At this point, they click again and drag now a path appears, but it is totally not where they expect it to appear. They are surprised when a path does not appear onscreen instead, several handles appear. Usually, when new users select the Pen tool and try to draw with it, they click and drag it the same way they might use a normal pen on paper. After learning a few simple concepts, you'll quickly realize that anyone can use the Pen tool. Additionally, if you give yourself a chance, you'll see that there's a method to the madness. You can use the Pen tool to tweak any vector path to create the exact shape you need, at any time. Although the Pen tool first appeared in Illustrator, you'll now find it in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Flash if you know how to use it in Illustrator, you can use it in the other applications as well. Learning how to use the Pen tool reaps numerous rewards. In truth, the Pen tool feels more like an engineer's tool rather than an artist's tool.īut don't let this prevent you from learning to use it. In fact, when the Pen tool was introduced in the first version of Illustrator in 1987, word had it that John Warnock, the brain and developer behind Illustrator, was the only one who really knew how to use it. Traditionally, Illustrator's Pen tool has frustrated many users who have tried their hand at creating vector paths. Just the mention of the Pen tool sends shivers down the spines of designers throughout the world. At first, it might seem like these all perform the same functions, but upon closer inspection, you'll find each has its use. Illustrator contains a range of tools that you can use to fine-tune paths and edit anchor points. You can learn to master every shape tool in Illustrator, but if you don't have the ability to create and edit individual anchor points, you'll find it difficult to design freely. What you're left with is the basis of all things vector-the anchor point. Look past the veneer of both print and Web graphics. Ignore the endless range of gradients and colors. Whether it's the mystifying Pen tool, the Live Paint feature that allows you to edit and color vector objects more freely, or the dependable Pathfinder and path functions that have helped make Illustrator so powerful over the years, this chapter reveals the true art of the vector path. Illustrator comes with a variety of tools and functions, each with its own strengths and uses. The true power of Illustrator is that you can use it to create custom shapes as you need them-this allows you to tweak a design to perfection. Drawing rectangles, ovals, and stars is nice, but that's not why you use Adobe Illustrator.

Convert anchor point tool illustrator