Part IV - Odds & Ends
Like Shift, another control useful across the board in Photoshop is Alt when you want to duplicate an image, selection or workpath.
To copy a shape on the same Paths palette layer, simply activate the entire workpath and click on it with the direct select tool. Hold down Alt so a plus sign appears beside the arrow and then, still holding down the mouse button, drag in any direction a tiny bit before releasing Alt. Even if you can’t see it very well, a second shape that exactly duplicates the first is now active and can be pulled around freely as long as you still have the entire shape selected.
To put this new shape on its own layer in the Paths palette, drag the existing Path layer onto the new layer icon and delete the unwanted shape (if necessary).
Above and beyond basics of workpaths covered in this tutorial are functions found in the Photoshop CS2 workpath menus, which can be accessed by right clicking when using either the direct select or pen tool or right clicking on a layer or icon in the Paths palette.
Some functions are fairly obvious, but others are worth experimenting with if you’ve got time on your hands or want to fine tune the behavior of workpaths. One I do suggest trying is Free Transform. Selecting this function will allow access to yet another menu, which can be brought up by right clicking once again. A full range of transform options will become available.
Describing all the things the pen tool can do would push the limits of this guide, which is intended only to provide a good foundation for the tool’s mechanics. I will point out, however, that when the pen tool is selected you will see the following menu appear on the Photoshop title bar.
Some of it we’ve seen before - there’s the default pen tool and the freeform pen tool - the rest of it actually more closely resembles the Shape tool menu or the Marquee menu; unsurprisingly, these various functions work pretty much the same way on the pen tool. Again, it’s worth experimenting a little just to know what options are out there, but don’t get overwhelmed by them all. As I said at the very beginning of this guide, Photoshop offers many ways of accomplishing the same task and none is necessarily better than any other.
