Need some pen tool help

[fmw]

This image will become figure 1 in a little book I am writing. What I need to do is to draw little lines from the label to the part of the product it describes. When I use the pen tool, it draws the line and creates a layer. Then when I go to draw the next line, the first one disappears or, it seems, becomes invisible. How do I do this? Thanks.

 

[markc]

I don't know about the pen tool, but I've used the line tool multiple times in the same image. It creates a new layer each time, but they all show up. Is the layer still there when you create the next one? If so, I'm guessing that you have some setting that's making it not show up. Is the "eye" still on for that layer? Is the layer still above the background?
-edit-
Actually, I should ask what software you are using. Photoshop?

 

[fmw]

Ah! line tool! Let me check that out.

 

[Arch]

yea i would use the line tool... the pen tool isnt really used for drawing with... it gives the best results for us designers when cutting out a shape... it takes alot longer to use than the wand or the polygonal lasso tool, but gives much better 'cut and paste' result.

 

[Digital Matt]

There are 3 settings for the pen tool. 1, make a shape layer, 2, make a path, and 3, fill pixels. You would want to set it on "paths", and it will play connect the dots. Then you can right click on the path, and "stroke" it with your foreground color. As mentioned though, the line tool will be your best bet. It also has these same settings. In this case, set it on "fill pixels". Adjust the thickness of it, either in pixels or inches. Make a new layer, and everytime you use it, it will render a line on the same layer. If you want each line on a multiple layer, then change the setting to "shape layers". Shape layers are vector layers and can be transformed indefinitely without losing quality. When you are satisfied, you can flatten your document, or right click on each shape layer and choose "rasterize", which will make them a bitmap.

 

[fmw]

I couldn't find the line tool but I did find a tool in Image Ready that worked just fine. I forgot the name. What a Photoshop pro huh?

P.S. I went back and looked up the name of the tool in Image Ready. Suprise, surprise, surprise. Line tool.

 

[Digital Matt]

FYI, the line tool, in photoshop, is lumped in with the rectangle tool, rounded rectangle tool, elipse, polygon, and custom shape tool. Any one of those might be the current tool, and that's what you'd see. You have to left click and hold to show the others. It's position is on the right under the text tool.

 

[fmw]

Thanks, Matt. I went through a ponderous book when I first learned PS and 90% of it leaked out the back door. It seems like every week I'm making use of something new for me in PS. Today was just one of the tough ones as I spent an hour trying to keep my pen tool lines from disappearting. I appreciate it, guys. figure 1 is done. Now on to figure 2....

 

[Digital Matt]

Hopefully #2 doesn't pose so many problems

 

[TheCatch22]

the pen tool is the best selection tool in photoshop by far stress that alot on your book you are writing man to many people dont use that tool enfough or at all and its simply as good as it gets in the program

 

[fmw]

The book is about kitchen cutlery - an area where I have a lot of expertise. I'm not competent to write a book about Photoshop. I'm really a beginner with it. Thanks for the support, though.

 

[The_Traveler]

The book is about kitchen cutlery - an area where I have a lot of expertise.

I also am an expert in kitchen cutlery which I gained from many years doing the dishes after dinner. I can easily distinguish between forks, spoons and knives with very low incidence of errors - not more than 4%.

If you need any help distinguishing amongst those three utensils, I am available to help. (Knives are the pointy ones, right?)(I am not so good with serving utensils)

Reference from my wife available.

 

[fmw]

I can easily distinguish between forks, spoons and knives with very low incidence of errors - not more than 4%.

You're certainly better at it than I am. I miss about 8% of the time. I have enough scar tissue on my fingers to make up for it, however.

 

[CarverAderly]

That was really amazing I had never seen it ever. The features are fantastic I really love it. I think that it will be worth to buy something unique like this. Good explanation given about how it works I really like it very much.

 

[mJs]

It looks like you have already found a way to do the lines, but another option was a trick that I learn, it using the paintbrush tool, you can also make it draw a straight line... click the startpoint once, then hold down "shift" and left click where your end point would be.