Custom shapes are vector based illustrations drawn in Photoshop. By default, Photoshop CS6 ships with a set of default custom shapes, but you can also download additional custom shapes from the Internet. This article will show you how to download and install custom shapes in Photoshop CS6.
In Photoshop CS6, the Custom Shape Tool is located in the Tools panel (it shares a spot with the Ellipse Tool). To select the Custom Shape Tool, either click on its icon or press Shift+U until it’s active. Then, in the Options bar, choose the shape you want to draw from the Shape drop-down menu.
If the shape you want to draw is not listed in the Shape drop-down menu, you can download additional custom shapes. Photoshop CS6 supports two types of custom shapes: vector-based Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files and pixel-based image files (.csh).
To install vector-based Adobe Illustrator custom shapes:
- Locate and select the desired Adobe Illustrator file on your computer.
- Click Open.
- The custom shape will be added to the Shape drop-down menu in the Options bar, and will be grouped with any other custom shapes that were installed from Adobe Illustrator files.
To install pixel-based custom shapes:
- Download, locate, and select the desired .csh file on your computer.
- Copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C) the .csh file.
- Paste(Ctrl+V or Cmd+V) the .csh file into the Presets/Custom Shapes folder at this location: (Photoshop installation location)/presets/Custom Shapes/. For example: “C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS6 (64 Bit)\presets\Custom Shapes\”
- Paste your .csh file into this new folder. All .csh files must be placed in this folder in order for them to appear in Photoshop.
- .csh files are automatically loaded into Photoshop, and appear in the Shape drop-down menu in the Options bar when you select the Custom Shape Tool. If you don’t see your new shape listed right away, make sure that you restarted Photoshop after copying your .csh file into the Presets/Custom Shapes folder.
. If there isn’t already a Custom Shapes folder, create one. You can do this by going to (Photoshop installation location)/presets/, then selecting New Folder from the menu, and naming it “Custom Shapes”.
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To recap, here’s how to download and install custom shapes in Photoshop CS6:
For vector-based Adobe Illustrator custom shapes: Locate and select the desired Adobe Illustrator file on your computer, click Open. The custom shape will be added to the Shape drop-down menu in the Options bar.
For pixel-based image files: Download, locate, and select the desired . Copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C)the .
Paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V)the .csh into he Presets/Custom Shapes folder at this location: (Photoshop installation location)/presets/Custom Shapes/. If there isn’t already a Custom Shapes folder, create one by going to (Photoshop installation location)/presets/, then selecting New Folder from he menu, and naming it “Custom Shapes”. Paste your csh file into his new folder—all csh files must be placed in his folder in order for them to appear in Photoshop.
Warning: Please be aware that the Custom Shape Tool in Photoshop can only be downloaded from Adobe’s website. Any other site offering this tool is not authorized by Adobe and may be malicious.