Pen tool - CS5

Can someone explain why the pen tool is grey (when cutting a path) and doesn't show up visually easy to see when cutting a path like it has for years in CS4 and older versions.  I remember a long time ago (years) this happened before but they sent out a patch to fix this problem. It makes it very difficult to use the pen tool in dark areas of an image.
If someone has a fix for this I'd like to heard it. Thanks

I think the Paths become more difficult to see in CS4, so is it worse in CS5? We are about to upgrade.
I would like to be able to assign a display color to a path so it would show against a neutral background.
I would also like to be able to choose to have the anchors display a little bit bigger. My eyes aren't what they used to be, Adobe give me some interface options please, to make my work easier to do.
Craig

Similar Messages

  • Problem with Pen Tool CS5

    Hi,
    I just got Photoshop CS5 and I'm having a bit of trouble with the pen tool - namely, I can't see the path I'm creating.  In CS3 I could clearly see the line between two points but in the new program the line is nearly invisible making it very difficult to create the path.  Is this a setting I can fix?
    thanks

    I was having 32 bit while I upgraded from CS3 to  CS4. The only problem with CS4 that time was with pen tool.Though I cannot precisely recall , I can say it t was very lazy and very frustrating and this was resolved totally after shifting to 64 bit.--If urs existing system is 32 bit try with 64 bit

  • Photoshop CS5 Pen tool Selection problem?

    I've been using photoshop for a while, and have never encountered this problem. I've had CS5 for about a year now and this is the first time it has done this, so hopefully someone can help me!
    When I open photoshop, everything works. I make a new layer, go to use the pen tool,  make my shape and then complete it, and the line solidifies showing its a complete shape. I right click, and select the option: Make Selection.
    Instead of turning the inside of the shape into the selected part, it selects everything outside of it!
    I can't for the life of me figure out how this started happening, as it didn't do it a few days ago. I must have hit a button or something, but its still very annoying. Hopefully someone can help! Restarting both the program and the computer, does not help.

    There's a button for that up in the options area, when a Path Tool is active.    It's been a while...  Ah, here:
    I'm betting you have the one next to it pressed.
    Look at your path icons in the PATHS panel.  If they're white inside, you're creating an enclosed path.  If they're gray inside with a white surround, you're removing a path from the surroundings.
    -Noel

  • Hello , I have installed adobe illustrator CS5 and when i open it..tool bar isnt working.. when i click at rectangle/pen tool the sub options on it dont appear though black sign comes.. am confused wat to do?? i have windows 8 as OS.. please help soonest.

    Hello ,
    I have installed adobe illustrator CS5 and when i open it..tool bar isnt working.. when i click at rectangle/pen tool the sub options on it dont appear though black sign comes.. am confused wat to do?? i have windows 8 as OS.. please help soonest.....thankyou

    charmi,
    The following is a general list of things you may try when the issue is not in a specific file (you may have tried/done some of them already); 1) and 2) are the easy ones for temporary strangenesses, and 3) and 4) are specifically aimed at possibly corrupt preferences); 5) is a list in itself, and 6) is the last resort.
    1) Close down Illy and open again;
    2) Restart the computer (you may do that up to 3 times);
    3) Close down Illy and press Ctrl+Alt+Shift/Cmd+Option+Shift during startup (easy but irreversible);
    4) Move the folder (follow the link with that name) with Illy closed (more tedious but also more thorough and reversible);
    5) Look through and try out the relevant among the Other options (follow the link with that name, Item 7) is a list of usual suspects among other applications that may disturb and confuse Illy, Item 15) applies to CC, CS6, and maybe CS5);
    Even more seriously, you may:
    6) Uninstall, run the Cleaner Tool (if you have CS3/CS4/CS5/CS6/CC), and reinstall.
    http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

  • Indesign CS5 -- Pen tool disappeared

    The pen tool is missing out of my toolbox in InDesign CS5, Windows platform. Any idea how I can get it back? I recreated the preferences when I started the program this morning, but that did not help.

    MarianSue wrote:
    Here it is...finally. Looks like there's a blank space where the pen tool should be.
    It certainly does. I've never seen that happen before, so I guess you should fell special.
    Does changing to a different workspace help?
    If not, I think maybe you should reinstall.

  • CS5 Pen Tool -- Hover +/- Disabled?

    Hi y'all--
    So, in CS5, when I hover over an anchor point my pen tool cursor no longer displays a "-" (minus) sign, nor will it allow me to delete that anchor without having to reach over with my left hand (I use pen/tablet) and hit the minus sign. Same thing for adding a point: the pen will no longer display a "+" sign when I hover over a path; I have to hit the = key (thank goodness I don't have to press shift on top of it).
    Is there some sort of option I need to select for this to work? It's a royal pain...
    Thanks for any tips you might have!

    Open Preferences and check the "automatic add/delete off" option. It should of course be deactivated for this to work

  • Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 - Pen Tool Issue

    When trying to use the pen tool to mark key frames for the opacity levels on certain clips, it will not allow me to mark them.
    For example, I imported one single clip, chopped it up on the timeline, and certain sections will not allow me to use the pen tool, but a few do.
    Any thoughts on how to fix this? I'm using CS5.

    Personally, I find this easier done in the Effects Control panel.

  • Pen Tool in CS5 only creates a path?

    The pen tool in Photoshop CS5 by default only seems to create a path. Does anyone know if there is anyway to have it create a vector shape. You know, like it always has.

    Always been the same Deano, Nothing has changed. 

  • Pen Tool in CS5

    Can anyone tell me if I can draw a shape in Photoshop CS5, using the pen tool, that has a black outline and a white/transparent centre.
    I know I can do this in Illustrator, but I can't afford both programs and would prefer to buy Photoshop.

    To get a white fill/black stroke vector object in Photoshop you'll have to draw your object as a white Shape Layer and then add a Stroke Layer Style. If you want the fill to be transparent then you'll have to change the Fill Opacity (that's Fill Opacity, not the regular Opacity) of that layer to 0%

  • Photoshop CS5 Smart objects, Pen tool, Layers.

    Hi Ive got few questions about Photoshop CS5.
    Every time I open new image in my project photoshop opens as Smart Object and I always have to Rasterize its really annoying. How to change it?
    When im using Pen tool and making selection its selects now the part which I selecte but background so I always have to inverse selection to select the part I want to its never happens in Photoshop CS3
    When im working on two different projects and I want to copy layer from one project to another how you do it?
    Thanks for your help.

    1. If your dragging or placing into the image, you can go to Edit>Preferences>General and uncheck Place or Drag Raster Images as Smart Objects.
    2. When using the Pen Tool enable Add to Path Area before drawing the path. You can change it after drawing the path by using the Path selection Tool.
    3. If your using tabs you can select the Move Tool and drag from the document area on the screen to the other tab and the other document should reveal itself.
        Another way is to right click on the layer in the layers panel, choose Duplicate Layer and then in the dialog that follows choose the document under destination.

  • CS5 Pen Tool Issues

    I use the pen tool more then almost any other tool as all images need to have a clipping path. But sometimes I get the issues where the pen tool gets stuck in "Add to Path Area (+)" instead of the normal "Exclude overlapping path area". It will get stuck randomly and will not let me change it in the tool. If I go to the path selection tool it lets me change it there but the pen tool still remains stuck. It is kind of annoying to have half the path be what I want and the other half be added so when I remove the background all the holes in the center that I have are still filled. If I change to the ellipse tool it will go back to exclude(where it defaults on that tool) and work for a while then go back again on another image. Thing is that it always goes to the "Add to path area(+)" It is really beginning to get to me fast. Anyone else having this issue or know how to fix it? I am using it on Snow Lepoard 10.6.8 with the last version of photoshop(though it has been doing this since I got this mac 2 years ago). Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06ghz, 16gb ram and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 256mb GPU. Nothing too special but it does not happen on my PC, only mac and it is really irritating.
    Nick

    I tried it in CS4, and it does both of it there too, ugh. Thats weird, I'm surprised. Especially because both tools work properly when sample all layers is on, even with geometric shapes.
    Something Adobe overlooked maybe? I dunno, thanks charles.

  • Pen tool/path and content aware spot healing brush to remove cables (CS5)

    Tried to remove some cables from an image using Russel Brown's video making use of the pen tool/path and the spot healing brush with content aware.  I'm pretty sure I followed his tutorial exactly but it did not work satisfactorily.  Are there any other tweaks I should be using to remove these cables and replace them with the background details?

    Yes to all.
    Silkrooster  - Looks great!  However, I believe spot healing brush was the first I tried and got smudgy results, especially in area of the locks where there is a lot of detail behind the cables.  Found the patch tool works best, but not where there is a lot of detail behind the cables.
    Fosse - Well, the bow of the ship going through the Panama Canal at 6 AM in the morning is a popular place, very crowded, and not one of them a photographer.  I was lucky enough to get the last spot which was dead center, but in front of the cables.  I tried to prevail on some people next to me to trade spots, but none were willing ($##$!!!&& b---ds) and they didn't even have cameras.  However, will keep your suggestion in mind about taking two shots for the next time...and will have to get up earlier.
    I think if I want to really make this work, I will have to do a lot of work, probably using a combination of all these methods.
    Thanks to you all.
    By the way, Re my question on screens without a reply button...when I click on a response, it appears without any reply button.  How do I get a screen showing the reply button without entering a new question, cancelling out of it, and then clicking on a response, which is the only way I found to get a screen showing the reply button.

  • Problem creating vector mask with Pen Tool

    Using Photoshop CS5, Mac OS 10.6.8
    I'm trying to create a simple vector mask using the pen tool to create a curved line at the top and bottom of a photo. Here's what I'm doing:
    1. Create a new layer and select it.
    2. Select Pen tool.
    3. Choose "work path" by selecting button at top menu.
    4. I draw my shape with the pen tool.
    5. Now comes the problem... I can not select this shape, or assign it a color. When I create a clipping mask, it does not recognize my path. When I throw away the layer, the shape is still there in outline only. What am I missing here? I'm familiar with doing this in Illustrator, but I don't understand how it works in PSD.
    I need some help, please.
    Thanks.

    The main thing i use paths for in photoshop is extracting objects from photos.
    Other uses include stroking paths with the paint tools. For example, if you had
    a powerline to remove, one could trace the line with the pen tool and then stroke
    the path with spot healing brush set to content aware fill.
    more info on photoshop paths:
    http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-73ada.h tml
    MTSTUNER

  • Why doesn't Photoshop CC pen tool work accurately?

    I've recently upgraded from Creative Suite CS5.1 to the CC subscription platform.
    It didn't take long to notice that the pen tool lays out anchors inconsistently and inaccurately in Photoshop CC.
    Click the next anchor over on a path will result in jumpiness, not making an anchor exactly where targeted with the cursor.
    In order to make accurate clipping paths quickly and efficiently, I have to revert to using Photoshop CS5.1
    Is there a setting in Photoshop CC that I need to turn off or on?

    Note for Readers:
    I just want to clarify that I never at any point used the FREEFORM Pen Tool that can be selected on the dropdown. I've been using the Pen Tool in a freestyle fashion, placing anchors where necessary.
    c.pfaffenbichler
    Thank you for pointing out this new feature! Case closed! I went back to Photoshop CS5.1 preferences to see if this feature has been slipping by me all these years, and of course it's not there.
    I'm pretty sure that this feature is now old to some, but definitely new to me.
    JJMack- You're right about the pen tool. There's a lot of different techniques in using it and it never seems to end.
    Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help out!
    -CL

  • Pen tool and masking in cs6.

    In previous versions I could create a custom (vector) mask using the pen tool in 2 easy steps.
    Draw a shape then drag that shape to the image i wanted the mask on. Done.
    This "feature" has been removed from CS6 and its extremely annoying. Or has it just become a lot more complicated to achieve this?
    I know i can create a clipping mask using the shape layer but that requires another visible layer in the layers panel. Having "roto'd" 50 elements in previous versions in the same workspace gave me 50 layers (cleaning up the solid black shapelayers after). In CS6 it gives me 100 layers.
    I know i can select the shape as a selection and then apply a mask but that would make the mask a solid. I want to be able to move my tangents around etc. 100% non-destructively.
    I work 100% non destructive and yes, my psd's become very large but thats no biggie, my computer can handle it. I don't want to rasterize.
    If you have CS5.5 or earlier versions, create a shape and drag that shape to the layer you want to mask, remove the fill layer and you'll see what i mean. Thats what i want to be able to do in CS6.
    Is this 100% gone from CS6?

    Kenneth Mcitalo wrote:
    "If you have CS5.5 or earlier versions, create a shape and drag that shape to the layer you want to mask, remove the fill layer and you'll see what i mean. Thats what i want to be able to do in CS6.
    Is this 100% gone from CS6?"
    You are being affected by an almighty f**kup by the Photoshop CS6 User Interface designers.
    With CS6, Adobe try to pretend that Shape Layers are a wonderful new type of layer. The reality is that they are the old type Fill Layer with Vector Mask and the addition of a stroke attribute. There are numerous workflow disruptions caused by the "new Shape Layer" pretense.
    Here's how to get the functionality to which you are accustomed...
    The VM of a Shape Layer is only displayed in the Layers panel when the VM is disabled. To disable it, shift-click its "Shape Path" thumbnail in Properties panel. (You can record an Action of shift-clicking that thumbnail to create your own Disable Vector Mask command which can be run when the Properties panel is closed.) The revealed VM can now be dragged to another layer in the Layers panel.
    By the way, you can draw a path and directly create a Vector Mask for a regular pixel layer without making a Shape first. Draw the path with the Pen Tool or with a shape tool set to "Path" mode in its options bar, then Cmd/Ctrl-click the Add Mask button at bottom of Layers Panel when the pixel layer is targeted.

Maybe you are looking for