Use Pen tool
Draw straight or curved vector paths, close shapes, add or remove nodes, and use Shift snapping for cleaner Pen tool work.
Draw custom vector paths, point by point, to create shapes and lines nothing in the elements library quite matches. Use it for custom outlines, icons, badges, and any illustration you want to build from scratch.
Draw with the Pen tool
Select the pen tool in the bottom toolbar.
Click once to place a straight point, or click and drag to place a point with a curve. How far and which direction you drag shapes the curve's handles.
Keep clicking, or clicking and dragging, to add more points and build out your path.
Hold Shift while placing a point to snap that segment to a perfectly horizontal, vertical, or 45-degree line.
Move your cursor near existing objects or nodes as you draw. The pen tool snaps to them for clean, aligned connections.
Close and edit your path
Hover back over your path's starting point until the cursor shows a small circle, then click to close the path into a solid, fillable shape.
Add a node by hovering over an empty segment of an existing path. The cursor changes to (+), letting you click to insert a point.
Remove a node by hovering over an existing node until the cursor changes to (–), then click to delete it.
Once your shape is closed, double-click it to enter vector editing mode, where you can select, move, add, or remove nodes and handles to fine-tune the curves.
Expected outcome
A closed path behaves like any other shape: select it and the right panel gives you fill color, border color and weight, opacity, and shadow, so you can style it without switching tools.
Troubleshooting
My path won't close, it just keeps adding points
Move your cursor back over the path's starting point and wait for the black dot to appear, that's your signal you're lined up to close the shape. Clicking anywhere else adds another point instead.
My straight line came out as a curve
If your mouse moves even slightly between pressing down and releasing, the pen tool reads that as a drag and creates a curve instead of a straight point. Click without moving the mouse for a straight point, or hold Shift to constrain the segment to a straight angle.
I can't get the (+) or (–) cursor to add or remove a node
Zoom in for more precision. The (+) cursor only appears when you're hovering directly over a segment between two nodes, and (–) only appears directly over an existing node.
Common questions
Can I change a path's color after I've drawn it?
Yes. Select the closed path and use the Color and Border sections in the right panel to set its fill and stroke.
Should I use the pen tool or shape tools?
Reach for shape tools when you need a standard rectangle, ellipse, polygon, or star. Reach for the pen tool when you need a custom outline, an irregular shape, or a straight line, since shape tools don't include a line.
Can I keep editing a path after I've moved on to something else?
Yes. Select it and double-click to re-enter vector editing mode at any time, whether you closed it moments ago or come back to the project later.
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