Pen tool for selecting something instead of lasso tool

RS
Posted By
Reza_Saheban
Jun 15, 2004
Views
307
Replies
3
Status
Closed
Hi
Suppose I open a picture from Tennis match and I want to select the tennis player. Usually I use lasso tool, but I’ve seen someone who used pen tool. How can I select a part of a picture (here tennis player) with pen tool? The problem is when you use pen tool inside of pen tool is filled with foreground or background color, and I don’t know how to move the shape and put it into another layer with pen tool as well. Could you direct me?

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John Mensinger
Jun 15, 2004
Reza,

After selecting the Pen tool, look at the options bar, (assuming you’re using PS7 or CS). The first grouping of three buttons are used to select "Shape Layers," "Paths," or "Fill Pixels." Choose Paths, then use the Pen tool to trace around your subject, creating a closed vector path.

The points and curves of the path can be adjusted afterward using the Direct Selection Tool, (white arrow in the flyout above the Pen tool), if necessary.

In the Paths Palette, the path can then be saved as a clipping path or converted to a selection.
PC
Philo_Calhoun
Jun 15, 2004
If you use the path menu to select "new path", it won’t try to create a shape layer when you start using the pen tool.
RS
Reza_Saheban
Jun 15, 2004
Thanks,I have another question. In PS it seems there is no difference when you make a point (dot) then another point via the pen tool compared to when you make a point then put your pen on the last point to put another point.Did you understand it? In Freehand when you put a point with pen you have two choices 1. to put the next point on the previous point and continue as this or put the next point somewhere else (not on the previous point).There will be a great difference between these two ways(in Freehand) and usually for sophisticated shapes sometimes we need to put a point on the previous point to follow the shape better.I don’t see such a thing in PS.It seems there is no difference to put the points on the previous ones or put them on an empty space (not on the previous points).Am I right and this is a disadvantage of pen tool of PS compared to Freehand?

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