while keeping your path intact.

-->To convert an anchor point from smooth to corner or vice versa, select the Convert Point tool.
Position your cursor on your desired anchor point. If the anchor point is a corner point, drag away from the anchor point to create the direction lines that create a smooth point. If the point is a smooth point, simply click and release on the anchor point to convert it into a corner point. To convert a smooth point to a cusp point, make sure the direction lines are showing and then drag a direction line to break it into independent direction lines. And finally, to convert a cusp point back to a smooth point, just drag out from the anchor point.

-->To copy a path, first select it with the Path Selection tool. Then press Alt (Option on the Mac) and drag away from the path. As you drag, you will carry a copied path with you, while leaving the original path intact. Note that you can drag a copied path onto another image window as well as within the same image.

-->To delete a path, select the path with the Path Selection tool and press the Backspace key (Delete key on the Mac). You can also select a point on the path with the Direct Selection tool and press Backspace
(Delete on the Mac) twice.