Custom Shapes

I know that Photoshop is supposed to be a Raster program and that there are *better* ways to do vector graphics. Yadda yadda. I personally like playing around with Photoshop’s powerful vector tools!

Once you have made a path into a Custom Shape, you can, with a click-drag of the mouse, create a new copy of that shape, in any size, color, or layer style you want, anytime and anywhere.

Let’s have a look. We’ll begin by making some stars, using the Shape tools. Then we’ll have a look at custom shapes, make a custom shape, and finally look at some ways to combine the paths of Photoshop’s built-in shapes to make new shapes!

This tutorial was written with beginners in mind. It will show some of the cool ways to use the Shape tools in Photoshop. As you work through this tutorial, you’ll learn more about these:

• Arrows, stars, and custom Shapes
• Making a Shape Path
• Creating Custom Shapes from scratch
• Saving Custom Shapes
• Making your own Shape Group
• Saving a file
• Making and naming a new layer
• Using the color picker
• Duplicating a layer
• Using some keyboard shortcuts
• Making transformations

Stars

We do stars by using the Polygon tool and one other little trick. Here we go:

1. File > New .. and make it large enough to take up most of your window. You are just going to play here a bit, so you don’t have to save this unless your teacher has asked you to.

2. Make a new layer by clicking the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.

3. Click the tiny arrow in the corner of the Shape tool button . Then choose the polygon tool.

4. In the Options bar, find the Settings gear . Click that and you’ll see your Polygon options. We’re going to be making a star, so check that box. Go on and investigate Smooth Corners and Smooth Indents while you’re here.

5. Tick off “Indent Sides” and put in a percentage. Choose a number of sides and what sort of shape you want (shape layer, shape path, or filled region) and a color. If you make a Shape Layer, you can do more finagling with it later, like changing its color (choose a new color in the Color Picker and Alt-Backspace) or changing its shape.

6. Make a new layer and then drag out your .. STAR!

Making this image with a Shape Layer affords you a myriad options. In this image to the left, I used the Direct Selection tool and, holding Shift, carefully selected the outside points.

Ctrl-T brings up the Transformation lines and I rotated till I came up with this.

By starting with an 8-pointed star and rotating every other point, I got this red design. And these are vector art, so they’re scalable.

Begin by making your star. Try do do it without looking at the preceding. Remember that a Shape Layer or a Path, either option, will give you that Path you need.

Now click Edit > Define Custom Shape. Name the shape and save.

To use the Shape, make a new layer. Choose your Custom Shape tool and find your new Shape at the very bottom.

You know how to do a Shape layer. And a Path is just a Path. Let’s do Pixels this time! At the left side of the Options Bar, where you chose Shape layer before, choose Pixels.

Drag out some stars. Right next to the Pixel choice it says “Mode.” If you put your tool into different modes (I like Difference for this) you can get some cool effects. Just remember to return your tool to Normal mode when you’re done, or you’ll later think that Photoshop has gone bonkers.

Now let’s make a Shape Group. You see now, in that listing where you found it, that there are several folders of shapes of various sorts. For your own art, make a new folder.

Right-click on any folder there and choose New Shape Group. Name the Group and then you can drag your shapes into it.

So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you can get into shapes!