5

2 Do one of the following:
• Select any brush style in the Paint Stroke Tool HUD, then draw a stroke in the sketch
area to see a preview of the paint stroke.
• Select the Write On checkbox, draw a stroke in the sketch area, then click the Play
button to see a preview of the write-on stroke.
• Apply a preset from the Shape Style pop-up menu to an existing stroke in the sketch
area.
If the preset is an animated stroke, the stroke is automatically drawn in the sketch area.
Press the Play button to see the stroke animation again.
Note: To create a paint stroke that is “painted” on the Canvas over time (if your chosen
preset is not animated), select the Write On checkbox in the HUD before drawing the
paint stroke in the Canvas.
Important: Some operations, as well as the application of some filters or a mask, cause
a group to be rasterized. Because all paint strokes live in groups, this affects how strokes
interact with other objects in your project. For more information, see Groups and
Rasterization.
Paint Stroke Tool HUD Parameters
The Paint Stroke Tool HUD appears after the Paint Stroke tool is selected in the toolbar
and before a stroke is drawn. This HUD contains controls that define the color and width
of the stroke and how pen pressure and speed affect the stroke (opacity, width, and so
on), a checkbox that allows the stroke to be “drawn in” over time, smoothing controls,
and a Shape Style pop-up menu for quick access to preset brush styles and a sketch area
for sampling these brush styles.
Brush Color: A color well and eyedropper that set the color of the brush. For more
information on using these controls, see Color Controls.
Width: A slider that defines the width of the paint stroke.
Pen Pressure: When creating paint strokes, this pop-up menu allows you to determine
stroke properties derived from the pressure of your pen before creating the stroke. This
parameter is not available for solid brush types. Choose from one of the following:
Note: Only strokes drawn using a stylus and tablet will have recorded pressure variations.
• Nothing: Pen pressure is ignored.
• Width: The harder the pen pressure, the wider the stroke. To adjust the width of the
dabs after the stroke is created, use the width and brush scale controls in the Style and
Stroke panes.
• Opacity: The harder the pen pressure, the more opaque the stroke. To adjust the opacity
of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the opacity controls in the Style or Stroke
pane.
1129Chapter 20 Using Shapes, Masks, and Paint Strokes