Tutorials - Editing a vector shape in Photoshop

Imagine your computer screen as a grid of tiny little squares. These are called pixels. Paint programs like MS Paint, Paintshop Pro, or Photoshop let you draw on your screen by changing pixels one by one as you go over them with your mouse cursor. To change a line you've drawn, you need to draw over it, or erase it - either way, you're still changing the image pixel by pixel.

Vector editing works quite differently.
Instead of drawing a line of pixels, you create a line with points (or nodes) on it. This line is called a bezier curve.

Some programs, like Paintshop Pro, and Photoshop, allow you to edit vectors, as well as pixels.
This tutorial focuses on editing a vector shape with Photoshop.

 

Open a new document

Use the shape tool in your toolbox - choose circle from the options, and click and drag to create your shape.

Go to your paths window. Click on the new path "Shape 1 Clipping Path"

In your tools palette, choose the 'Direct selection tool'. Click anywhere on the outside rim of the circle and you will see that 'nodes' or appear.

'Node' means a point of no movement... ie the place where the curve of your object changes.

Click in the centre of one of the nodes, and drag. Notice that the curves stay the same to either side, but move with the point.

The line that runs through the node with control points on either end will change the way your shape curves at that point. Click on one of the ends of the line and drag... observe what happens. You can pull the control point closer to the node, creating a sharper curve, or pull it away, creating a looser curve.

You'll notice that moving one control point, moves the other. They remain 180 degrees apart.

To convert a node form a curving point into a corner, select the Convert Point tool (in the Pen tool list), and click on the node.

To convert the node back into a curve, click with the Convert Point tool in the middle of the node and drag outwards. Your control points will reappear.

If you'd like to learn more about using vectors, please visit AmAlAd's Web Advice.