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Line / Arc / Outline Custom Shapes for Photoshop and Elements

 

Line Photoshop custom shapes work with: Windows 7 + Vista + XP + MAC OS X (All versions)(Intel/PPC) G4 G5 Adobe Photoshop CS5 CS4 CS3 CS2 CS 7 6 (All Creative Suites) + Photoshop Elements 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. CSH format, vector shapes for any size of work. Commercial use license, royalty-free, line shapes are royalty-free. All the line shapes are by graphicxtras.com (Andrew Buckle)

 

Line arc outline vector shapes for Photoshop CS5 CS4 etc and Elements

Opening line etc shapes in Photoshop

The line etc shapes are CSH format files - load the line shapes via the file open command (this loads all the line designs into the existing shapes palette). Otherwise load the line shapes via the preset manager found in the edit menu or use the shapes palette right side menu

 

load line shapes

example load shapes in shapes palette in Photoshop

 

Tutorial: Creating distressed frames design using custom shape for Photoshop

1) Original image created in Poser

 

frames custom shapes

 

2) Select the custom shape tool and the shape to be used. Set the color of the shape via the Photoshop foreground color setting.

 

custom shapes for Photoshop tool - find on the Photoshop toolbox

 

3) Apply initial parts of the frame using the current color. Change the color throughout to create a more distressed design instead of a single color frame design)

 

frames custom shapes

 

4) Use the image > image rotation > 90 CW option to rotate the design so you can apply the custom shape to all the edges of the image. You can keep swapping back and forth using the 90 CW and the 90 CCW rotation

 

Photoshop image rotation command

 

5) By changing the color between red and white and black for the frame, you can create a very quick distressed frame for the image

 

distress frame result in Photoshop

Overlay and Photoshop shapes - line designs or otherwise

They can be applied to an image with 100% opacity, you can use the shape as an overlay with say 50% opacity. This also means the shapes can be used as a watermark over an image

 

1) Select line Photoshop custom shape tool

2) Select fill pixel option (top bar of Photoshop)

3) Set opacity setting to 50%

4) Apply current selected custom shape

5) Re-apply etc (great for creating a blurry custom shape design or smudged look)

Smudged custom shape graphic for Photoshop tutorial

The custom shapes are a wonderful resource for repeated use, a toolkit of designs. Sadly there is no 'library' feature in Photoshop (unless you consider Bridge etc to be a library - which it can be) but the custom shapes can be used as a library of great designs, especially combined with smart filters and layer effects and used as a smart object - which means the design can be duplicated, changed etc in many different ways

 

1) new document

2) custom shape tool - set as a layer shape - apply the line / arc shape (or any other shape design)

3) Apply a layer effect or style via the style palette - in the case of this example, a satin and bevel and gradient. Apply the style via layer > layer style menu command

4) layer > smart object > convert to smart object (smart objects are a really useful feature of Photoshop)

5) filter > blur > Gaussian blur (as this is a smart object, the filters are automatically smart filters)

6) filter > artistic > smudge stick

7) Layer > duplicate layer

 

repeat this and also move the designs across the entire document. You can also re-size the arc custom shape and a dialog will appear saying the blur etc will not visible while the shape is transformed. Once the transformed has been selected, the smart filters are re-applied to the smart object.

 

You now have a document full of smart smudged custom shape arc designs.

 

smart smudged

 

Double click on the shape and you then can edit the underlying shape and the underlying style effects such as change the gradient and shadow and satin effect - you can also use the direct selection tool on the custom shape and modify the entire design.

 

file > close

 

and on exit from the edit of the shapes PSB file, all the shapes will be changed in the original document and you will have a completely new smudged shape look

 

smart smudge

 

This can be repeated numerous times until you are happy with the design. At all times, during the creative process, you can modify the underlying shape and design and style. You can also modify the smart filter applied to the shapes though in that case the 'symbol instance' or 'nozzle' approach breaks down and only the smart filter for that individual instance of the arc (or any shape) design is lost.

 

Combining line shapes in Photoshop

Custom shapes can be applied once but they can be applied multiple times. You can apply them using the same line color or vary the color, you can also apply them using different blending modes or just use the default 'normal' blending mode. The line shapes from pack 29 is below - a single instance

 

line shapes

Example of pack 29 line shape

 

You can add to the above design but you can always quickly subtract from the above design. Set the color of the shape tool to white (via the Photoshop foreground) and then apply a rectangular shape to the center of the above design in Photoshop to create a quick and basic frame design

 

line frame shape

example of line custom shape shape

Distress frame line custom shapes for Photoshop

The frame shape doesn't need to be so uniform, other custom shapes can be added to create more distressed line frames

 

distressed frame shape

example above was created using multiple applies of the original line custom shape to the center of the design with white as the foreground. Useful for creating distress line frame effects. Added January 3rd 2012

 

tight line shapes for Photoshop

example shows the tight line shape from the custom shapes pack 29

 

angled lines Photoshop

example shows the same line design above re-applied as a new layer in Photoshop (design from pack 29) and the top angle has been rotated by 45 degrees to create a clashing line design.

 

sphere stripes shape Photoshop

Example from pack 77 - stripes / line shapes set. A spherical stripes line shape applied using black foreground color against a blue background. Applied as a fill in Photoshop CS5

 

pipe circular shape Photoshop

example from pack 66. The custom shape is applied as a fill in Photoshop CS5 on a blue background, the shape itself is black, the inner fill is applied using the magic wand selection tool and basic fill.

 

outline shapes Photoshop

example outline shapes from pack 132 - four different custom shape designs applied over a blue background in Photoshop CS5 (but could easily be CS4 CS3 etc)

 

arc shape pattern

example from pack 159 arc set. The shape was applied to a blue background and selected, the pattern defined via the edit menu command. A pattern layer (above) was created using the layer new fill command in Photoshop - the scaling set to 50%. The arc design is a vector and can be any size so the basic pattern can be any size.

 

stripe line frame photoshop

example from shapes pack 77 - the line shape is applied as a fill with black foreground color onto a blue background. The image was then rotated 90 degrees and then the middle area was selected. A blue fill re-applied to the selection and then the black custom shape lines was again applied to the selection. A stroke was then added to the design in Photoshop via the edit menu.

 

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