The Bezier tool is a fundamental instrument in graphic design and vector illustration, allowing users to create smooth, scalable curves. While the Bezier tool itself is not a standalone application in the Apple ecosystem, it is integrated into several macOS applications such as Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, and even Apple's own applications like Keynote and Pages. Understanding how to use the Bezier tool in these applications can significantly enhance your design capabilities, enabling you to create intricate and precise vector graphics.

In this article, we will focus on using the Bezier tool in Affinity Designer, a popular vector graphic design software available on macOS. We will provide practical examples and step-by-step instructions to help you master the Bezier tool within this environment.

Examples:

1. Creating a Simple Bezier Curve in Affinity Designer:

• Open Affinity Designer on your macOS device.


• Create a new document by navigating to File > New.


• Select the Pen Tool from the toolbar or press P on your keyboard.


• Click on the canvas to create the starting point of your curve.


• Click again to create the second point. Without releasing the mouse button, drag to adjust the handles and create a curve.


• Continue clicking and dragging to add more points and adjust the curve as needed.


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  To close the path, click on the starting point again.

  
  

  Steps:
  
  1\. Open Affinity Designer.
  
  2\. Create a new document.
  
  3\. Select the Pen Tool (P).
  
  4\. Click to create points and drag to adjust curves.
  
  5\. Close the path by clicking the starting point.

  
  

2. Editing Bezier Curves:

• Select the Node Tool from the toolbar or press A on your keyboard.


• Click on any node (point) on your Bezier curve to select it.


• Drag the node to reposition it.


• Adjust the handles to refine the curve.


• To add a new node, click on the curve where you want to place the new node.


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  To delete a node, select it and press the Delete key.

  
  

  Steps:
  
  1\. Select the Node Tool (A).
  
  2\. Click on a node to select it.
  
  3\. Drag the node or handles to adjust the curve.
  
  4\. Add or delete nodes as needed.

  
  

3. Combining Shapes with Bezier Curves:

• Draw two separate shapes using the Pen Tool.


• Select both shapes by holding the Shift key and clicking on each shape.


• Navigate to Layer > Geometry and choose an option like Add, Subtract, Intersect, or Xor to combine the shapes.


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  Use the Node Tool to adjust the resulting shape as needed.

  
  

  Steps:
  
  1\. Draw two shapes with the Pen Tool.
  
  2\. Select both shapes (Shift + click).
  
  3\. Go to Layer > Geometry and choose a combine option.
  
  4\. Adjust the resulting shape with the Node Tool.