How Do I Add a Line in Photoshop? Here’s How!


Adobe is constantly tweaking and upgrading all their applications. Sometimes they make a change and you can’t figure out how to do a task that you have done several times in the past. This is the case with the line tool in Photoshop. Read on to see how easy they have made it now.

To add a line in Photoshop select the Pen Tool, select Path from the Pen Tool Panel, choose fill ‘None’, Select Stroke Weight and Stroke Feature.

Completing a task is always a challenge if you don’t know how to do it. Even more of a challenge when you knew previously how to do it in Photoshop and now suddenly can’t. Let’s look at how we draw and stroke a line in Photoshop 21.

Using the Pen Tool

In the past the Pen Tool had to be allocated color and stroke weight in the Edit – Fill – Stroke. But Adobe have made an adjustment to this.

Now we select the Pen Tool from the tools Panel

Decide where you wish to start and finish your line on your artboard.

Then go to the Pen Tool Panel, usually now visible at the top of the page.

Select Shape. This will then allow you to select Fill – Stroke Color – Line Weight and also which Style of Line you require.

This is a great new feature as you can now work on other elements of your project and then go back and adjust your line weight or color.

You can do this by selecting the Layer that the line is on and Right Click, Select Blending Options

This will show you the Stroke Options Available.

Here you can adjust all the attributes for that line.

Or alternatively Select the Layer that the line is on and return to the Pen Tool. This will reactivate the Pen Tool attributes at the top of the artboard.

Other Tools

This also applies to other Tools with the same principle, Brush Tool, Bezier Tool, Curvature Tool.

With the Brush Tool, you can adjust the stroke and color by Right Clicking on the Layer and going to Blending Options as before. You can’t adjust the Stroke or color in a Brush Panel. However you can now simply Click a Dot and then Hold Shift and Click at another point on the artboard and they will join together.

Really Neat!

Bezier Tools work the same as the Pen Tool but do need some practice. Thankfully we have Ctrl Z.

The Curvature Pen is an amazing addition to the Pen Set. As you Click and then Click again a third Point appears that allows you to then curve the line to the desired shape.

Adobe always explain any new features or adjustments that they make with new releases. But graphic designers, we’re usually too busy to watch the tutorials. I know I usually am. And it’s only when we go to change or add something we realize we have to learn a new way.

Hopefully this has been helpful in learning the Photoshop Line / Pen Tool. It’s easy when you know how.

Here are some other posts that you might find useful:

Why can’t I type I Photoshop?

Tara Cunningham

My name is Tara. I am a Graphic Designer for the last 25+ years. Designing everything from Wedding stationery to Magazines. I have been using Adobe products since I was in college and know all the tips and tricks that make life a little easier when completing a project. Hopefully you will find the answer to your question on PurpleHotKeys.com

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