Can't Stroke a Path in Photoshop CS

[Illusionist]

Hello everyone,
I am a new member of the boards and a fairly new photoshop user. I am currently having a problem stroking a path I create in photoshop CS. When I choose stroke path, it does not stroke the entire path I have created with the pen tool but rather only "strokes" the anchor points of the path I have created with the pen tool. I am fairly frustrated with this and any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brent

 

[Welles]

Brent, welcome to the forums!

As I don't have an immediate answer to your issue, I'm going to suggest the steps for stroking a path and see where you are deviating from them. While your Photoshop installation may be messed up, it isn't likely.

First choose the Pen Tool and click on the Paths button in the Tool Bar so you are just drawing a path rather than a Shape Layer. Once the path is drawn, make sure a new layer or other bitmap layer is active, not a vector shape or text layer. Bring up the Path Palette. There the path you just drew should be active (highlighted). Now set up your brush or which ever tool you intend to use to stroke the path. The default button at the bottom of the Paths Palette (second from the left) is set to stroke with a brush. The brush tool must be active for that to work properly. Other options are available if you Option + click (Alt + Click) the Stroke Paths with Brush button. Before you try and stroke a path, the tool you intend to use must be active in the Tools palette.

Does that solve the issue? My guess is that you are trying to stroke the path with the Pen Tool still active.

 

[JoeD]

First, welcome to the forum Brent

The only way this is possible (to my knowledge) is by setting individual points, without creating lines (deselecting a point by clicking outside point using vector selection tool).

- what photoshop version do you have?
- are you doing a specific tutorial?
- did you try resetting you preference file?

Btw, are you sure that these are anchor points that are stroked and not that you're seeing dots that were drawn because of a high brush spacing value? (see attachment)
Sorry, if it sounds stupid for me to ask, but I have to make sure that this is not the case :\

 

[Illusionist]

I have finally solved the problem. Strangely enough, this oddity of photoshop stroking only the anchor points created by the pen tool only occurs when I have selected a certain set of brushes. If I select the basic brushes preset, and use a brush in that preset, the stroke path command only strokes anchor points. However, if I change my set of brushes to anything else, the stroke command works like it should. This must be a glitch right?

 

[sPECtre]

Check the spacing of the basic brushes and the others

 

[Illusionist]

Ahh, the problem was that spacing was turned off on the basic brushes, rather then the spacing being to high. Apparently spacing must be on to stroke a path properly.

 

[JoeD]

Ahh, the problem was that spacing was turned off on the basic brushes, rather then the spacing being to high. Apparently spacing must be on to stroke a path properly.

Cool, might be useful in some cases!

 

[ToonsTent]

I was having the same problem. I had my brush selected, I attempted to stroke a path white over black and it wasn't happening. Turns out I had my brush set to "Multiply" instead of "Normal". Duh ... I felt like such a n00b! Cheers!