Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One

5. Test drive the white arrow tool. Switch to the white arrow tool
   by pressing the A key (or Shift+A if you skipped the Preface).
   Then do this:
   
   
   • Click anywhere off the path outline to deselect the path
     and all its points.
   
   
   • Click a segment in your path. You’ll again be able to see the
     anchor points, but they are now open squares, indicating
     that they are not selected.
   
   
   • Select the point indicated in Figure 10-26 by clicking it with
     the white arrow tool. The point becomes solid, showing
     that it’s selected.
   
   
   
   

Figure 10-26.

Click this point

You could now drag the selected point to move it or use the arrow

keys to nudge it a screen pixel in any direction. If you want to give

it a try, do so, but press Ctrl+Z (�-Z) or Ctrl+Alt+Z (�-Option-Z)

as necessary to get back to this starting point.

Note that the extra line with the circle on the end (rather than a square)

coming out of the point is a control handle and not part of your path.

Control handles determine the curve of your path. We’ll see how control

handles work as we progress.

PeaRl Of WISDOm

Why two arrow tools? Because they serve different

purposes. The black arrow tool selects and moves

entire paths at a time. The white arrow tool lets

you select an element of a path, such as an anchor

point, a segment, or a collection of points and

segments.

Using the Pen Tool to Select Smooth Contours 357