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                <h1>
                    Drawing with the Pencil tool
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                <br clear="both" /><div id="minitoc"><div class="t"><div class="b"><div class="l"><div class="r"><div class="bl"><div class="br"><div class="tl"><div class="tr"><div><h3>Contents [<a href="#" onclick="return toggleMiniToc('minitoc-links', this);" class="hideLink">Hide</a>]</h3><ul id="minitoc-links"><li><p><a href="#WSF695544F-4541-4f92-BF02-EF749FFFC9A6"><h3 class="topictitle3">Draw with the Pencil tool</h3>
</a></p><ul><li><p><a href="#WS18D0A025-95C2-497d-9DC2-153FFF1B32FE"><h4 class="topictitle4">Draw freeform paths with the Pencil tool</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS0666D308-4B2A-4360-A71B-F77CD684ED25"><h4 class="topictitle4">Draw closed paths with the Pencil tool</h4>
</a></p></li></ul></li><li><p><a href="#WS9520DF76-6A59-4665-A4C5-EC863744908A"><h3 class="topictitle3">Edit paths with the Pencil tool</h3>
</a></p><ul><li><p><a href="#WS24D1246B-4267-4549-A791-C340F0896F6F"><h4 class="topictitle4">Add to a path with the Pencil tool</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WS7E935535-5E40-4c8c-857E-767A7A46F7E9"><h4 class="topictitle4">Connect two paths with the Pencil tool</h4>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WSDFD49C5D-8740-443d-914C-ACBE2AA021C7"><h4 class="topictitle4">Reshape paths with the Pencil tool</h4>
</a></p></li></ul></li><li><p><a href="#WS8F222AFF-6432-41a9-A1A7-43172DB902EF"><h3 class="topictitle3">Pencil tool options</h3>
</a></p></li></ul></div></div><br clear="both" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br clear="both" /><div><ul class="navlinklist"></ul>
</div>
<div id="WSF695544F-4541-4f92-BF02-EF749FFFC9A6" class="nochunk"><a name="WSF695544F-4541-4f92-BF02-EF749FFFC9A6"></a><h2 class="topictitle2">Draw with the Pencil tool</h2><div><div class="section"><p>The
Pencil tool works primarily the same way in Adobe Illustrator and
InDesign. It lets you draw open and closed paths as if you were
drawing with a pencil on paper. It is most useful for fast sketching
or creating a hand-drawn look. Once you draw a path, you can immediately
change it if needed.</p>
<p>Anchor points are set down as you draw
with the Pencil tool; you do not determine where they are positioned.
However, you can adjust them once the path is complete. The number
of anchor points set down is determined by the length and complexity
of the path and by tolerance settings in the Pencil Tool Preferences
dialog box. These settings control how sensitive the Pencil tool
is to the movement of your mouse or graphics-tablet stylus. </p>
<p>For
a video on drawing with the Pencil tool in Illustrator, see <a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/vid0039" target="_blank">www.adobe.com/go/vid0039</a>.</p>
</div>
</div><div id="WS18D0A025-95C2-497d-9DC2-153FFF1B32FE" class="nochunk"><a name="WS18D0A025-95C2-497d-9DC2-153FFF1B32FE"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Draw freeform paths with the Pencil tool</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Select the Pencil tool&#160;<img src="images/P_Draw_Lg_N.png" />. </span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Position the tool where you want the path to begin, and
drag to draw a path. The Pencil tool&#160;<img src="images/pencil2.png" /> displays
a small x to indicate drawing a freeform path.</span> <p>As you drag, a dotted line follows the pointer. Anchor
points appear at both ends of the path and at various points along
it. The path takes on the current stroke and fill attributes, and
remains selected by default. </p>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div><div id="WS0666D308-4B2A-4360-A71B-F77CD684ED25" class="nochunk"><a name="WS0666D308-4B2A-4360-A71B-F77CD684ED25"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Draw closed paths with the Pencil tool</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Select the Pencil tool. </span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Position the tool where you want the path to begin, and
start dragging to draw a path.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>After you’ve begun dragging, hold down Alt (Windows)
or Option (Mac&#160;OS). The Pencil tool displays a small circle
(and, in InDesign, a solid eraser) to indicate that you’re creating
a closed path.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>When the path is the size and shape you want, release
the mouse button (but not the Alt or Option key). After the path
closes, release the Alt or Option key.</span> <p>You don’t have to position the cursor over the starting
point of the path in order to create a closed path; if you release
the mouse button in some other location, the Pencil tool will close
the shape by creating the shortest possible line back to the original
point.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div></div>
<div id="WS9520DF76-6A59-4665-A4C5-EC863744908A" class="nochunk"><a name="WS9520DF76-6A59-4665-A4C5-EC863744908A"></a><h2 class="topictitle2">Edit paths with the Pencil tool</h2><div><div class="section"><p>You can edit any path using the Pencil tool
and add freeform lines and shapes to any shape.</p>
</div>
</div><div id="WS24D1246B-4267-4549-A791-C340F0896F6F" class="nochunk"><a name="WS24D1246B-4267-4549-A791-C340F0896F6F"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Add to a path with the Pencil tool</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Select
an existing path.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Select the Pencil tool.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Position the pencil tip on an endpoint of the path. </span> <p>You can tell you’re close enough to the endpoint when the
small x next to the pencil tip disappears.</p>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Drag to continue the path.</span></li>
</ol>
</div></div><div id="WS7E935535-5E40-4c8c-857E-767A7A46F7E9" class="nochunk"><a name="WS7E935535-5E40-4c8c-857E-767A7A46F7E9"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Connect two paths with the Pencil tool</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Select
both paths (Shift-click or drag around the two with the Selection
tool).</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Select the Pencil tool.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Position the pointer where you want to begin from one
path, and start dragging toward the other path.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>After you begin dragging, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or
Command (Mac&#160;OS). The Pencil tool displays a small merge
symbol to indicate you’re adding to the existing path.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Drag onto the endpoint of the other path, release the
mouse button, and then release the Ctrl or Command key.</span> <div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>For best results, drag from one path to the other as
if you were simply continuing the paths in the direction they were
created.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div><div id="WSDFD49C5D-8740-443d-914C-ACBE2AA021C7" class="nochunk"><a name="WSDFD49C5D-8740-443d-914C-ACBE2AA021C7"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Reshape paths with the Pencil tool</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Select
the path you want to change. </span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Position the Pencil tool on or near the path to redraw. </span> <p>You can tell you’re close enough to the path when the small
x disappears from the tool.</p>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Drag the tool until the path is the desired shape. </span> <div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="sdw_edit_closed_shape" src="images/sdw_edit_closed_shape.png" /><div class="figdesc">Using the Pencil tool to edit a closed shape</div><br /></div><div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>Depending
on where you begin to redraw the path and in which direction you drag,
you may get unexpected results. For example, you may unintentionally
change a closed path to an open path, change an open path to a closed
path, or lose a portion of a shape.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div></div>
<div id="WS8F222AFF-6432-41a9-A1A7-43172DB902EF" class="nochunk"><a name="WS8F222AFF-6432-41a9-A1A7-43172DB902EF"></a><h2 class="topictitle2">Pencil tool options</h2><div><div class="section"><p>Double-click
the Pencil tool&#160; to set any of the following options:</p>
<dl><dt class="dlterm">Fidelity</dt>
<dd>Controls how far you have to move your mouse or stylus before
a new anchor point is added to the path. The higher the value, the
smoother and less complex the path. The lower the value, the more
the curves will match the pointer’s movement, resulting in sharper
angles. Fidelity can range from 0.5 to 20 pixels. </dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Smoothness</dt>
<dd>Controls the amount of smoothing applied when you use the
tool. Smoothness can range from 0% to 100%. The higher the value,
the smoother the path. The lower the value, the more anchor points
are created, and the more the line’s irregularities are preserved.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Fill New Pencil Strokes</dt>
<dd>(Illustrator only) Applies a fill to pencil strokes you draw after
selecting this option, but not to existing pencil strokes. Remember
to select a fill before you draw the pencil strokes.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Keep Selected</dt>
<dd>Determines whether to keep the path selected after you draw
it. This option is selected by default.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Edit Selected Paths</dt>
<dd>Determines whether or not you can change or merge a selected
path when you are within a certain distance of it (specified with
the next option). </dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Within: <dfn class="term">_</dfn> pixels</dt>
<dd>Determines how close your mouse or stylus must be to an existing
path in order to edit the path with the Pencil tool. This option
is only available when the Edit Selected Paths option is selected.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p></dl>
</div>
</div></div>

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