Just as you can fill and stroke selections, you also can fill and stroke paths. These capabilities enable you to create pixel shapes that take advantage of the powerful vector-oriented features of the Path tools. For example, you can use the Pen to create complex paths to form shapes and then rescale the shapes to your heart’s content. Then, when you’re ready, convert shapes to pixels or make an outline of the shape by using the fill and stroke features.
Filling a path
To fill a path with a color, follow these steps:
1. From the Layers palette, select the image layer you want to fill.
You must choose a layer other than a type layer or layer mask.
2. In the Paths palette, select the path you want to fill.
3. Choose the foreground color you want to fill the path with.
4. To fill the path by using the current setting, click the Fill Path button in the Paths palette. You then can skip the remaining step.
To fill the path by using different settings, open the Fill Path dialog box by using one of the following methods:
- Hold down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac) while clicking the Fill Path button.
- Drag the path to the Fill Path button while holding down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac).
- Choose Fill Path from the palette menu.
5. In the Fill Path dialog box, enter or change settings to meet your needs.
In addition to the regular Fill dialog box options (see “Filling Options and Tips,” earlier in this chapter), check out these bonus settings:
- Use: This option enables you to pick a fill color, pattern, or history state. You can select the current foreground or background colors, color, black, 50 percent gray, white, a pattern, or the area the path encompasses in its currently selected state in the History palette. (For more on the History palette. If you select Pattern, you can choose a pattern from the Custom Pattern menu. If you choose Color, the Color Picker appears, enabling you to select your desired color.
- Blending: This option enables you to choose a blending mode and opacity; you can also decide whether to protect transparent pixels within the path while you’re filling it with color.
- Rendering: With this option, you can choose a feathering radius to fade out the color of the fill at the edges of the path; you can also decide whether you want to smooth out the edges by using anti-aliasing options.
Stroking a path
Stroking a path produces quite a different result than stroking a selection — even if the selection is the same shape as the path. That’s because when you stroke a selection, you always use a simple, solid line. On the other hand, when you stroke a path, you can use any of the drawing or painting tools, such as the Pencil, Brush, Smudge, or any of the other tools that use a brush tip. If you want to add some flair to the outline of a shape, stroking a path is the way to go. Aside from this visible difference, stroking a path outline is otherwise similar to filling a path. Just follow these steps:
1. From the Layers palette, select the image layer you want to contain the stroked path.
As with filling a path, you must choose a layer other than a type layer or layer mask.
2. In the Paths palette, select the path you want to stroke.
3. Choose the foreground color you want to use to stroke the path.
4. Choose the painting tool you’d like to use to stroke the path.
5. Select the brush size, mode, opacity, flow, or other parameters for that painting tool.
6. Stroke the path by using any of these methods:
- Click the Stroke Path button at the bottom of the Paths palette.
This strokes the path using the current settings of the Stroke Path dialog box. You can click more than once; each click reapplies the stroke, making a partially transparent stroke more opaque and thicker.
- Choose Stroke Path from the Paths palette menu to enter changes in the Stroke Path dialog box. You can specify a different drawing/painting tool, and select the Simulate Pressure option, which varies the width of the stroke.
- Hold down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac) while clicking the Stroke Path button to access the Stroke Path dialog box.
- Drag the path to the Stroke Path button while holding down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac) to access the Stroke Path dialog box.
Filling a path
To fill a path with a color, follow these steps:
1. From the Layers palette, select the image layer you want to fill.
You must choose a layer other than a type layer or layer mask.
2. In the Paths palette, select the path you want to fill.
3. Choose the foreground color you want to fill the path with.
4. To fill the path by using the current setting, click the Fill Path button in the Paths palette. You then can skip the remaining step.
To fill the path by using different settings, open the Fill Path dialog box by using one of the following methods:
- Hold down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac) while clicking the Fill Path button.
- Drag the path to the Fill Path button while holding down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac).
- Choose Fill Path from the palette menu.
5. In the Fill Path dialog box, enter or change settings to meet your needs.
In addition to the regular Fill dialog box options (see “Filling Options and Tips,” earlier in this chapter), check out these bonus settings:
- Use: This option enables you to pick a fill color, pattern, or history state. You can select the current foreground or background colors, color, black, 50 percent gray, white, a pattern, or the area the path encompasses in its currently selected state in the History palette. (For more on the History palette. If you select Pattern, you can choose a pattern from the Custom Pattern menu. If you choose Color, the Color Picker appears, enabling you to select your desired color.
- Blending: This option enables you to choose a blending mode and opacity; you can also decide whether to protect transparent pixels within the path while you’re filling it with color.
- Rendering: With this option, you can choose a feathering radius to fade out the color of the fill at the edges of the path; you can also decide whether you want to smooth out the edges by using anti-aliasing options.
Stroking a path
Stroking a path produces quite a different result than stroking a selection — even if the selection is the same shape as the path. That’s because when you stroke a selection, you always use a simple, solid line. On the other hand, when you stroke a path, you can use any of the drawing or painting tools, such as the Pencil, Brush, Smudge, or any of the other tools that use a brush tip. If you want to add some flair to the outline of a shape, stroking a path is the way to go. Aside from this visible difference, stroking a path outline is otherwise similar to filling a path. Just follow these steps:
1. From the Layers palette, select the image layer you want to contain the stroked path.
As with filling a path, you must choose a layer other than a type layer or layer mask.
2. In the Paths palette, select the path you want to stroke.
3. Choose the foreground color you want to use to stroke the path.
4. Choose the painting tool you’d like to use to stroke the path.
5. Select the brush size, mode, opacity, flow, or other parameters for that painting tool.
6. Stroke the path by using any of these methods:
- Click the Stroke Path button at the bottom of the Paths palette.
This strokes the path using the current settings of the Stroke Path dialog box. You can click more than once; each click reapplies the stroke, making a partially transparent stroke more opaque and thicker.
- Choose Stroke Path from the Paths palette menu to enter changes in the Stroke Path dialog box. You can specify a different drawing/painting tool, and select the Simulate Pressure option, which varies the width of the stroke.
- Hold down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac) while clicking the Stroke Path button to access the Stroke Path dialog box.
- Drag the path to the Stroke Path button while holding down the Alt key (Option key on the Mac) to access the Stroke Path dialog box.
Filling and Stroking Paths in Photoshop
![Filling and Stroking Paths in Photoshop]()
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