How to stop Elements 8.0 from making layers for line tool?

[aurum-femina]

I recently upgraded from Photoshop Limited Edition 5.0 to Photoshop Elements 8.0. I use Photoshop to draw pictures and sometimes I would use the line tool to make a rough sketch of where I wanted things to go. But with Photoshop Elements 8.0, a new layer is created for every line made. (In Photoshop 5.0, I never had this problem.) Is it possible to turn off this "Make a new layer every time" feature off?

[Steve Grisetti]

Hi and welcome to Muvipix, Aurum! I'm glad you found our little community!

The line is a shape in Photoshop Elements, so it creates a new shape layer each time you draw one. (It also remains an editable shape -- which is an advantage.)

But it's pretty much the only way to draw a line with the program.

[TreeTopsRanch]

And no pen tool either?

[Bob]

No pen tool in Photoshop Elements.


How about creating a new blank layer and then use the pencil tool to draw the lines. To draw a straight line, click on one end point then shift click on the other. Holding down the shift key as you continue to click will generate a series of straight line segments. You can also draw freehand lines as needed.

[TreeTopsRanch]

No pen tool or pencil tool in my version.

[Bob]

Photoshop Elements has never had the pen tool, but the pencil tool has been there a long time. It's grouped with the brush tool in the tool box. See: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PhotoshopElements/8.0/Win/Using/WS876ED0AF-7CA5-4c49-B18B-B9806908BBB1_WIN.html.

[Steve Grisetti]

Bob's right. Just click and hold in the paintbrush (on the Toolkit that runs down the left side of the interface) and the "hidden" tools, including the pencil, will appear and become available.

[TreeTopsRanch]

Found it. Much thanks!