How To Create Custom Shape
June 15th, 2007 in Designing, Tutorials, Web Graphic by kailoon
Hello everyone, This is my 1st ever tutorial for PS (Photoshop). Wish to share with you. If you are familiar with PS working tools and you may found that there is some default custom shape inside. However, sometimes the shape may not suite to your design. So, here is the way for you to create your own custom shape or modify the existed shapes. I usually do this for my logo design and trademark design as it is scalable without losing it’s quality. Let’s start then…
Step 1
Create a new document with any size you like, I use 500 x 500 px for this. Select the pen tool and start to draw the shape ( you can convert the point by holding ALT and click on the vector point ), you can draw what I put here:

Step 2
Checked the add on shape area, this is for us to add in any others shapes we wish to. And don’t forget to make sure that the vector mask
is selected as shown so that you manage to add other shape as you like.
Step 3
Continue to draw out the desired shape. Finally i get this:

Step 4
We are nearly there. right click on the shape with pen tool selected and choose Define Custom Shape and rename it whatever you want

Now, you can use the shape whenever you want from the custom shape tools.

By creating this shape, you can now use it in any sizes without any looses of quality. Hope this help, Thanks.
Actually this technique quit good and i use always use it for logo design. sure will be more coming soon lolz
Nice one. This technique is quite good. Generally people forget this very important use of photoshop.
Many thanks for the post.
hi there sorry about before please do u have a keyboard short cut to add shape area
is there a keyboard shortcut to Check the add on shape area
Thanks!
I must have missed this one from the past…
Very slick indeed!
Yeah, Practice Makes perfect….. =p
But, on the other hand… Since Nobody is perfect right?? Then why bother to practice??? Hohohoho
p/s: Ignore the lame joke i’ve made just now…. =P
@> cometh: haha…practice ler…hehehe
@> Aeres: thanks, so i add you then :)
Sure why not, I’ll add you too if you don’t mind, if simply just for the potentially useful FREE PS tutorials I’ll get here hehehe.
You’re right I don’t use the pen tool in PS nearly enough :P.
Agree that pen tool can be quite the head banger for those who are not familiar with it……hohohoho.. I usually avoid unless i have to….heh heh heh
Aeres, thanks for your comment, actually the pen toll in PS is not that hard to use, it can be said same with the illustrator but u only need to hold down the ALT key when make the convert point. Practice makes perfect :P Hope to hear from you again :)
BTW,may i add you as friendly link?
Interesting tip. Problem is the pen tool in PS usually forces me to bang my head on the wall before I can make something useful.
Actually this technique quit good and i use always use it for logo design. sure will be more coming soon lolz
Cool…. like defining brushes like that….. more more….