Draw a Staight Line With the Pen Tool in Illustrator

Using the Pen Tool is the well-nig direct way to create vector shapes and paths in Illustrator. Employment these 5 essential tips to get the most out of it.

Wrap up image via Abscent

The Pen Tool around is one of the foundational tools of Illustrator. While the program has many ways to create and set shapes and paths, when information technology comes to drawing custom vectors or tracing sketches there's no better tool.

In this overview we'll consider the versatility of the Pen Tool and explore some ways to use it at a Thomas More civilized level for creating and editing paths.

1. Basic Drawing: Points, Angles, and Straight Lines

Straight-line paths are simple and require nothing to a higher degree clicking to plant anchor points. This will create angled lines and polygonal shapes.

Take the Pen Tool from the tool bar or hit P happening the keyboard. Click on the canvas where you want the path to start, and so click once more where you want the path to change counseling. Continue doing this for a multi-angled path.

To make a bod, click on the starting point to close the route. If you hover the cursor over the starting point, a circle will appear. In a shape with a dole out of points this is how you can tell which is the starting point of a path.

Tiptoe: To pee-pee undiluted 90° or 45° angles, hold Shift while positioning the next vector point. This will lock the pointer along one of those angles.

2. Drawing Curves

The Pen Tool also makes the best sweeping curves. You fundament exactly insure the curves with the handles along the vector point.

When drawing a curve, click to add a point and get behind in the direction you would wish to the curl to extend. This volition prolong bezier handles to the opposite counseling as well, affecting the way of life behind the vector point. This creates a smooth curve.

To absolute a physical body, click rear to the starting vector spot. To curve the path bum it, sink in and drag the cursor. The original transmitter will retain its old set out and path.

Tip: By victimisation hot-keys with the Pen Tool active, you can temporarily access separate tools. Coif this to alter curved paths, alteration a vector point to a curve transmitter point, operating theater add/delete points on a path.

3.Direct Selection Tool

To access the Direct Selection Tool (Caucasoid arrow), hold the Command key. With this tool active you can move points surgery their bezier handles or exchange the counselling of a path.

• To move a vector point: Click on the shape to see the vector points, then click on a vector point to exchange it to solo mode. Pawl and sweep up to move IT around without affecting the rest of the points.
• To change a route: With the shape selected, simply click and drag a path to vary IT. Just be aware that this will affect how the vectors attached to the path behave, thus changing the paths on the unusual sides of the one you select.

4. Anchor Point Tool

Use the Anchor Degree tool to directly alter and change the doings of transmitter points. With the Pen Tool selected, keep in Option to activate the Anchor Point tool.

• Change a transmitter point style: With the path or shape selected, suction stop on a curve vector head to immediately interchange it to an angle. Detent and draw to turn an angulate point to a curved point.
• Change direction of a slue and unlock the bezier handles of a single angled point: With a single point selected, click and drag one of the handles on a vector to change the direction of a one-member path. This also breaks the lock between that handle and its twin on the other side of the vector compass point.

5. More than Tips

• To leave alone a path without committing a contour, hit Escape operating theatreEnter/Return to stop contributive to a path and start a new one.
• Click and Move allows you to move a manoeuver to a more precise stain by clicking and holding the mouse button, then holdingspacebar down As you move the point.
• The blue line that appears and changes as you build and get to vector points is called theRubber Set. To turn it off or back on, tally Command + Comma to recruit Preferences, then cluck Selection & Anchorperson Display on the left bill of fare and click the boxes adjacent to Enable Rubber Band.

This is just the beginning of the Pen tool in Illustrator. With an understanding of how to affect points, paths, and curves, you'll be able to create complete designs in no time.

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Learn more about all the other ruling tools in your contrive applications with these articles:

• Informative the Secrets of the Shapes Tool in Illustrator
• How to Use the Conjunction Menu in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
• How to Tie a Brand or Campaign Together with Centralising Design Elements
• An Easy Guide to Using Subsist Corners in Adobe Illustrator

Draw a Staight Line With the Pen Tool in Illustrator

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