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•To create and name a path, make sure no work path is selected. Choose New Path from the Paths palette menu, or Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the New Path button at the bottom of the palette. Enter a name for the path in the New Path dialog box, and click OK.

To save a work path:

Do one of the following:

•To save without renaming, drag the Work Path name to the New Path button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

•To save and rename, choose Save Path from the Paths palette menu, enter a new path name in the Save Path dialog box, and click OK.

To rename a saved path:

Double-click the path’s name in the Paths palette, type a new name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).

Note: You cannot rename a vector mask; double-clicking a vector mask creates a copy of it. However, you can rename the copy.

To delete a path:

1Select the path name in the Paths palette.

2Do one of the following:

•Drag the path to the Trash button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

•Choose Delete Path from the Paths palette menu.

•Click the Trash button at the bottom of the Paths palette, and click Yes.

To delete a path without being asked to confirm, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Trash button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

Converting between paths and selection borders (Photoshop)

Because of their smooth outlines, you can convert paths into precise selection borders. You also can convert selection borders into paths, using the direct selection tool for fine-tuning.

Converting paths to selection borders

You can define any closed path as a selection border. A closed path that overlaps a selected area can be added to, subtracted from, or combined with the current selection.

To convert a path to a selection border using the current Make Selection settings:

1Select the path in the Paths palette.

2To convert the path, do one of the following:

•Click the Load Path as a Selection button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

•Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the path thumbnail in the Paths palette.

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To convert a path to a selection border and specify settings:

1Select the path in the Paths palette.

2Do one of the following:

•Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Load Path as a Selection button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

•Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the path to the Load Path as a Selection button.

•Choose Make Selection from the Paths palette menu.

3 In the Make Selection dialog box, select a Rendering option:

•Feather Radius to define how far inside and outside the selection border the feather edge extends. Enter a value in pixels.

•Anti-aliased to create a finer transition between the pixels in the selection and the surrounding pixels. Make sure the Feather Radius is set to 0.

For more information on these options, see “Softening the edges of a selection” on page 166.

4 Select an Operation option:

•New Selection to select only the area defined by the path.

•Add to Selection to add the area defined by the path to the original selection.

•Subtract from Selection to remove the area defined by the path from the original selection.

•Intersect with Selection to select the area common to both the path and the original selection. If the path and selection do not overlap, nothing is selected.

5 Click OK.

Converting selection borders to paths

Any selection made with a selection tool can be defined as a path.

The Make Work Path command eliminates any feathering applied to the selection. It can also alter the shape of the selection, depending on the complexity of the path and the tolerance value you choose in the Make Work Path dialog box.

To convert a selection to a path using the current Make Work Path settings:

Make the selection, and click the Make Work Path button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

To convert a selection to a path and specify settings:

1	Make the selection, and do one of the following:
•	Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Make Work Path button	at the
	bottom of the Paths palette.
•	Choose Make Work Path from the Paths palette menu.
2	Enter a Tolerance value or use the default value in the Make Work Path dialog box.

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