Drawing a line with stroke in PS

[Loopy Lisa]

I'm trying to draw a basic line using the Pen Tool in PS CS...when I use it, it automatically fills the image with whatever colour I have chosen for the foreground...how do I stroke it? I just need a line, not a fill...I cannot access the Stroke option under Edit either, it's greyed out...how do I make it active? I've tried to google the term with no real results for what my problem is.

Thanks in advance...

[emucru]

Select your path and in the paths menu flyout choose stroke path. Is that what you want??

Also its filling because your pen tool option is set to "Fill Pixels". Change it to Paths or Shape Layers might work as well.

[Loopy Lisa]

ya I've tried that...how do I select it anyways? with the Move tool? Anyways, when I open the paths flyout, the stroke path (and fill path for that matter) are greyed out...I just wanted to know why that is and how I can stroke a path or something.

[emucru]

To select the path use the direct selection tool (A) to select the path in your work area.

Click on the path in the paths menu (might be a work path if you haven't saved it) You should be able to stroke the path now.

[Loopy Lisa]

WOW...this is crazy...I really appreciate your help Emucru, but I just can't get it to work no matter what I try. :-(
Could there be a program issue?

[MikeTheVike]

if you are in a rush to get a straight line, you could just use the marquee tool and set it to a fixed height of 1px and width however long you want the line. Then just fill it with a color.

[emucru]

I don't know if it is intended but the pen tool is set to Shape Layer which is why it isn't working. It should be set to paths and it will work. Your paths menu says vector mask so you can't have a stroke on a mask.

So if you click your pen tool go up to below the menu bar and click the paths pen then draw your line. You should be able to click on that work path, flyout menu - stroke path.

Let me know if that works.

[Loopy Lisa]

EM - how can you tell that it's set to shape layer? I've read on a few tuts about it being set to Paths, never understood that...

Why does a vector mask automatically come up when I want to draw a line anyways?

What does the paths pen look like? If you mean click on the pen then go to Windows>Path...

Well I finally got it to work, sort of...I chose the Path flyout first then drew a line ans was able to stroke it...I think it's still set to that Shape Layer b/c when the image is shown thumbnail size, it looks like the attached image. It's "filled" with white. The path itself looks pixelated too when I choose to stroke it with a pencil. Is there anyway to change that so it looks a little more fluid?

Anyways I apologize for being a nuisance with this...I'm a newbie though, that's my excuse as cheese-ball as it is.

[Crimson]

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/2932/picture1vb1.png (http://imageshack.us)
By crimson107 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/crimson107)

Look at the top on your pallette well- You should be able to change it to shape Layer (default to mask) or to make it a Paths. On the preset shapes it can be a pure fill or stroke or both.

[Crimson]

It is good for clipping paths- If you want the line then you make it with the pen tool as a path and then you have to stroke it with a brush of your choice- It will take your last brush setting- so if it 300 px it will be really big. . .

[Loopy Lisa]

awesome thanks guys!!