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Drawing with the Pen tool and Bezigon tool

You can use the Pen tool and Bezigon tool to draw by placing points to define a path. These tools differ in the way they place points. As you move the Pen or Bezigon pointer (cursor), it changes to show what action will result if you click at the current location.

	The Pen tool lets you adjust a point’s handles, and therefore the curvature of a path, as you draw. Click to place a point, then drag to adjust the handles. Use the Pen tool to create a path with curved segments. After you place the first point, the Pen tool shows a “rubberband” preview of what the path will look like when you click to place the next point.
	The Bezigon tool sets point locations. Click to place a point, then continue dragging to move that point. Use the Bezigon tool to create a path with straight segments.
	Drawing with the Pen tool
	Drawing with the Bezigon tool

To draw with the Pen tool:

1	In the Tools panel, select the Pen tool from its pop-up menu.
2	Do any of the following:
	Click to place a corner point.
	Drag to place a curve point and extend its handles. Press Control (Windows) or Command (Macintosh) as you drag to move the curve point to a new location.
	Hold down Alt and right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) to place a connector point.
	Dragging as you place a connector point extends the point’s handle. This handle affects the curve of the next path segment.
3	To finish the path, do one of the following:
	Double-click the last point or press Tab to create an open path.
	Click the first point to create a closed path.

To draw with the Bezigon tool:

1	In the Tools panel, select the Bezigon tool from its pop-up menu.
2	Do one of the following:
	Click to place a corner point.
	To place a curve point, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) as you click.
	To reposition a point and the point handles simultaneously, hold down Control (Windows) or Command (Macintosh) and drag the point to its new location.
	To place a connector point that connects a straight segment to a curved path: In Windows, hold down Alt and use the right mouse button to drag; on the Macintosh, Control-drag.
3	To finish the path, do one of the following:
	Double-click the last point or press Tab to create an open path.
	Click the first point to create a closed path.

To constrain path segments:

Hold down Shift as you place a point.

To continue a selected path:

1	In the Tools panel, click the Subselect tool.
2	Select an end point on the path you want to continue.
3	In the Tools panel, select the Pen tool or Bezigon tool from their pop-up menu. You can continue a Pen path with the Bezigon tool and vice versa.
4	Click or drag to draw additional segments.

To continue an unselected path:

1	In the Tools panel, select the Pen tool or Bezigon tool from their pop-up menu. You can continue a Pen path with the Bezigon tool and vice versa.
2	Move the pointer over an end point of the path you want to continue.
3	Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Macintosh) to extend the path.
4	Click or drag to draw additional segments.

To close a selected open path, do one of the following:

	Use the Pointer or Subselect tool to drag one end point over the other end point.
	Select Window > Object. In the Object panel, select Closed to automatically connect the end points of the path with a new path segment.
	(Windows only) Right-click the path and select Path > Closed from the context menu.

To open a selected closed path, do one of the following:

	Select Window > Object. In the Object panel, deselect Closed to remove the last path segment from the path.
	(Windows only) Right-click the path and select Path > Open from the context menu.