Create Star Shapes in Photoshop (Polygon Tool + Custom Shape Preset)
Learn how to create star shapes in Photoshop with the Polygon Tool, customize their look, and save your favorite star as a custom shape preset. You’ll speed up future work by accessing your star from the Custom Shape Tool in one click.
Step-by-step instructions
Choose the Polygon Tool and set basic options
Click and hold the Shape tool in the toolbar → Polygon Tool
In the Options bar: set Mode to Shape, choose a Fill color (e.g., Black) and set Stroke to None
Set the number of star points and draw
In the Options bar, set Sides to 5 for a classic five-point star
Click-drag on the canvas to draw; hold Shift to keep it perfectly symmetrical
Refine an existing star in the Properties panel
Window → Properties to open the Properties panel
With the star layer selected, adjust Sides to change points
Adjust Star Ratio (e.g., around 50%) to control point depth
Increase Rounded to soften the star’s tips
Save your star as a custom shape
Select the star layer
Edit → Define Custom Shape
Name it (e.g., “Star”) → OK
Use the Custom Shape Tool to draw the saved star
Click and hold the Shape tool → Custom Shape Tool
In the Options bar, open the Shape picker and choose your saved star
Click-drag to draw; hold Shift to constrain proportions
Adjust Fill and Stroke in Properties as needed
