Paths and the Pen tool

Updated 2026-10-09

The Pen tool (P) draws paths made of anchor points joined by straight lines or smooth curves. A path can become a shape layer, a selection or a vector mask, and stays editable.

Drawing with the Pen tool

Click to place a corner point.
Click and drag to place a smooth point; the drag pulls out its curve handles.
Click the first point to close the path. Press Enter or Esc to finish an open path.
Backspace removes the last point while you draw.
Points snap to guides, the grid and other layers when snapping is on.

Shape or path

In the options bar, Shape mode turns each finished path into a shape layer, filled (and optionally stroked) with the Shape tool's colours. Path mode adds it to the work path instead: an outline that isn't a layer, saved with the project, that you can turn into a selection, a mask or a shape later.

Editing points

The Direct Selection tool (A) edits the active path shape, its vector mask and the work path:

Drag a point to move it, or drag a curve handle; Alt-drag a handle to move it on its own.
Alt-click a point to switch it between corner and smooth.
Drag a line between points to move that whole part of the path.
Delete removes the selected point; the arrow keys nudge it (Shift: 10 px).

Paths and selections

Select → Make Selection from Path (Cmd/Ctrl+Enter) turns the work path into a smooth selection. Overlapping parts of a path cut holes.
Select → Make Work Path from Selection… traces a selection into a path. A lower tolerance follows the selection more closely.

Vector masks

With a work path, Layer → Add Vector Mask from Path hides the active layer outside the path. The mask moves with the layer and can be edited with Direct Selection.

Limitations

Photoshop vector masks and shape layers open as vector masks and path shapes; exported PSDs keep vector masks, but shapes become pixels.
Only one work path is kept per document (there is no Paths panel yet).