Photoshop zigzag shapes Tutorial
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How to create a zigzag shape design in Adobe Photoshop using a variety of tools such as the pen tool etc. Zigzags can be created by many methods. You can create a vector zigzag shape by using the new guide layout and then adding points to the zigzag shape by using the pen too, as well as use transform tools and direct selection tool to manipulate the zigzag points
** Youtube video tutorial on how to create zigzag shapes in Photoshop **1. Where is the zigzag tool in Photoshop
There is no zigzag tool but with the pen tool etc you can create quick zigzags for all occasions. You can find the pen tool in the toolbar.
2. Quick stroke zigzag shape creation
Go to the view menu and Snap on and snap to guides and View menu and New guide layout and 10 columns and 10 rows and Select the pen tool and Select the shape option and Apply point to the document. Use guides to add the next point in the zigzag in Photoshop. Set the fill to and set the stroke to 10px and black
3. Basics of the zigzag shapes
You can use most versions of Photoshop to create a quick zigzag, there are 1000s of different zigzag shape designs. How many points you add to the zigzag is up to you. It is a pity that there is no auto zigzag tool in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. In most cases, the zigzag is click, up a little and over click and down again and a little over and click again and so on. As well as 1000s of other variations. Always think that the guidelines help in the creation of the zigzags.
A variant using straight lines
4. Zigzag shape 1
Click the far left middle point with the pen tool and Go up to the next line above and across 1 and Back down to the middle line and move across 1 cell and Up to the next row again and across by 1 and Down to the middle again and across by 1
You can then repeat the same action multiple times to create a very basic zigzag shape. Select the direct selection tool in the toolbar and select the entire shape and Edit menu and define custom shape for Adobe Photoshop. You can only save a closed shape to the custom shapes, if the design is an open path then the zigzag shape will not appear as expected. Sadly there is no outline or expand feature in Photoshop for shapes.
You can now see the Photoshop zigzag shape in the tool drop down. Select the shape and set the fill to no color and the stroke to black and stroke width to 10 and set the align to center and set the cap etc. The zigzag shape can be applied at any angle and can be distorted and warped and transformed in all kinds of ways
5. Randomized zigzag shape
You can make all kinds of zigzag shapes such as a more random zigzag shape
Select the pen tool and Click the far middle left and Go to three or so rows up and click two columns across. Go back down past the middle and move across by 1 and then click again with the pen tool. Go up to past the middle by one row and across two etc
Anyway, you can see the zigzag is far more random and more extreme. Again, select the shape tool and shape layer option and set the fill to no color and the stroke to green or blue etc and then set the align to the center etc (or add dashes etc)
Once you have your zigzag shapes, you can modify them using the direct select tool or transforms.
6. Storing the zigzag shapes in CC libraries
If you are just using strokes then a good place to store the designs is in a creative cloud library. If you are creating them with fills and not strokes, you can save them to the shapes presets via the edit menu and define custom shape
7. Zigzag Photoshop shape modifications
Select the shape tool and select one of the zigzags and Create zigzag artwork in shape mode and Select the direct selection tool in the toolbar and Select one of the points in the zigzag shape and Drag left or right or up and down
Any number of variations can be created simply by selecting the points and dragging them into different positions.
8. Distort zigzag shapes
You can also distort the zigzag shapes to create yet more unique zigzags.
You can also select all the points with the path selection tool and Edit menu and distort or perspective etc