Smooth curves are connected by anchor points called smooth points. Sharply curved paths are connected by corner points.

When you move a direction line on a smooth point, the curved segments on both sides of the point are adjusted simultaneously. By comparison, when you move a direction line on a corner point, only the curve on the same side of the point as the direction line is adjusted.

Selecting a path component or path segment displays all of the anchor points on the selected portion, including any direction lines and direction points if the selected segment is curved. Direction handles appear as filled circles, selected anchor points as filled squares, and unselected anchor points as hollow squares.

You can define the color and thickness of path lines to suit your taste and for easier visibility. While creating a path—using the Pen tool, for example—click the gear icon ( ) in the Options bar. Now specify the color and thickness of path lines. Also, specify whether you want to preview path segments as you move the pointer between clicks ( Rubber Band effect).

• If an anchor point connects two segments, moving that anchor point always changes both segments.

• When drawing with the Pen tool, you can temporarily activate the Direct Selection tool so that you can adjust segments you’ve already drawn; press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) while drawing.

• When you initially draw a smooth point with the Pen tool, dragging the direction point changes the length of the direction line on both sides of the point. However, when you edit an existing smooth point with the Direct Selection tool, you change the length of the direction line only on the side you’re dragging.

• To create a corner point, position the Pen tool where you want to end the new segment, and click. If you are extending a path that ends at a smooth point, the new segment will be curved by the existing direction line.

• To create a smooth point, position the Pen tool where you want to end the new curved segment, and drag.

• To connect the path to another open path, click an endpoint on the other path. When you precisely position the Pen tool over the other path’s endpoint, a small merge symbol appears next to the pointer.

• To connect a new path to an existing path, draw the new path near the existing path, and then move the Pen tool to the existing path’s (unselected) endpoint. Click that endpoint when you see the small merge symbol that appears next to the pointer.

Adding anchor points can give you more control over a path or it can extend an open path. However try not to add more points than necessary. A path with fewer points is easier to edit, display, and print. You can reduce the complexity of a path by deleting unnecessary points.

The toolbox contains three tools for adding or deleting points: the Pen tool , the Add Anchor Point tool , and the Delete Anchor Point tool .

By default, the Pen tool changes to the Add Anchor Point tool as you position it over a selected path, or to the Delete Anchor Point tool as you position it over an anchor point. You must select Auto Add/Delete in the options bar to enable the Pen tool to automatically change to the Add Anchor Point or Delete Anchor Point tool.

You can select and edit multiple paths simultaneously. You can also reshape a path while adding anchor points by clicking and dragging as you add.

Don’t use the Delete or Backspace keys or the Edit > Cut or Edit > Clear commands to delete anchor points. These keys and commands delete the point and line segments that connect to that point.

You can override automatic switching of the Pen tool to the Add Anchor Point tool or the Delete Anchor Point tool. This is useful when you want to start a new path on top of an existing path.

To activate the Convert Point tool while the Direct Selection tool is selected, position the pointer over an anchor point, and press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Mac OS).

To convert a smooth point to a corner point with independent direction lines, drag either direction point.

can reposition a path component (including a shape in a shape layer) anywhere within an image. You can copy components within an image or between two Photoshop images. Using the Path Selection tool, you can merge overlapping components into a single component. All vector objects, whether they are described by a saved path, work path, or vector mask, can be moved, reshaped, copied, or deleted.

You can also use the Copy and Paste commands to duplicate vector objects between a Photoshop image and an image in another application, such as Adobe Illustrator.

Select the path name in the Paths panel, and use the Path Selection tool to select the path in the image. To select multiple path components, Shift-click each additional path component to add it to the selection. Drag the path to its new location. If you move any part of a path beyond the canvas boundaries, the hidden part of the path is still available.

• To copy a path component as you move it, select the path name in the Paths panel, and click a path component with the Path Selection tool . Then Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the selected path.
• To copy a path without renaming it, drag the path name in the Paths panel to the New Path button at the bottom of the panel.
• To copy and rename a path, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the path in the Paths panel to the New Path button at the bottom of the panel. Or select the path to copy, and choose Duplicate Path from the Paths panel menu. Enter a new name for the path in the Duplicate Path dialog box, and click OK.
• To copy a path or path component into another path, select the path or path component you want to copy, and choose Edit > Copy. Then select the destination path, and choose Edit > Paste.

• Drag the path component from the source image to the destination image. The path component is copied to the active path in the Paths panel.

• In the source image, select the path name in the Paths panel and choose Edit > Copy to copy the path. In the destination image, choose Edit > Paste. You can also use this method to combine paths in the same image.

• To paste the path component into the destination image, select the path component in the source image, and choose Edit > Copy. In the destination image, choose Edit > Paste.

can align and distribute path components that are described in a single path. For example, you can align the left edges of several shapes contained in a single layer or distribute several components in a work path along their horizontal centers.