Working with Shapes on Photoshop
In addition to the Pen tool, there is one other tool capable of drawing paths, and that is the Shape tool (left). Just as the Pen tool is like the path equivalent of the Lasso, the Shape tool is like the path equivalent of the Marquee...but with much more flexibility. Open a new image and select the Rectangle tool. Use it to draw a rectangle exactly as if using the Rectangular Marquee tool. When you release the mouse button, the tool will automatically create a vector mask in the shape of the rectangle you drew. This vector mask is linked to a new fill layer that is automatically filled with the foreground color, as you can see if you look at the Layers palette (right). Like the paths drawn with the Pen tool, the paths drawn with the Shape tool can also be manipulated with the Path tool. For example, you can select and drag the anchor points with the Direct Selection tool to alter the shape of the rectangle (left). Changing the path changes the vector mask. The menu bar for the Shape
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