Adobe 29180155 User Guide - Page 256

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 251 User Guide Creating shapes About shapes In Photoshop Elements, shapes are vector graphics, which means they are made up of lines and curves defined by their geometric characteristics instead of pixels. Vector graphics are resolution-independent-that is, they can be scaled to any size and printed at any resolution without losing detail or clarity. You can move, resize, or change them without losing the quality of the graphic. Because computer monitors display images on a pixel grid, vector data is displayed as pixels on-screen. Shapes are created in shape layers. A shape layer can contain a single shape or multiple shapes, depending on the shape area option you select. You can choose to have more than one shape in a layer. You can change the color of a shape by editing its fill layer and applying layer styles to it. The shape tools provide an easy way to create buttons, navigation bars, and other items used on web pages. Vector objects created with the shape tools in Photoshop Elements See also "To select or move a shape" on page 254 "To transform a shape" on page 254 "To apply a layer style to a shape" on page 255 To draw a rectangle, square, or rounded rectangle 1 In the Editor, select the Rectangle tool or Rounded Rectangle tool . 2 (Optional) In the options bar, click the triangle to display shape options. Set any options you'd like: Fixed Size Draws a rectangle at the exact size you specified in the Width and Height text boxes. From Center Draws a rectangle from the center of where you begin drawing (usually a rectangle is drawn from the top left corner). Proportional Draws a rectangle based on the numbers you type in the Width and Height text boxes. Snap to Pixels Snaps edges of a rectangle to the pixel boundaries. Square Constrains a rectangle to a square.