Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Design Professional

1
Chapter 11
Using Clipping Groups, Paths, Shapes
2
Chapter Lessons

• Introduction
• Use a clipping group as a mask
• Use pen tools to create and modify a path
• Work with shapes
• Convert paths and selections

3
Shape Types
Introduction

• Shape
• Vector object
• Keeps crisp appearance when resized, edited,
  moved, reshaped, or copied
• Rasterized Shape
• Converted into bitmapped object that cannot be
  moved or copied
• Uses smaller file size
• Disadvantage is that a bitmapped object is
  resolution dependent

4
Working with Shapes
Introduction

• Add a pre-designed shape
• Ellipse
• Circle
• Rectangle
• Create a unique shape using a pen tool

5
Defining Clipping Masks and Paths
Introduction

• Clipping Mask
• Create an effect in which the bottom layer acts
  as a mask for all other layers in the group
• Paths
• One or more straight or curved line segments
  connected by anchor points
• Use to turn an area defined within an object into
  a separate individual object
• Paths can be either open or closed

6
Paths
Introduction

• Open
• Two distinct endpoints anchor points at each end
  of the open path
• An example is an individual line
• Closed
• One continuous path without endpoints
• An example is a circle

• Path component
• Consists of one or more anchor points joined by
  line segments
• Clipping path
• Extract a Photoshop object from within a layer
• Place it in another program such as Adobe
  Illustrator
• Retain its transparent background

7
Creating Paths
Introduction

• Use the Pen tool or the Freeform Pen tool
• Draw a path by placing anchor points along the
  edge of another image or wherever required to
  draw a specific shape
• Paths are stored on the Paths panel

8
Clipping Mask Effect
Lesson 1 Use a Clipping Group as a Mask

• Isolate an area and make images outside the area
  transparent

Image of the roses is masked by text
9
Clipping Mask Process
Lesson 1 Use a Clipping Group as a Mask

• Rasterize the type or shape layer
• Change the vector graphic into a bitmapped object
  made up of colored pixels
• Use a Transform command to reshape layer contents
• Create the clipping mask

10
Transform Commands
Lesson 1 Use a Clipping Group as a Mask
Scale Changes the image size
Rotate Allows rotation 360
Skew Stretches an image horizontally or vertically cannot exceed image boundary
Distort Stretches an image horizontally or vertically can exceed image boundary
Perspective Changes opposite sides of an image equally
Rotate 180 Rotate image 180 clockwise
Rotate 90 CW Rotate image 90 clockwise
Rotate 90 CCW Rotate image 90 counter-clockwise
Flip Horizontal Produce a mirror image
Flip Vertical Produce an upside-down image
11
Transform Examples
Lesson 1 Use a Clipping Group as a Mask
12
Using Transform Commands
Lesson 1 Use a Clipping Group as a Mask

• After selecting a transform command, a bounding
  box is displayed around the object
• Contains handles used to modify the selection
• Reference point is located in the center of the
  bounding box
• Point around which transform command takes place

13
Use Pen Shape Tools
Lesson 2 Use Pen Tools to Create and Modify a
Path

• Tools used to create a path
• Pen tool Creates curved or straight line
  segments
• Freeform Pen tool Creates unique shapes
• Magnetic Pen tool Lets the tool find an
  objects edge

• Tools used to modify a path
• Add Anchor Point tool Adds an anchor point to
  an existing path or shape
• Delete Anchor Point tool Removes an anchor
  points from an existing path or shape
• Convert Point tool Converts a smooth point to a
  corner point and a corner point to a smooth point

14
Creating a Path
Lesson 2 Use Pen Tools to Create and Modify a
Path

• Paths are saved with the image they were created
  in and stored in the Paths panel
• Create a path based on an existing object
• OR
• Create a shape with a pen tool

15
Creating a Closed Path
Lesson 2 Use Pen Tools to Create and Modify a
Path

• Position the pointer on top of the first anchor
  point
• A small circle appears next to the pointer
  (indicates that the path will be closed when the
  pointer is clicked)

16
Modifying a Path
Lesson 2 Use Pen Tools to Create and Modify a
Path

• Establish a path and then embellish it and
  convert it into a selection
• Examples
• Add more width or more curves to an existing path
• Fill a path with the foreground color

17
Selecting a Path
Lesson 2 Use Pen Tools to Create and Modify a
Path

• Use the Direct Selection tool to select a path
• Manipulate individual anchor points without
  affecting the entire path

18
Moving, Adding, Deleting, and Converting an
Anchor Point
Lesson 2 Use Pen Tools to Create and Modify a
Path

• Moving
• Force the two line segments on either side of the
  anchor point to shrink or grow by moving the
  anchor point
• Move individual line segments to new locations
• Shorten or elongate direction handles to adjust
  the amount of curve or length of a line segment

• Adding and Deleting
• Split an existing line segment into two to
  produce more sides to an object
• Remove anchor points to straighten a bumpy path
• Converting
• Convert corner points into smooth points
• Convert smooth points into corner points

19
Using Shape Tools
Lesson 3 Working with Shapes

• Choose one of six shape tools to create a shape
• Three buttons appear on the left side of the
  options bar
• Shape layers button
• Paths button
• Fill pixels button
• Vector Data
• Shapes and paths contain vector data
• They do not lose their crisp appearance when
  resized or reshaped

20
Creating a Rasterized Shape
Lesson 3 Working with Shapes

• Select or create a non-vector-based layer
• Select the shape required
• Click the Fill pixels button on the options bar

• Change the blending mode to alter how the shape
  affects existing pixels in the image
• Change the opacity setting to make the shape more
  transparent or opaque
• Use the anti-aliasing option to blend pixels on
  the shapes edge with surrounding pixels

21
Creating 3D Shapes
Lesson 3 Working with Shapes

• Use Advanced 3D panel
• Click 3D menu, point to New Shape from Layer,
  then click Shape

22
Converting Paths and Selections
Lesson 4 Convert Paths and Selections

• Convert a selection into a path to use
• Clipping paths
• Other path features
• How
• Create the selection? click the Make work path
  from selection button on the Paths panel

• Convert a Path into a Selection
• How
• Select a path on the Paths panel ?Click the Load
  path as selection button on the Paths panel