Draw Arrows in Photoshop (4 Easy Methods)
Whether you need callouts or UI annotations, Photoshop offers several quick ways to draw arrows. You’ll learn four methods: using legacy shape presets, the Line Tool’s arrowheads, building your own from basic shapes, and painting with arrow brushes. Pick the method that best fits your workflow.
Step-by-step instructions
Use built‑in Legacy arrow shapes
Open the Shapes panel (Window → Shapes).
From the panel menu, choose Legacy Shapes and More to load presets.
Expand the Arrows folder and drag an arrow shape onto the canvas with the Custom Shape Tool (U).
Set Fill/Stroke in the Options bar and adjust size/rotation with Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd+T).
Create arrows with the Line Tool
Select the Line Tool (U). In the Options bar, set Mode: Shape and Weight (e.g., 6–12 px).
Click the gear icon in the Options bar and enable Arrowheads → choose Start, End, or both for double‑sided arrows.
Adjust Width, Length, and Concavity to shape the arrowhead, then click‑drag to draw your arrow.
Refine color and stroke as needed in the Properties panel.
Build a custom arrow from basic shapes
Choose the Rectangle Tool (U) and draw a long, thin shaft.
Switch to the Triangle Tool (U) and draw a triangle for the head; rotate/position at the shaft’s end.
Select both shape layers and use Layer → Combine Shapes → Unite Shapes (or Path Operations in the Options bar) to merge into one arrow shape.
Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd+T) to scale or rotate; edit Fill/Stroke in Properties.
Stamp arrows with brushes
Open the Brushes panel (Window → Brushes). Click the panel menu → Import Brushes and load an arrow brush set.
Select the Brush Tool (B), choose an arrow brush tip, and set Size and Angle in Brush Settings.
Click once to stamp an arrow or click‑drag for a stroke; adjust Flow/Opacity for subtlety.
Change color via the Foreground color swatch; place on a new layer for easy repositioning.
