Using the pen tool

[KaossKid]

I am knew to Illustrator, and every time I try to draw using the pen tool it creates effects I am not wanting, it won't let me us select normal pen!! Help!! I don't want an elipse tool I want a pen!

[KaossKid]

"new" not "knew" typo sorry

[LorraineinKalispell]

It's not you, it's the new pen tool. It ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. The old pen tool worked just fine but some committee of morons at Adobe decided to "improve" it so that now it's absolutely miserable to work with. I've been using Adobe products since they were first released (yeah, I'm old) and each time they come out with an "improved" version, I hold my breath to see what they've f'ed up next. But this is THE WORST of all the botches they've ever done. I can only hope enough people complain that they go back to the old version but I'm not hopeful.

[Monika Gause]

Before posting wrong information into every available thread, please tell us what exactly you are seeing that you don't like.

[HW@Acme]

I 100% agree with LorraineinKalispell. The new pen tool DOES absolutely suck. The pen tool was consistent for YEARS and I am noticing in my version of Illustrator 25.1 that it has a completely foreign behavior, leaving it awkward to use--bordering on defunct. If we have to spell it out for you, then perhaps you aren't accustomed to using bezier curves to begin with?

First problem: there is an odd "sticky" behavior of the path. I place the pen on the canvas, left click, and pull in the direction I want my path to follow. Nothing abnormal there. The path handles appear as per usual. But then upon release of the handle to go to the next point, the path visibly drags along with the pen, whereas before nothing would appear until you left-clicked again and established the curve or straight path. It's as if the pen is trying to engage in some weird predictive behavior.

Second problem: the path no longer releases on a left-double-click. I found that hitting the Escape key MULTIPLE times releases it.

I don't like it at all. I can't imagine how people who count on this tool for making their living are adapting to this modification. It is more than a mere nuisance. I rarely complain about these so-called "improvements" but this is a change that makes me NOT WANT TO USE ILLUSTRATOR ANYMORE. Please please PLEASE I beg you, change it back.

[mjbelt]

Try using the Curvature Pen Tool.

Draw straight lines and smooth curves with precision and ease |

[Kurt Gold]

Which version of Illustrator are you using? Please explain in detail what you do not want to achieve in general with the Pen tool. What are you doing and what do you get?

mjbelt,

your screenshot is taken in Photoshop, not in Illustrator.

[KaossKid]

As far as I can tell I am using the most current version. When I click on the Pen Tool it turns my Apple Pencil into a tool that draws weird lines based on geometric circles I am assuming, this is NOT what I want out of a pen tool, I want it to simply act as a real pen, one that draws and shows only what I draw. I find this is a total creativity crusher, every time I try to use this app I find it to be full of effects but rarely does it act like just a pencil, pen or brush when I select any of those options, it makes me want to scream!

[KaossKid]

I did not post a screen shot.

[Jacob Bugge]

KaossKid,

Appearance (palette)>New Art has Basic Appearance.

[KaossKid]

???

[KaossKid]

Actually found that and it is already set at that.

[KaossKid]

I figured it out people, the ctual pen is not under  or in the Pen Tool, it is in the one below it and you have to go into it to choose pencil. I have to say I love Adobe but they should hire real artists to help them design this tuff because only geeks get that many objects can be wrapped within one object,, and although it might be a real treasure hunt for geeks to program this way it is nothing but hell for real artists trying to use these products. A tool should be clear and easy to use, one should not have to hunt for the most basic of functions related to a tag name for an option.

[Monika Gause]

KaossKid  schrieb

but hell for real artists trying to use these products.

It's supposed that for a mighty tool such as Illustrator you read the documentation. When painting with acrylic for the first time you don't expect to get it onto the canvas correctly either. You have to learn to master the tools first. You have to learn which paintbruch does which kind of stroke. It's the same with software.

Here's how you can adjust the toolbar to your needs:

How to work with tools in Illustrator

[KaossKid]

Yeah I get that, but if your a programmer creating for artists you need to think "how can I get the artist creating right away?" The answer is quite simple, if the tag on an option says "Pen" then it SHOULD act like a real pen simply and easily as the main default. To use the option of a real pen by having to go to the "Shaper" tool tag instead of the "Pen Tool" tag is not logical. Just sayin'..

[KaossKid]

If you are a programmer you need to think like the people you are working for, not yourself or people like you. I love javascript, it is such a wonderful programming tool compared to Basic when it comes to programming, and it is that way because it's entire design is created with the mental process of the developer in mind. Creative art apps for creating should do the same, they should speak to the artist; not the developer.

[Monika Gause]

KaossKid  schrieb

Yeah I get that, but if your a programmer creating for artists you need to think "how can I get the artist creating right away?" The answer is quite simple, if the tag on an option says "Pen" then it SHOULD act like a real pen simply and easily as the main default.

The pen tool has been existing for 30 years in all kinds of different software (including even Photoshop nd the likes). Good luck changing its behaviour.

[KaossKid]

"The pen tool has been existing for 30 years in all kinds of different software (including even Photoshop and the likes). Good luck changing its behaviour." One who sees no more room for growth logic and progress is one who is on the road to decay no doubt.

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

KaossKid  wrote

One who sees no more room for growth logic and progress is one who is on the road to decay no doubt.

Hi,

At its core, the way that paths work is math, and that part may be difficult, if not impossible, to change. I have been using Bézier curves in CorelDRAW, QuarkXPress, and Adobe products for 30 years, and the math part does not change.

The Illustrator team has introduced many new ways over the years to use the Bézier curves that does make it easier for new users as yourself. One is that if you have a straight line (line tool, rectangle, etc.), you can use the Pen tool with Option (Alt) and drag the line itself to add a curve. Some of the new ways of working with the Pen tool that the Illustrator team has introduced are only in Illustrator right now. I have hopes that they get added to Photoshop soon. Road to decay? Personally, I don’t see it, not in Illustrator.

Certainly start with the Pencil tool if you like it. But if you are going to be serious about using Illustrator, Bézier curves are at its core, so you might add them to your list of things to learn.

We are users like yourself. This is a user forum. There is a second forum for feature requests, which is what you have, so you might want to post here:

Adobe Illustrator Feedback

As users, we can’t change the program. We can only tell you how it works.

Cheers,

Jane

[KaossKid]

Hey, I did not mean using Illustrator is decay, I meant not wanting to keep expanding creates decay. I hear you, and I get that totally, but I come from the world of painting, not computing so wrapping my head around this can be rather confusing as I think like an artist; not a graphic desktop publisher or designer. Keep learning, keep growing, thanks for this feedback, it gets me to understand it better honestly!

[jane-e]

Illustrator has done even more things to make it easier, such as being able to align points and distribute points that other packages can’t do. There are just too many to mention in one thread, especially when I’m speaking into my phone while waiting in line.

Have fun, and ask again when you have questions!

Jane

[HW@Acme]

The new "sticky" behavior of the pen tool is annoying and renders it practically useless. If Adobe's developers apply the same behavior to the pen tool in Photoshop it'll make it nearly impossible to draw a path around an object to effectively cut it out. 

[Doug A Roberts]

The 'sticky' behaviour is the rubber band option. It originated in Photoshop, and it's been in Illustrator since 2014. You can disable it in preferences here:

I don't know if this is what LorraineinKalispell or twinbrush were talking about since they never clarified. The original poster seemed to want the pen tool to behave like the pencil, instead of a bezier curve tool, which is a completely different topic than the rubber band option of course.

[HW@Acme]

BLESS YOU,  DOUG A ROBERTS!!!!! 

I wasn't aware of the Rubber Band option and frankly have never used it. I was honestly flabbergasted at that behavior. I was preparing to revert to an earlier version of Illustrator. I never turned this on and can't understand why it is suddenly turned on as the default. 

I fear the Rubber Band functionality being automatically turned on is going to frustrate a LOT of people accustomed to not having it on.

Thank you so much!

[Doug A Roberts]

I believe it is turned on for new installations, but it shouldn't turn itself on if you are migrating preferences when updating. I've had the same computer for a while now so turned it off once in 2015 and forgot about it.