This one is pretty slick because it’s been a feature in Photoshop for a while, but eight out of ten Photoshop users will tell you Photoshop can’t create arrowheads on the ends of lines (if it makes you feel any better, nine out of 10 dentists didn’t think Photoshop could do it either). Here’s how: First, go under the Shape tools (in the Toolbox) and choose the Line tool. Then, up in the Options Bar, you’ll see icons for the shape tools. Directly to the right of these eight icons is a down-facing triangle. Click on that triangle and out pops a dialog where you can click a checkbox to add arrowheads to either the beginning or end of your line, and you can choose the Width, Length, and even the Concavity (there’s that dentist thing again).

9 Comments

1. Jim Gross said on — June 29, 2009 @ 11:03 am

   Thank you for this tip. Needed to add some arrows in Photoshop today and you helped me quickly find them.

   Cheers

   Jim

2. Dodie said on — July 24, 2009 @ 12:27 pm

   Yea! Thank you!

3. Neil said on — February 13, 2010 @ 11:27 am

   I’ve been using Photoshop for years and I keep forgetting how to add the arrowheads. I don’t know why Adobe doesn’t make this a bit more intuitive. Thanks for the tip the online Photoshop help was useless.
   -Neil

4. Bruce Gladstone said on — August 26, 2010 @ 3:36 pm

   Thank you. The only real gripe I have with Photoshop is the obscure places they put commands and options. Without help like your’s I would have been fumbling around for 10 minutes at least.

5. Daniel Ang said on — October 6, 2010 @ 9:56 pm

   Thanks for the tip, good and easy to read description too =)

6. Larry said on — October 8, 2010 @ 11:00 pm

   Where are you able to find the options bar? i’ve searched all over theplace and i can’t find it. i’m using photoshop CS4

7. Travis said on — November 8, 2010 @ 6:09 pm

   Thank you! I just spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to turn OFF arrow heads. In the next version it’ll hidden even deeper.

8. Cris said on — November 12, 2010 @ 5:54 am

   What about curve lines (paths???), I can’t create arrowheads with these lines..

9. kate davies said on — February 17, 2011 @ 4:50 am

   HELP how do you STOP arrow heads on lines? I have gone into the drop down line menu and it tells me there are no presets for the current tool. And yet I get an arrow on the end of every line? Why? Can anyone help

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