Pen Tool

A Pen Tool is a graphics tool that allows you to create precise paths with mathematical points. You can draw straight lines by plotting points or curved segments by tapping and holding to bend the line you just made. You can then create a closed path by joining the first and last anchor points.

Although it's called the Pen Tool, this digital tool is not used like a regular pen. In the past, it's been called the Bezier Tool, named after Pierre Bezier, the person who invented it. It has also been known as the Path Tool, since you can use it to draw a vector path segment. Today, the Pen Tool is perhaps the most powerful and important digital tool out there. Most graphic designers, illustrators, and creatives need and use it every day, which is perhaps the reason it's named after such a common and useful object.

To activate the Pen Tool in Vectornator, simply tap the Pen icon in the Toolbar or press the P key.

Digital artists can use the Pen Tool, the Brush Tool, the Pencil Tool, and even the Shape Tool to draw. There are many powerful tools and techniques for drawing digitally, but plotting out points with the Pen Tool is the most precise way to create an accurate line or a smooth curve segment.

Vectornator users on desktop can use their trackpad or mouse button to click to add anchor points. And if you're using the iPad or drawing tablet, just tap with your stylus to add points as you draw. You path's direction and angle is determined by the position of the node handles.

In graphic design, a path Is a line that appears when you draw using the Pen Tool, the Pencil Tool, or the Brush Tool. It is made up of a series of anchor points  (or nodes). There are three types of paths:

1. Open Path: A single path (or line) with two end anchor points
2. Closed Path: A closed shape that has no end point.
3. Compound path: Two or more paths that can be opened or closed.

The Pen Tool in Photoshop is a simple tool that allows you to make selections, strokes, or fills. There are multiple styles of Pen Tool in Photoshop to choose from.

• The standard Pen lets you draw lines and curves with great precision.
• The Curvature Pen tool lets you draw a continuous curve or straight segments.
• The Freeform Pen tool lets you draw paths as if you were drawing with a pencil on paper. 
• The Magnetic Pen lets you draw a path that snaps to the edges of an image. 
• The Content-Aware Tracing tool lets you automate the process of tracing images.

The Pen Tools in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Vectornator allow you to draw paths, but there are some subtle differences in how they work. 

Unlike Adobe Illustrator and Vectornator, Photoshop is a raster-based image editing software. The pen can be used to draw fixed pixel-based shapes, a bezier path, or a bezier path-based shape. 

In Illustrator, the Pen Tool is used to draw vector paths that can be scaled to any size. Any path can also be edited after it's drawn to take on the qualities of a different brush stroke or effect. 

The Vectornator Pen Tool is also vector-based and allows you to create custom paths with Bezier curves. Like in Illustrator, any path you draw in Vectornator using the Pen Tool can be edited. However, we designed our Pen Tool to feel more intuitive, especially when it comes to using an iPad and Apple Pencil. Find out more about our amazing Pen Tool in our Learning Hub.

While drawing with the Pen Tool in Vectornator, there are four useful gesture combos to help you define the Node type and change your path's curves.

• Holding one finger on the canvas as you draw changes the previous node to a disconnected type. A disconnected node has handles that can move independently and change the direction and arc of the next curve.
• Holding two fingers on the canvas enables 45º snapping on both of your node handles.
• Holding three fingers on the canvas to enable 45º snapping on only one direction handle. 

Double-tap on the end node (highlighted in red) to quickly end a path.