dotted line schematics

[mjohn551]

Greetings,  I am trying to created schematics using dotted lines but seem to be having a really tough time.  An example would be an 8.5x11 sheet with two perforated or dotted lines so that - after separation -  there would be 4 equally size 5.5" x 4.25" sections. The border would be a solid line.  This is one of 30+ designs I need to create and am hoping there's an easy way of doing it.  I am using Adobe Photoshop Version: 19.1.4 20180507.r.325 2018/05/07: 1170750  x64.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Mike

[andreamaestri]

Hi MIke,

I'd suggest to use Illustrator for a task like that, it has a better pattern tool and you can be more precise than Photoshop https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/illustrator/using/create-edit-patterns.html

[mjohn551]

Appreciate your reply.  Thing is, I have already subscribed for with Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Lightroom and Illustrator would be another $20/month.  Apparently there's no perpetual Illustrator available.

[JJMack]

Then you should use Photoshop and the gray matter between your ears. Think shape layer can exceed canvas width and height and they can be stroked with a dotted lined. Why I have it made.

[mjohn551]

Appreciate the reply. I can create a line by creating a 1px hi

rectangle but, even though I select - - - - -, it appears as a solid

line. When I use the line tool, I always get the arrow format.

[JJMack]

What I showed is two rectangle shape layers no fill stroked with a dotted line. One rectangle is taller than the documents height and wider the half the document width.  The other. Is wider than than canvas and tallest than half the documents height. Guide line set Vertical  and Horizontal on Document centers. The move tool was used to align the shapes side stroke to the guides.

Here is the PSD http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/DottedLines.psd

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

If you are subscribed to all of those apps together you may want to look at just getting CC complete. May be some savings and then you would have Illustrator. Or are you using the Photography plan and Dreamweaver?

[mjohn551]

Thanks for your comment, but I have to believe there's an easy way to simply create vertical and horizontal perforated (i.e., dashed) lines.

[Ronald Keller]

Sure. Use the line tool. You can create any type of dashed/perforated line.

[mjohn551]

Ron,

I tried that (see screen shot). Am I missing something?

Mike

[mjohn551]

[Ronald Keller]

You have set a black fill. Use a transparent fill.

[mjohn551]

Tried that too.

[Ronald Keller]

Mike,

Now your stroke is transparent too. I suspect the line we see is the path not the visible result.

Ronald

[mjohn551]

Same thing

[Ronald Keller]

You have it set to 0,22 px. That is too small.

[mjohn551]

Ron, I really appreciate your giving this credence.  But, even with larger stroke size I get same thing.

[Ronald Keller]

Mike,

I still suspect your settings.

Could you try it with these settings.

This gives me:

Also afterwards choose another tool to be the active tool (say marquee or whatever) so the path is not active anymore.

Also what is the resolution of your document?

[mjohn551]

Notice that the Strokes: setting on your screen shot is black, whereas

mini is blue. If you could send your .psd it might shed light.

[Ronald Keller]

Mike,

Here is the link to my file. Hope it works.

Dropbox - mike.psd -

It's getting late here in Belgium so I will continue the conversation tomorrow if you lilke

Ronald

[mjohn551]

Thanks again Ron. Will continue to try to work it out. btw - was unable

to download the .psd.

[Nancy OShea]

When I use a document that is 8.5 inches by 11 inches and 300 ppi, I have to zoom in quite a bit on the Navigator to see dashed lines.   Also you can increase the gap by going into More Options.   See screenshot.

[mjohn551]

Here are my layer settings

[hassan0D4C]

change the stroke px to 9

[Lumigraphics · Accepted solution]

Create guides where you want the dotted lines. Use the line tool, set to shape (as shown above.)

Or download Inkscape if you want a free, pro-caliber drawing app.