How to Create and Edit Paths with the Pen Tool in Affinity Designer

Posted on 17th June 2023

Creating a New Path

To create a new path, select the Pen Tool from the toolbox or press P on the keyboard. Then, click on the canvas to create a new point. To create straight lines, click and release to create the first point, then click and drag to create the second point. To create curved lines, click and drag to create the first point, then click and drag again to create the second point. Release the mouse button when the curve is the desired shape. To continue creating points, click and drag to create the next point. To finish the path, press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).

Editing an Existing Path

To edit an existing path, select the Pen Tool from the toolbox or press P on the keyboard. Then, click on the point that you want to edit. To move a point, click and drag it to the desired location. To add a new point, click on the path where you want to add the point. To delete a point, press Delete on the keyboard. To change the type of point, click and drag the point. To create a straight line, click and release to create the first point, then click and drag to create the second point. To create a curved line, click and drag to create the first point, then click and drag again to create the second point. Release the mouse button when the curve is the desired shape.

Changing the Shape of a Curved Line

To change the shape of a curved line, select the Pen Tool from the toolbox or press P on the keyboard. Then, click on the point that you want to edit. To change the shape of the curve, click and drag the control handles. To delete a control handle, press Delete on the keyboard.

Converting Points

To convert a point, select the Pen Tool from the toolbox or press P on the keyboard. Then, click on the point that you want to convert. To convert a point to a corner point, press Shift+C on the keyboard. To convert a point to a smooth point, press Shift+S on the keyboard.

In this example, we’ll be tracing the outline of this image of a bird:

First, you’ll want to zoom in on the image so that you can see the individual pixels. Then, select the Pen Tool from the toolbar on the left.

Next, position your cursor at the starting point of the line you want to trace. For example, if you’re tracing the outline of the bird, you would position your cursor at the top of the bird’s head. Then, click and hold down the mouse button to create your first anchor point.

Now, move your cursor to the next point along the line you want to trace, and click again to create another anchor point. Continue doing this until you’ve reached the end of the line.

To close the path, position your cursor over the first anchor point you created, and click again. You should see a small circle next to your cursor, indicating that the path is now closed.

Now that you’ve created your path, you can edit it using the Direct Selection Tool. Simply select the tool from the toolbar, and then click on any of the anchor points to select it. You can then move the anchor point to a new location.

If you want to add another point to the path, you can do so by positioning your cursor over the path, and then clicking. This will create a new anchor point.

You can also delete anchor points by selecting them with the Direct Selection Tool and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.

Finally, you can change the width of the path by selecting the Width Tool from the toolbar. Then, click on the path and drag to the left or right to make the path wider or narrower.

Now that you know how to create and edit paths with the Pen Tool, you can use them to create all sorts of shapes and lines in your designs.

How to Create and Edit Paths with the Pen Tool

In this tutorial we’re going to learn how to create and edit paths using the Pen tool in Affinity Designer.

The Pen tool is one of the most important tools in vector design, and is essential for creating precise shapes and curves. In this tutorial we’ll cover the basics of how to create paths, how to edit them, and how to use the various Pen tool options.

Creating Paths

To create a path, simply click on the artboard with the Pen tool to create a new anchor point. Then click and drag to create a curve.

You can continue to click and drag to create more anchor points and curves. To create a straight line, simply click and release without dragging.

To end the path, click on the first anchor point you created. This will create a ‘closed’ path. To create an ‘open’ path, press the Esc key before clicking on the first anchor point.

Editing Paths

Once you’ve created a path, you can edit it using the various Pen tool options.

To edit an anchor point, simply click on it with the Pen tool. To delete an anchor point, click on it with the Alt key held down.

To add a new anchor point to an existing path, position the Pen tool over the path and click. To delete an anchor point, position the Pen tool over the anchor point and click with the Alt key held down.

To edit a curve, click on it with the Pen tool and drag. To delete a curve, click on it with the Alt key held down.

Pen Tool Options

The Pen tool has a number of different options that can be accessed by right-clicking on the artboard.

The first option is ‘Add Anchor Point’. This will add a new anchor point to an existing path.

The second option is ‘Delete Anchor Point’. This will delete the anchor point that you have clicked on.

The third option is ‘Convert Anchor Point’. This will convert the anchor point between a ‘corner’ point and a ‘smooth’ point.

The fourth option is ‘Straighten Curve’. This will straighten out the curve that you have clicked on.

Pen Tool Shortcuts

There are a few shortcuts that can be used with the Pen tool to make your workflow more efficient.

To create a new anchor point, press the ‘A’ key. To delete an anchor point, press the ‘D’ key. To convert an anchor point, press the ‘C’ key. To straighten a curve, press the ‘S’ key.

To cycle through the various Pen tool options, press the ‘Q’ key.

Conclusion

In this tutorial we’ve learned how to create and edit paths using the Pen tool in Affinity Designer. We’ve also learned how to use the various Pen tool options and shortcuts.