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HOW TO USE THE PHOTOSHOP PEN
TOOL TO EDIT ECOMMERCE IMAGES
Learn how to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop to edit your
ecommerce images and remove the background from your images.
This step-by-step tutorial will show you how.
BECKY KILIMNIK
November 13, 2018

In this article, we’ll discuss:

The basics of the Pen Tool in Photoshop
 What is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?
 What are some common uses for the Pen Tool?
 Where is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?
 Where is the Paths Panel in Photoshop?
 Pen Tool settings overview

How to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop

 How to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop to create a path
 How to save your path
 How to modify an existing path with the Pen Tool
 How to create a selection from a path
 How to cut out an object from the background
 How to create a shape using the Pen Tool

Other Pen Tool options

 Can you use other Photoshop Pen Tools?
 Can you use a stylus with Photoshop and the Pen Tool?

What is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?

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The Pen Tool in Photoshop creates paths and shapes which can be
duplicated and manipulated to create complex selections, masks
and objects.

Unlike the Brush Tool and Pencil Tools, which “draw” pixels onto
your image, the Pen Tool always creates a vector path when used.
These paths appear as either Work Paths or Shape Paths in the
Paths Panel.
What are some common uses for the Pen
Tool?
Because you can modify, store and reuse the paths created with
the Pen Tool as often as you want, it could become your go-to tool
every time you need to remove a product image from its
background or select a portion of a product image to change its
color, for example. You can create multiple paths within an image,
and you can create multiple path segments within a path.

Shape Paths created with the Pen Tool allow you to create custom
shapes on your image which you can use to call out specific
portions of an image. Unlike shapes created with the standard
Shape Tools (such as the Rectangle Tool or Ellipse Tool), shapes
created with the Pen Tool can be manipulated any way you want.

Where is the Pen Tool in Photoshop?

By default, the Pen Tool is located in the lower half of the Toolbar. If
you click and hold on the Pen Tool in the Toolbar, you’ll see six
separate Pen Tool options in both Photoshop CC 2018 and 2019 (if
you’re using an older version of Photoshop, you may only see five
Pen Tool options).

You can also access the Pen Tool by typing “P” on your keyboard.

Where is the Paths Panel in Photoshop?

The Pen Tool and the Paths Panel go hand in hand, so Paths
should be visible when you begin to use the Pen Tool.
In the Essentials (default) workspace, Paths are accessible by
clicking on the Paths tab visible in the Layers Panel. If you don’t see
a Paths Panel in your workspace, you can access Paths by clicking
on the Windows drop-down menu and selecting Paths.

Pen Tool settings overview

In Photoshop CC 2019, there are four different Pen Tools you can
use to create a new path:

1. The standard Pen Tool

2. The Curvature Pen Tool
3. The Freeform Pen Tool
4. The Magnetic Pen Tool (only visible by adjusting the settings of
the Freeform Pen Tool)

The other Pen Tool options are the Add Anchor Point Tool, the
Delete Anchor Point Tool, and the Convert Point Tool. These tools
are used to modify an existing path.

When you access either the standard Pen Tool, the Curvature Pen
Tool or the Freeform Pen Tool, you can set your Pen Tool setting to
either Path or Shape in the options bar at the top of the application
window.

Drawing with the Pen Tool when Path is selected creates a new
Work Path that appears in the Paths Panel. Drawing with the Pen
Tool when Shape is selected creates a new Shape Path that
appears in both the Paths Panel and the Layers Panel.
When you choose Shape, you can also change a few different
settings, including stroke color, thickness and fill color of the shape.
We’ll go over the specifics of creating a shape with the Pen Tool at
the end of this article.

When you choose Path, you’ll see an icon that looks like two small
overlapping squares (this icon is also available when Shape is
chosen once you’ve already begun drawing your path). If you’re
creating an initial path to become a selection, set this option to
Combine Shapes.

You’ll see a few other icons in the options bar, but for the purposes
of this tutorial, you should leave those at their default values.

How to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop to

create a path
The standard Pen Tool allows you to create straight and curved
paths with amazing accuracy, but mastering it takes some practice.
Don’t get discouraged if it’s difficult at first. You can always adjust a
path after you create it.

To create a path that you can then use as a selection, choose the
standard Pen Tool, and then choose Path in the options bar drop-
down menu at the top of the application window.
Creating a new path with the Pen Tool
To start your path, click on your image with your mouse where you
want to begin your path. To keep things simple, choose a starting
point that is at the edge of a straight line, such as the edge of the
coffee cup in the image below.

Click again along the edge of your object with the Pen Tool to draw
the first segment of your path. You should now see a straight line
appear.

Also, note that a Work Path appears in the Paths panel as soon as
you place the second point.

Creating a curved path segment with the Pen Tool

To create a curve with the standard Pen Tool (such as the curve at
the edge of the coffee cup), click to create the next point and drag
with the Pen Tool before you release the mouse button. You’ll see
lines, called handles, appear.

These handles are tangential to the curve being formed by the path.
Moving the mouse around will adjust the handles, which will then
adjust the line’s curvature. Once you’re satisfied with the shape of
the curve, release the mouse button.
Note that the handles formed from curved line appear before and
after the point. Therefore, the next portion of the path that you draw
after creating a curved line will follow the trajectory of the handle
from the last point.

When you click the next point, drag the mouse to create new
handles and modify the curve that appears with your new point.

Creating a straight path segment after a curved

path segment with the Pen Tool
If you want to prevent the next segment of your path from curving
along the handle of your last point, you can “corner” the point by
clicking on the point with the mouse while typing ALT (OPTION on
Mac). The second handle will disappear.

The next point you set will be unaffected by the previous curve.

Closing your path with the Pen Tool

Once your path is complete, close your path by hovering the Pen
Tool over the very first point you set down. When you see a small
circle appear to the right of the Pen Tool, click on the point.
Your path will now be closed.

How to save your path

Saving your path is super important here. Without saving, you could
accidentally overwrite your hard work when you create another
path.

To save your path, go to your Paths Panel and look for a new Work
Path. Double click on Work Path to name your path and save it.

How to modify an existing path with the

Pen Tool
Once you’ve created your path, you can modify any areas that need
tweaking. It’s helpful to zoom in on different areas of your path to
ensure the path follows the object exactly.

If you don't see your path in your image, click on the path’s name in
the Paths Panel.

The path will appear in your image, and you'll be able to adjust it as
necessary.

How to add additional paths to an existing path

using the Pen Tool
In our coffee cup example, there’s a path around the outside of the
cup. But to truly isolate the cup from the background, we’ll also
need to create a path around the inside of the handle.

With the path selected in the Paths panel, select the Pen Tool from
the Toolbar. In the options bar at the top of the screen, click on the
icon that looks like two little overlapping squares, and choose
Exclude Overlapping Shapes.

While the current path is still visible, begin to draw the area that you
want to exclude from your selection with the Pen Tool. Close the
path when you’re done.

When we make a selection from our path later, the area created
with this new path will be cut out from the rest of the selection.

How to modify existing points and curves along a

path
To modify an existing point or handle on a path, find the Path
Selection tools in the Toolbar. These tools each look like an arrow,
and by default are located beneath the Type Tool in the Toolbar.

When you click on the visible Path Selection Tool, you'll see
options. Choose the Direct Selection Tool, which looks like a white
arrow.

Clicking directly on a path segment with the Direct Selection Tool

will reveal all points as white boxes, along with the handles of the
selected segment. You can use the Direct Selection Tool to drag
visible handles to adjust segment curves or move existing points.

How to add new points to a path

The Add Anchor Point Tool, accessible by clicking and holding on
the Pen Tool in the Toolbar, will add extra points along the path.

With the Add Anchor Point Tool selected, hover over the path and
click to create a new point.

Once you've set down the new point, you can use the Direct
Selection Tool to modify the point’s location or its handles.

How to remove points from a path

The Delete Anchor Point Tool, also accessible by clicking and
holding on the Pen Tool in the Toolbar, removes existing points
from the path.

With the Delete Anchor Point Tool selected, hover over an existing
point until the tool becomes visible and click. The point will
disappear, and the surrounding path segments will conjoin into one
segment.
How to use the Convert Point tool
The Convert Point Tool, accessed by clicking and holding on the
Pen Tool, allows you to manipulate handles of exiting points the
same way you would manipulate handles using the Direct Selection
Tool.

Unlike the Direct Selection Tool, however, the Convert Point Tool
does not allow you to move existing anchor points, because when
you click on a point with the Convert Point Tool, the path segments
adjacent to the point convert from straight lines to curved lines, and
vice versa.

If you click on a point that has handles with the Convert Point Tool,
the handles will disappear and the anchor point will become a
corner. If the surrounding anchor points have handles, those
handles will still continue to affect the curve of adjacent path
segments.

If you use the Convert Point Tool to click on an anchor point that
does not have handles, the point will gain handles on either side,
which you can then manipulate using the Convert Point Tool or the
Direct Selection Tool.

How to create a selection from a path

In your Paths panel, select your path. Then, click on the icon at the
bottom of the panel that looks like a circle with a dashed outline. A
selection in the shape of your path will appear in your image.
You can also create a selection with the Pen Tool. With the path
selected, and with the Pen Tool selected, click on the Selection
button next to Make: in the options bar.

A dialog box allowing you to make adjustments to the selection will

appear. If you're creating the selection in order to isolate an object
from its background, you should keep the Feather Radius at 0 and
keep Anti-Aliased checked. If this is the first selection you're
creating, the radio button next to New Selection will be selected.

Once you've created your selection, you can use the selection to
modify the color of the object or to remove the object from its
background.

How to cut out an object from the

background
Once you've created your selection from your path, you can remove
the portion of the image from its background by either copying it into
another layer, or by creating a layer mask. In order to do any of the
following methods, you must be in the layer which contains the
image you wish to isolate.

Removing a background by copying a selection

You can copy your selection by typing CTRL+C (COMMAND+C on
a Mac) and then pasting the selection by typing CTRL+V
(COMMAND+V on a Mac). Your selection will automatically appear
in a new layer. You can make your original layer invisible in the
layers panel to see the isolated object.

Removing a background by creating a layer mask

To create a layer mask, locate the Layer Mask icon. This icon is
available in both the Paths panel and the Layers panel at the
bottom of the panel and looks like a white rectangle with a circle
inside.

Click on the icon to automatically create a Layer Mask.

How to create a shape using the Pen Tool

You can designate a path to be a Shape Path before you create the
path by selecting Shape from the menu in the options bar for the
Pen Tool.

We mentioned this earlier: Next to the Shape option, you can

change the shape’s color by double-clicking on the color rectangle
next to Fill. A color menu will appear — the top bar of the color
menu allows you to change the color by choosing no fill
(transparent), a solid color, a gradient color, a pattern or a custom
color. The bottom portion of the menu shows available swatches.
You can also change the shape’s outline color by double clicking on
the color rectangle next to Stroke. And to adjust the width of the
stroke, change the width in the drop-down menu just to the right of
the Stroke’s color.

Once you have your Shape Path’s settings correct, you can draw a
shape with the Pen Tool the same way you would draw a regular
path.

When you create a shape using the Pen Tool, you automatically
create a new Layer containing that shape, as well as a Shape Path
in your Paths panel.

How to transform or scale a Shape Path

With the Shape Path selected in your Paths panel, click on the Edit
drop-down menu at the top of the screen and choose Transform
Path to access any of the transform functions. You can also choose
Free Transform Path from the Edit drop-down menu, or type
CTRL+T (COMMAND+T on a Mac) to scale or rotate your path.

You can also transform a regular path using the transform

functions, but you probably will never need to.

Can you use other Photoshop Pen Tools?

The standard Pen Tool from Photoshop offers the most control over
your path as you create it. However, one of the other Pen Tools
may be better for your project depending on your needs.

Learn about other tools in Photoshop with this beginner’s guide >

Curvature Pen Tool

The Curvature Pen Tool estimates the curve you want to create
between points without needing to click and drag. No handles are
apparent as you use the tool.

This tool is very good if you have a very uniform shape to follow,
such as an arch or a circle. Once you've created your path using
the Curvature Pen Tool, you can modify it the same way you would
a path created by the standard Pen Tool.

Freeform Pen Tool

The Freeform Pen Tool creates a path as you draw freely with your
mouse. Instead of clicking and placing points, you simply “draw”
with the Tool the same way you would draw with the Brush Tool or
the Pencil Tool.

Paths created with the Freeform Pen Tool are difficult to control and
often require ample modification after creation.

Magnetic Pen Tool

The Magnetic Pen Tool is accessed by choosing the Freeform Pen
Tool and then checking the Magnetic checkbox in the options bar.
 When you draw with this tool, Photoshop attempts to detect the
edges of an object and snap the path to those edges.

Can you use a stylus with Photoshop and

the Pen Tool?
The Pen Tool is easy to use with a stylus. When using a mouse
with the Pen Tool, you click to form a point, and click and drag to
create points with handle curves. With a stylus, you tap to form
points and tap and drag to create points with handle curves.

That’s a LOT of information to remember. Feeling overwhelmed?

You can always outsource your background removal and other
image-editing needs. Our prices start at just $0.39/image.

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Tags:

 How to,

 Image editing,

 Photoshop

BECKY KILIMNIK
Bio: With over 18 years experience as a graphic designer, Beckyis passionate
about helping people enhance their content by mastering image manipulation
software. Becky has worked with a variety of educational publishers in the U.S.
and U.K. and has taught design at six universities.
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