Edit anchor points
Select, move, add, delete, and adjust anchor points on a vector path.
Entering vector edit mode
To edit anchor points, you must first enter vector edit mode:
- Double-click a vector layer on the canvas, or
- Select the layer and press Enter.
The path's anchor points become visible as small squares. Press Escape to exit back to the selection tool.
Selecting anchor points
- Click an anchor point to select it.
- Shift+click to add more points to the selection.
- Drag on an empty area to rubber-band-select multiple points.
- Press ⌘A / Ctrl+A to select all points on the current path.
Moving anchor points
- Drag selected anchor points to reposition them.
- Use Arrow keys to nudge by 1 px; hold Shift to nudge by 10 px.
Adjusting curve handles
When a curved anchor point is selected, two handles extend from it. Drag a handle to change the direction and magnitude of the curve on that side:
- Mirrored handles — dragging one side moves the opposite handle symmetrically.
- Disconnected handles — each side can be dragged independently.
- Straight points — no handles; the path meets the point at a sharp angle.
To change the anchor type, right-click the point or use the toolbar options that appear in vector edit mode.
Adding and deleting points
- Add a point: hover over a path segment until a
+cursor appears, then click. - Delete a point: select it and press Delete or Backspace. The path closes around the deleted point.
Tips
- Zoom in (⌘+) when working with densely packed anchor points to click accurately.
- Make small, incremental adjustments rather than large drags — it is easier to evaluate the effect of small moves.
- Undo (⌘Z) is per-action, so you can quickly step back through individual point moves.