Shapes Tool

The Shapes tool draws filled shapes on raster targets and editable outlines on vector layers. It replaces the old Rectangle tool and adds four shape modes under a single toolbar button:

• Rect
• Oval
• Polygon
• Freehand

You can activate the Shapes tool from the canvas toolbar or with the default hotkey U.

Where Shapes Draws

Shapes draws according to the active layer type:

• On a regular raster layer, Shapes adds filled pixels to that layer.
• On an active inpaint mask layer, Shapes draws directly into the mask.
• On a vector layer, Shapes adds editable outline paths. Rect and Oval are closed, Polygon / Polyline can be open or closed, and Freehand creates an open fitted Bezier path.
• Rect and Oval respect the canvas Clip Strokes to Bbox behavior setting. When enabled, any part of the shape outside the current generation bounding box is clipped.

See Vector Layers for point editing, path operations, transforms, and raster materialization.

Note

Shapes overlaps with some Lasso workflows on mask layers, but the tools are not identical. Lasso is still the more specialized masking tool and can create a new mask layer automatically when one does not already exist. See the Lasso tool guide for mask-specific behavior.

Common Behavior

• Shapes preview live while you draw.
• The fill color uses the current active color.
• On a raster layer, the active color’s alpha is respected when adding pixels.
• On a vector layer, the active color is used when the path is later traced or filled.
• Hold Ctrl on Windows/Linux or Cmd on macOS to switch to subtractive mode and cut pixels out of the active layer.
• In subtractive mode, alpha is ignored and the shape fully clears pixels.
• Press Esc to cancel the current shape session.

Transparency Lock

When Transparency Lock is enabled on the active raster layer, Shapes respects it:

• Added shapes only affect pixels that already have opacity on the layer.
• Fully transparent areas stay transparent.
• This applies to Rect, Oval, Polygon, and Freehand shapes.
• Subtractive mode still clears pixels from the active layer.

Use this when you want filled shapes to recolor, shade, or mask existing painted content without spilling into empty transparent regions of the layer.

Tip

When subtractive mode is active, the canvas cursor shows a small minus badge so you can tell at a glance that the next shape will erase instead of fill.

Shape Modes

Rect

Drag to draw a rectangle. Hold Shift to constrain to a square. Hold Alt to draw from the center instead of from a corner.

Oval

Drag to draw an ellipse. Hold Shift to constrain to a perfect circle. Hold Alt to draw from the center.

Polygon

Click to place vertices. Click the first point to close and commit the shape. On a vector layer, press Enter or double-click to finish an open Polyline. Hold Shift to snap the pending edge to horizontal, vertical, and 45 degree angles.

Freehand

Click and drag to sketch a filled freehand contour. Release the pointer to commit the shape. On a vector layer, the gesture becomes an open editable Bezier path.

Moving and Panning During Drawing

The Shapes tool supports different Space behavior depending on the current mode:

• Rect / Oval: While still dragging, hold Space to move the uncommitted shape instead of resizing it. Release Space to continue resizing.
• Polygon / Freehand: Hold Space during an active session to pan the viewport without discarding the unfinished shape. This is especially useful when drawing large shapes that extend beyond the current viewport.

Color Picking While Using Shapes

The Alt key behaves differently depending on the active Shapes mode:

• Rect / Oval: Before you start dragging, Alt can be used for the temporary color-picker quick-switch. Once a drag is active, Alt is reserved for drawing from the center.
• Polygon: Alt remains available for the temporary color-picker quick-switch between vertex placements.
• Freehand: Alt is available before the stroke starts, but not during an active stroke.

Practical Examples

• Use Rect or Oval to quickly add clean filled regions.
• Use Polygon when you need straight edges and deliberate corner placement.
• Use Freehand for irregular organic regions.
• Use subtractive mode to cut holes back out of an existing filled region.

Summary

The Shapes tool is the fastest way to add geometric or freeform content to canvas layers. Use it for raster fills, mask authoring, precise subtractive edits, and editable vector outlines.