How to Draw Custom Shapes in Photoshop (2022+)
Photoshop 2022 and later include powerful updates for drawing and managing custom shapes. This tutorial shows you how to draw shapes with the Custom Shape Tool and the Shapes panel, reveal hundreds of hidden legacy shapes, and precisely edit, align, and transform shapes. You’ll also learn to combine and subtract shapes, merge them, and save your own custom shape preset.
Step-by-step instructions
Create a new document (and optionally expand the canvas)
Home Screen → New file
Choose Default Photoshop Size → Create
Select the Crop Tool
Alt/Option-drag a side handle outward to expand from center; repeat for the top handle
Click the Options Bar checkmark to commit
Choose the Custom Shape Tool and pick a shape
Toolbar: click-and-hold the Rectangle Tool group → Custom Shape Tool
Options Bar: click the current Shape thumbnail to open the Custom Shape Picker
Twirl open a group and click a shape (e.g., Lion)
Press Enter/Return to close the picker
Set Tool Mode → Shape
Set fill and stroke before drawing
Click Fill swatch → choose No Color, Solid Color, Gradient, or Pattern
For a custom color: click the Color Picker icon → set H 295, S 70, B 70 → OK
Click Stroke swatch → choose color type or No Color
Set Stroke Size to 10 px → Enter/Return
(Optional) Stroke Options → adjust Type, Alignment, Caps, Corners
Draw and transform the shape accurately
Click to set a start point and drag to size
Hold Shift to keep the original aspect ratio
Hold Spacebar to reposition while dragging
Release the mouse to complete; use handles to resize (Shift to constrain)
Drag just outside a handle to rotate (Shift for 15° steps) → Enter/Return
Edit fill, stroke, and dimensions after drawing
Select the shape layer (e.g., Lion 1) in Layers
Use the Options Bar or Properties panel to change Fill/Stroke (turn Stroke off via No Color)
Properties → Transform: click the link icon, set Width to 800 px → Enter/Return
Adjust Flip Horizontal/Vertical or Rotation (reset to 0 if needed)
Use the Path Selection Tool to re-show the transform box and move/resize
Center the shape on the canvas
With the Path Selection Tool, click the shape so its path outline is active
Options Bar → Path Alignment icon → Align To → Canvas
Click Align Horizontal Centers
Click Align Vertical Centers
Press Enter/Return to commit
Open the Shapes panel and reveal legacy shapes
Window → Shapes
Panel menu → Small Thumbnail (or switch to Large when needed)
Panel menu → Show Recents (toggle on/off)
Panel menu → Legacy Shapes and More
Open 2019 Shapes and All Legacy Default Shapes to browse
Add shapes by dragging from the Shapes panel
Open 2019 Shapes → Playing Cards → select Heart
Drag the heart onto the canvas (drawn at correct aspect ratio)
Resize with handles (Shift toggles aspect; Alt/Option resizes from center)
Rotate by dragging outside a handle (Shift for 15° steps)
Click the checkmark to accept
Change fill and stroke for dragged shapes
Double-click the shape layer’s thumbnail → Color Picker
Set H 0, S 80, B 80 → OK (red)
Properties: Stroke swatch → No Color to remove stroke
You can also choose Fill/Stroke presets (Solid, Gradient, Pattern)
Edit from Properties or the Options Bar at any time
Fill shapes from Swatches, Gradients, or Patterns
Open Swatches, Gradients, or Patterns (Window → Swatches/Gradients/Patterns)
With the shape layer active, click a preset to apply it
If the shape layer is not active, drag a preset onto the shape
Photoshop auto-selects the shape layer on drop
Tweak settings in Properties if needed
Control placement and style inheritance when dragging shapes
Dropping onto background: new shape layer lands above Background and uses Options Bar defaults
Dropping onto an existing shape: new layer lands above that shape and inherits its Fill/Stroke
To view/change default Fill/Stroke: select a non-shape layer and the Custom Shape Tool
Adjust defaults in the Options Bar
Accept transforms with the checkmark
Copy and paste shape attributes; select multiple shapes
Right-click a styled shape layer → Copy Shape Attributes
Right-click the target shape layer → Paste Shape Attributes
Path Selection Tool → Options Bar → Select → All Layers
Click a shape to select; Shift-click to multi-select
Changes in Properties (e.g., Fill/Stroke) affect all selected shapes
Resize multiple shapes correctly
Avoid setting Width/Height for multiple shapes at once in Properties (it sets combined size)
Select and resize each shape individually for exact dimensions
Use Properties → Transform or transform handles
Press Enter/Return to commit
Reposition shapes as needed
Combine shapes on the same layer and adjust gradient direction
Hold Shift while dragging a new shape from the Shapes panel onto an existing shape
Both shapes now share the same Fill/Stroke on one layer
Double-click the shape thumbnail → Gradient Fill
Set Angle to 90° → OK (gradient runs bottom to top)
Enable Stroke to see it applied around the combined outline (optional)
Subtract one shape from another
With shapes on the same layer, select the front shape with the Path Selection Tool
Options Bar → Path Operations → Subtract Front Shape
Press Enter/Return to commit
Hide Background to view transparency behind the cutout
Undo with Ctrl/Cmd+Z if needed
Merge shape components and transform the result
Drag a marquee around the shapes to select both
Options Bar → Path Operations → Merge Shape Components → Yes
Options Bar: Stroke color → black; Size → 4 px → Enter/Return
Edit → Free Transform (or Free Transform Path) → resize/rotate → checkmark
Turn Stroke off again if desired
Save your merged shape as a custom preset
Window → Shapes
Select the bottom group → click New Group → name it "My Shapes" → OK
Select the shape with the Path Selection Tool
Edit → Define Custom Shape
Name it "Heart with butterfly" → OK (preset appears in your group)
Delete shapes when needed
Select the shape layer(s) in Layers
Press Delete, or drag to the Trash icon
Shift-click to select and delete multiple layers
Confirm removal if prompted
Undo with Ctrl/Cmd+Z if needed
