How to draw a line in Photoshop

It is tricky to make a straight line in Photoshop if you've never done so before. You can always select the brush or pencil tool, click-and-drag to make a line, but it may not be straight. Our steps below show you several ways to quickly draw a straight line in Photoshop.

Draw a line using the line tool

1. Launch Photoshop and open a new or existing document you'd like to add a line.
2. To get to the line tool, click and hold the rectangle tool; once the menu pops up, select the line tool. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Shift+U multiple times until you find the line tool.

3. Click-and-drag to the desired line's length, and once you're satisfied with the line, let go of the mouse button.
4. To create a straight line, hold down Shift while you're making it.

Draw a line using the brush tool

1. Launch Photoshop and open a new or existing document you'd like to add a line.
2. Select the Brush tool.

3. To change the size or hardness of the line, open the Brush Preset picker. Change the size and hardness to your desired settings.

4. Click where you want the line to start, adding a dot on the page. Next, hold down Shift, and click where you want the line to end, making a straight line.