Working with defined custom shapes

Whenever you create a shape, you can save it as a custom shape. You can load the saved shape into the Custom Shape picker and use it in other areas of an image or even in different Photoshop projects without having to redraw the shape. This is especially useful when you have logos or other symbolic elements that you use repeatedly and that require multiple steps to create.

Placing a custom shape

A custom shape, representing a golf ball balanced on a tee, has been created for you. In this scenario, the tournament organizers intend to print this image on various types of collateral items—mailing letterheads, registration forms, advertisements, name tags, T-shirts, Web pages, and so forth—that may be printed in different sizes and colors.

You’ll now load that shape into your Custom Shape picker and then use it in your poster for the golf tournament.

1.	In the toolbox, select the custom shape tool (), hidden under the polygon tool ().
2.	In the tool options bar, click the pop-up arrow for the Shape option to open the custom-shape picker. Then click the arrow button on the right side of the picker to open the palette menu, and choose Load Shapes.
3.	In the Load dialog box, go to the Lessons/Lesson10 folder on your hard disk and select Golfball.csh. Click Load.
4.	Select the golf-ball shape at the bottom of the custom-shape picker (you may need to scroll or drag the corner of the picker to see the shape), and press Enter. Holding down Shift constrains the shape to its original proportions.
5.	In the tool options bar, select the Shape Layers option ()—the first of the three buttons on the left side of the tool options bar.
6.	Make sure that the foreground color is white (or select white now), and then hold down Shift and drag diagonally in the image window to draw and size the shape. A new layer, Shape 2, is automatically created.
7.	Adjust the golf-ball shape as needed: To move the shape, select the path selection tool () and drag it into position so that the bottom of the golf tee is just to the right of the word moon. To resize the shape, choose Edit > Free Transform, and Shift-drag one of the corner handles. The golf ball should be about half the height of the poster.
8.	When you are satisfied with the golf-ball image, press Enter or click the Dismiss Target Path button () on the tool options bar (if it is available).

Adding layer styles to a custom shape

You’re almost finished with your poster project. Right now, your golf-ball shape is simply a composite, solid-white shape, unlike the golf ball you saw in the sample End file. You’ll create the same results with very little effort by applying layer styles to the custom shape.

1.	In the Layers palette, make sure that the Shape 2 layer is selected.
2.	Click the Layer Style button () at the bottom of the Layers palette, and choose Bevel And Emboss on the pop-up menu that appears.
3.	Make sure that the Preview check box is selected and then move the Layer Styles dialog box so that you can watch the changes to the golf-ball shape as you make style selections.
4.	In the Structure area of the Layer Style dialog box, use the following settings: For Style, use Inner Bevel. For Technique, use Smooth. For Depth, type or drag the slider to set the value at about 150%. For Direction, use Up. For Size, use 5 px. For Soften, type or drag the slider to set the value at 6 px. Do not close the dialog box yet.
5.	In the Shading area of the Layer Style dialog box, make sure that the following settings are selected: For Angle, use –41° (being careful to make the number negative). For Altitude, use 28°. Leave the dialog box open for the next step.
6.	In the Styles list on the left pane of the Layer Style dialog box, select the Gradient Overlay check box. Do not click OK yet.
7.	In the Styles list, click the Outer Glow listing so that it is highlighted and its check box is automatically selected. Then select the following settings on the right side of the dialog box: In the Structure section, click the color swatch to open the color picker, and select a pale yellow color by setting the following values: R=255, G=255, B= 190, and then click OK to close the color picker. In the Elements section, leave Technique set as Softer, enter 8% for Spread, and enter 27 for Size.
8.	Review the settings and then click OK to close the dialog box. Although you opened the Layer Styles dialog box just once, you applied a total of three different layer styles: Bevel and Emboss, Gradient Overlay, and Outer Glow.
9.	If necessary, click a blank area in the Paths palette to deselect the Shape 2 Vector Mask, and then save your work. Congratulations! You’ve finished your work on the poster.