HOW TO USE Adobe® Photoshop® CS2 [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Task 5 How to Convert Selections to Paths

Because paths and selections both define the edges of an area, it's only natural that you would want to convert a selection to a path. This is a good technique if you're one of those people who prefer using the Brush or selection tools instead of the Pen. Simply make a selection and convert it to a path. To convert a path back to a selection, see Part 9, Task 4, "How to Convert a Path to a Selection." If you want to know more about paths in general, Part 9, "Using Paths," goes to great lengths to describe how to work with paths.

1. Open the File

Click the Go to Bridge icon in the Options bar to launch Bridge. Navigate to the desired file and double-click its thumbnail to launch it.

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2. Make a Selection

Use any combination of selection methods described in this part to select the area to be converted to a path.

3. Open Paths Palette

Select Window, Paths to open the Paths palette.

4. Make a Work Path

Select Make Work Path from the Paths palette menu. This option creates a temporary working path (the work path) that has not yet been saved. After a path is saved, it is no longer a work path.

5. Set the Tolerance

Set the Tolerance level in the window that appears. The Tolerance value determines how many points are used in the path. If the setting is too low, the path will be cluttered with too many extra points; if it's too high, the path will not conform to the selection. Experiment with values between 1.0 and 3.0 for most selections.

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6. Save the Path

When the path is completed, double-click the work path in the Paths palette to launch the Save Path dialog box. Name the path and click OK to save it.

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