Pen Tool and Eraser

The Pen Tool lets you draw lines and custom shapes in Easel to carve with your machine. The Pen Tool menu also includes the Eraser, so you can clean up your design the way you would on paper.

The Pen Tool menu

Click the Pen Tool icon (1) in the left toolbar to open its menu (2), then choose a drawing mode.

• Straight Line: Click to place points. Easel connects them with straight lines.
• Curved Line: Click to place points. Easel connects them with smooth, flowing curves.
• Arc: Click to set the start and end points, then move your mouse to set the arc's radius and click to lock it in.
• Freehand: Draw on the canvas like a pencil. Release the mouse to finish the shape.
• Eraser: Erase parts of your shapes. See Using the Eraser below.

Drawing a shape

1. Choose a drawing mode from the Pen Tool menu.
2. Click on the canvas to place your first point, then keep clicking to add points. In Straight Line mode, you can also drag while placing a point to make a curve.
3. Finish your shape:
   • To close the shape, click any point you've already placed, such as the first point (1). It doesn't have to be the first one.
   • To leave the shape open, double-click the last point you placed (2), or press Esc.

To join a new line to an existing one, start or end it on the other line's endpoint. Easel merges them into a single shape.

Guidelines

While you draw, red guidelines appear between points. If you place a point while a red line is showing, the line between the two points is perfectly straight. Your point "snaps" into line with the nearest point to help you.

Guidelines only appear between points on the shape you're drawing. They don't snap to points on other shapes or to the dotted line at the edge of your material.

Freehand drawing

In Freehand mode, a live preview follows your cursor as you draw. When you release the mouse, Easel turns your stroke into an editable path, so you can move points, refine curves or add sharp corners afterwards.

Changing the size of a shape

You can change the overall width and height of a shape in the Shape panel. This stretches the whole shape, so it may not change your design the way you expect.

To keep editing your shape, use Edit Points.

Using the Eraser

The Eraser cleans up a design the way a pencil eraser does on paper. Drag it across your shapes, and whatever it passes over is removed. You don't need to edit points or draw helper shapes.

1. Open the Pen Tool menu and choose Eraser. The Pen Tool icon in the toolbar changes to an eraser while it's selected.
2. In the panel on the right, choose a Shape (1) and Size (2) for the eraser.
3. Click to erase a single spot, or click and drag to erase along a stroke.
4. Keep erasing until you press Esc or choose another tool.

Eraser shapes

• Circle: For everyday cleanup. Works just like a pencil eraser.
• Square: For straight edges and sharp inside corners.
• Slice: A thin blade for cutting a shape into pieces. You can adjust its angle.

The Size can be set from 1/32" to 2". It starts at the diameter of your bit.

What the Eraser does to each kind of shape

• Outlines and lines: The erased part of the line is removed.
• Pockets and text: The erased area is removed.
• Inside and outside cuts: The existing cut lines are kept.

The Eraser doesn't affect locked shapes, drill holes, or designs made with apps such as Monogram and V-Carve Inlay.