How to draw a simple dotted or dashed line (applies to Photoshop Elements also).

Have you ever wanted to just draw a simple dashed or dotted line in Photoshop? This should be simple, right? Well, it's not too complicated if you know where to look. But I'll admit, it is a little round-about.

Steps:
1) Select either the Pencil or Brush tool
2) Select the brush size you want to use for your dotted line (Hard-edged brushes work best). If you want a dotted line, use a round brush, if you want a dashed line, you will need to load the Square Brushes library. To do this, click on the brush size icon in the options bar, then click on the fly-out menu (circle with an arrow icon) and select Square Brushes.
3) Access the Brushes palette (it lives in the palette well by default), click on the 'Brush Tip Shape' to display those settings and change the Spacing setting to a high value (200 or more).
4) Draw on your canvas while holding down the Shift key, which allows you to draw straight lines.
(Tip: Click once to set down the start point of your line, move your mouse to where you want the end point to be, hold down the Shift key and click again. This works with any tool that uses brushes: Healing, Clone, Burn, etc.). If you want longer dashed lines, you'll need to create your own custom brush.

Comments

[Jon Mold]

Hi

Go that, excellent, drawing a straight dashed line. But I have a curved outline and need to stroke it with a dashed line. HELP?

Kind regards

Jon Mold

[Chad Rolfs]

If you are using Photoshop and have a active curve (path), go to the Path Palette and click on the flyout menu and select Stroke. This will bring up a dialog that allows you to choose which tool to use, select Brush (assuming you've set it up with the spacing, etc.) and click OK.

[hedye darman]

hi, thanks alot for your tutorial.

[Robert Gonzalez]

Thanks for the tutorial. This was the easiest one I have found yet. Very nice, very simple. Thanks a bunch.

[eric]

Hi..

what about if you want the dashed line to be made of rectangles that follow the curved path in their orientation? I lets say I draw a bunny and I want it to have a "cut here" dashed line all around it? all the individual rectangles can't be horizontal, how do I accomplish this?

[Spencer Cross]

I'm not in front of Photoshop to double check where this is, but somewhere in the Brushes palette is a preference to make the brush angle follow the stroke direction. Of course, it would be infinitely easier in Illustrator.

[greyone]

very good info !!
best i found
i just reckon it should be more easy (accesible)

thanks

a student

[edgar]

Eric says: "... somewhere in the Brushes palette is a preference to make the brush angle follow the stroke direction..."

True, here is how:

brush pallette > shape dynamics > angle jitter: 0% and control=direction

[Meg]

I know this topic might be old, but it was pertinent to me! I was able to change the spacing...however, I am still unable to draw a dotted circle. I used the marqee tool to draw the circle, then stroke, but no dotted line appears. I think I am missing something, please help.

[Tomas]

Hey Meg,

You can only stroke paths. You cannot stroke a selection (drawn with the marquee tool or lasso tool). You can convert a selection to a work path by going to the paths palette and selecting "make work path." Normally, you would draw a path with the pen tool. You can then stroke the path; Photoshop will automatically use whatever brush you have selected. Hope this helps.

[Grapejuice]

How can a affect the spacing if I do not see that option in my Brushes palette. I've seen vid clips and screen shots of this and for some reason my version CS2 9.0.2 does not have a slider bar for spacing.