Documentation Index
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The blue-icon Vector tools let you draw and edit all kinds of scalable vector content — shapes, paths, text, and color fills. Because vector content is described mathematically rather than as a grid of pixels, it stays crisp at any zoom level and any export resolution. Every tool in this group adds shapes or paths to the layer stack and integrates with the node graph that underlies each layer.
Shape Tool
Keyboard shortcuts: M (rectangle), E (ellipse), Y (polygon/star/other shapes), L (line)
The Shape tool is a family of sub-modes selectable from the shape-type dropdown in the control bar. Each mode draws a different primitive:
| Shape type | Description |
|---|
Rectangle (M) | Draws axis-aligned rectangles. Hold Shift to constrain to a square. |
Ellipse (E) | Draws ellipses. Hold Shift to constrain to a circle. |
| Polygon | Draws regular polygons with a configurable number of sides. |
| Star | Draws stars with a configurable number of points. |
| Circle | Draws a perfect circle regardless of drag direction. |
| Arc | Draws arc segments. |
| Spiral | Draws an Archimedean spiral. |
| Grid | Draws a rectangular grid shape. |
| Arrow | Draws arrow shapes with a configurable angle. |
Line (L) | Draws a straight line segment. |
Interaction pattern
For all shape modes: click-drag to set the two opposite corners (or start/end points) of the shape. As you drag:
- Hold Shift to constrain proportions (square, circle, equal-sided polygon, etc.) or to snap angles in 15° increments for lines and arrows.
- Hold Alt to draw from the center of the shape outward instead of from corner to corner.
- Hold Ctrl to lock the angle (for lines and arrows).
For Polygon and Star shapes, the control bar exposes a Sides (vertices) number input. You can also press [ to decrease and ] to increase the number of sides while drawing.
Control bar options
- Fill and Stroke color pickers — set the fill and stroke colors directly. The Shape tool respects the working colors by default but you can override them per-tool.
- Stroke weight and additional stroke options (cap, join, dash pattern) are accessible via the stroke overflow popover.
- Shape type dropdown — switch between Polygon, Star, Circle, Arc, Spiral, Grid, and Arrow. (Rectangle, Ellipse, and Line are accessed via their own keyboard shortcuts and hide this dropdown while active.)
- Sides input — available for Polygon and Star shapes; sets the vertex count.
Pen Tool
Keyboard shortcut: P
The Pen tool draws Bézier paths — the fundamental building block of vector illustration. Each click places an anchor point; dragging while clicking positions the control handles that govern curve direction and curvature. The result is a path made of straight and curved segments that you can fill and stroke.
Drawing straight segments
Click (without dragging) to place a sharp-cornered anchor point. Each subsequent click extends the path with a straight segment. Press Enter or Escape to finish the open path, or click the first anchor point to close it.
Drawing curved segments
Click-drag to create a smooth anchor point. The distance and direction you drag away from the anchor point controls the shape of the Bézier curve handle. Release the mouse button to commit the point; the next click continues the path.
Modifier keys while placing a point
| Key | Effect |
|---|
| Shift | Snap the angle of the new segment or handle to 15° increments |
| Alt | Break the colinear relationship between the two handles at the current anchor, allowing an asymmetric curve |
| Ctrl | Lock the handle angle so it stays fixed while you adjust its length |
| C | Toggle colinear handles (keep both handles pointing the same direction) |
| Space | Reposition the anchor point while keeping the mouse button held |
Finishing a path
- Click the first anchor point to close the path into a filled shape.
- Press Enter or Escape to finish the path as an open (unclosed) curve.
- Right-click also confirms and ends the current path.
Control bar options
The Pen tool’s control bar provides Fill, Stroke, and stroke-weight controls, plus a choice between All Handles and Frontier Handles overlay modes that affect which Bézier handles are displayed while drawing.
To create a perfectly smooth S-curve: click-drag to place the first anchor, click-drag again in the opposite direction for the second anchor, and Graphite will automatically produce smooth C1-continuous Bézier curves between them. Hold Alt after you begin dragging to break the handle and create a cusp (sharp corner) at a particular anchor.
Path Tool
Keyboard shortcut: A
The Path tool edits the anchor points and control handles of an existing vector path. Use it after drawing a shape or path with the Pen, Shape, or Freehand tool to adjust individual points and segments.
Selecting points
- Click an anchor point to select it.
- Shift+click additional anchor points to extend the selection.
- Click-drag to draw a rectangular area selection over multiple points. Ctrl+drag performs a lasso selection.
- Ctrl+A selects all anchor points on all selected layers.
Moving points
- Drag a selected anchor point to reposition it.
- Drag a control handle to adjust the curvature of adjacent segments.
- Arrow keys nudge selected points by 1 unit; hold Shift for 10 units.
- Press G, R, or S to grab, rotate, or scale selected points with keyboard input.
Converting anchor point types
- Double-click an anchor point to toggle between a smooth (curved) and sharp (cornered) anchor.
- Alt+click an anchor point to convert it to sharp (removing its handles).
- Alt+drag on an anchor point to pull out a new smooth handle, converting it to a smooth point.
Inserting and deleting points
- Click on a path segment (in Point Editing mode) to insert a new anchor point at that location.
- Select one or more anchor points and press Backspace or Delete to dissolve them (the segments are joined). Hold Ctrl to delete without dissolving, or Shift to cut the path at the selected anchor.
Segment editing
In the default Point Editing Mode, hovering over a segment between two anchor points allows you to:
- Click a segment to insert a new anchor point at that location.
- Drag a segment to bend (mold) it.
- Alt+click a segment to delete it.
The control bar’s Segment Editing Mode toggle switches to selecting and manipulating whole segments. In this mode:
- Click a segment to select it.
- Ctrl+click a segment to insert a new anchor point at that location.
- Ctrl+drag a segment to bend (mold) it.
Control bar options
| Control | Description |
|---|
| Colinear Handles | Force the two handles at each smooth anchor to remain colinear (mirror each other through the anchor) |
| Point Editing Mode | Edit individual anchor points and handles (default) |
| Segment Editing Mode | Select and deform entire path segments |
| Handle display | Choose between showing All Handles, Connected Handles, or Frontier Handles |
Spline Tool
Keyboard shortcut: (none)
The Spline tool draws interpolating spline curves that pass through every point you click, rather than requiring separate control handles. This makes it easier to hit specific positions compared to the Pen tool’s Bézier approach.
Drawing a spline
- Click to place each point the curve must pass through. The preview updates in real time as you add points.
- Press Enter, Escape, or right-click to finish the spline.
- Hold Shift while clicking the first point to append new points onto an already-selected spline layer rather than starting a fresh path.
Control bar options
The Spline tool shares the same Fill, Stroke, and stroke-weight controls as the other vector drawing tools.
Freehand Tool
Keyboard shortcut: N
The Freehand tool lets you draw a polyline (a connected series of straight segments) by simply clicking and dragging. Each mouse position sampled during the drag becomes an anchor point in the resulting path.
Drawing a freehand path
- Click-drag to trace out a free-form path. Release the mouse button to finish.
- Hold Shift before clicking to append the new stroke to an already-selected vector layer instead of creating a new one.
Control bar options
Fill, stroke color, and stroke-weight controls appear in the control bar, consistent with other vector tools.
Text Tool
Keyboard shortcut: T
The Text tool places a text layer on the canvas. Text in Graphite is vector-based and resolution-independent.
Placing text
- Click anywhere on the canvas to place a text entry point at that location. Start typing immediately.
- Click-drag to define a bounded text box of a specific size. Hold Shift to constrain to a square box; hold Alt to draw from the center.
- Click an existing text layer to enter editing mode for that layer.
Editing text
While a text layer is in editing mode, you can type, select text, and use standard text editing shortcuts. Press Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter on macOS) or Escape to commit the changes and exit text editing mode.
Formatting
Font family, size, style, alignment, and other typographic properties are configured in the Properties panel (right side of the interface) while the text layer is selected.
Fill Tool
Keyboard shortcut: F
The Fill tool applies a flat color fill to a closed vector shape in a single click.
Using the Fill tool
- Click inside a closed shape to fill it with the current primary working color.
- Shift+click fills with the secondary working color instead.
The fill is applied by modifying the Fill node in the selected layer’s node graph. If the shape is open (not a closed path), the fill may not render as expected.
Gradient Tool
Keyboard shortcut: H
The Gradient tool adds a linear or radial gradient fill to a shape, blending between the color stops you define.
Applying a gradient
- Click-drag across a shape to define the gradient direction and extent. The drag start becomes one end of the gradient; the drag end becomes the other.
- Hold Shift to constrain the gradient angle to 15° increments.
- Hold Ctrl to lock the drag angle after it is established.
Editing an existing gradient
When the Gradient tool is active and a layer with a gradient is selected:
- Drag either endpoint handle to reposition it.
- Click on the gradient line to insert a new color stop at that position.
- Drag a color stop handle to move it along the gradient.
- Double-click a midpoint marker between two stops to reset it to the halfway position.
- Backspace or Delete removes the selected color stop or resets the midpoint.
Control bar options
| Control | Description |
|---|
| Linear / Radial | Toggle between a linear gradient (straight blend from point A to B) and a radial gradient (circular bloom from center outward) |
| Gradient Stops | Edit the color and position of each stop in the gradient |
| Reverse Stops | Swap the order of all color stops |
| Spread Method | Choose Pad (solid color beyond the ends), Reflect (mirror the gradient), or Repeat (tile the gradient) |
| Reverse Direction | Flip which geometric end the gradient radiates from without reordering stops |
Eyedropper Tool
Keyboard shortcut: I
The Eyedropper tool samples any color from the canvas — whether from a vector fill, raster image, or gradient — and sets it as a working color.
Sampling colors
- Click anywhere on the canvas to sample the color at that point and set it as the primary working color.
- Shift+click to sample into the secondary working color instead.
The sampled color is immediately reflected in the working color swatches at the bottom of the tool shelf and becomes available to all other tools.