What is a shape layer?

When you draw a shape on a layer and I mean a shape of a circle, a square or I do not know what all you can draw, you better make use of a shape layer.

A shape in a shape layer is always vector based. Which means you can change the size of a shape without losing the quality.

This is certainly not the case with a bitmap image or rather a picture.

A shape layer is a layer on which you have drawn a shape.

To create a shape layer, you use a shape tool (1) or a pen tool.

In both cases, select the “Shape Layer” (2) in the options bar.

Shape layer consists of a fill layer (3), with which the color of the shape is defined and an associated vector mask (4), with which the outline of the shape is defined.

When the vector mask (4) is selected, there is an outline around the mold. If you do not wish to see this in the image, click the icon of the vector mask to deselect it.

The outline of a shape is called a path in the palette and it is displayed in the “Paths” (5).

To change the color of a shape, double click the fill layer (3) or click the “Color” (9) in the options bar. To add a style, click the downward pointing arrow next to the “Style” (10) in the options bar and choose a style.

If you wish to change the the size of the shape, click the shortcut Ctrl + T on your keyboard and click and drag the handles on the edge of the shape.

If you want to change the look of the shape, select the “Direct Selection” tool (6) in the tool bar, click on the edge of the shape (7) and click and drag the handles (8) that appear on the edge of the mold.

We can customize the transparency of the mold in the shape layer with the “Opacity” (11).

If you wish to modify the blending mode of the shape layer, click the downward pointing arrow in the “Blend Mode” (12). But more about the different blending modes in a later lesson.

If you wish to add a “Layer Style” to a shape layer, click the “Add a Layer Style” button (13) at the bottom of the “Layers” panel. But more on that later.

Custom shape

Besides the traditional shapes such as rectangles and circles, we have yet another kind of shape in Photoshop, namely the modified shape.
The option “Custom shape” already has a number of standard forms, which we can use to draw pictures. In addition, we also have the option to design a shape ourself and subsequently add it to the list of different shapes.

To draw a custom shape, first select the “Custom Shape” tool (1) in the toolbar. If you can not see it, this tool is located under the “Rectangle”.

Then click the downward pointing arrow (2) next to the “Shape” box in the options bar.

This gives the shapes in the most common form, as icons again, but there are a lot more.

Just click to the right pointing arrow (3) in the upper right corner.

In the drop-down menu that appears you will see a list (4) with all the different categories of shapes.

If you set a different category, you will be asked whether you want to replace the present shapes by the newly selected category of shapes.

Click the “Yes” button if this is so.

To enlarge the window, in which the icons are located (5), click and drag the bottom right corner of this window to bottom. This way you can see all the different shapes that are in the category and you do not have to scroll with the scroll bar.

Choose a shape, give it a color or style in the options bar, click and drag in the photo on this drawing.

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