How to make anti-aliased lines & edit brush size for Photoshop CS3's Pen Tool?

[Garamonde]

Long title, I know.

But before I start, I've already spent a few hours searching the internet and YouTube on how to do this and have found nothing, even when searching for pen tool-specific videos and I don't want to spend another few hours sitting through general PS tutorials just to learn how to do one measly thing. That's why I'm asking.

So basically, said pen tool videos all have their lines set to AA'd by default and I need to know how to do this too as mine are pixelated. I also want to know how to change the brush/line width so the lines aren't one pixel wide.

If it wasn't obvious enough, I'm a noob at PS, but I'm attempting to draw with only the line/curve tool for the very first time and I'm really excited about it so I'll really appreciate the help (and forgive me if I missed anything painfully obvious).

[Deathbringer]

If the setup is the same as 7, you need to have the brush selected and the options should appear under the main menu bar.

[Proton]

I also want to know how to change the brush/line width so the lines aren't one pixel wide.

Pretty sure you mixed the Pen Tool up with what is most likely the Pencil Tool.

[Garamonde]

Well, when I use the brush, it's automatically AA'd, and I can change the size (I also found where the smoothing and other options are), but when I switch to the pen tool it doesn't transfer the settings from the brush tool (unless I'm misunderstanding how it works). I can stroke the path after I draw it, making it smooth, simulating pressure, etc. but I know it's possible to have it set to be AA'd as you draw and that's what I'm having trouble figuring out how to do. When the pen tool's active there aren't any settings on top or in the menus to edit those things like there is with the brush (the brush settings are all greyed out when I try to access them in pen tool mode so I can't do that).

Thanks anyway though!

EDIT: Wait, you can't change the size of the Pen Tool?

[Garamonde]

I also want to know how to change the brush/line width so the lines aren't one pixel wide.

Pretty sure you mixed the Pen Tool up with what is most likely the Pencil Tool.

Actually I don't see a Pencil Tool, but I see how the pen works now after making a practice trace-over so I guess my two questions are invalid.
Another question I have now though is, say I have some official art on one layer, and my trace outlines on a layer above that -- is there a way I can make an "in-between" layer, where if I wanted to color in my trace, and use the off. art as reference for shading and etc., I could like color underneath my outlines but above the artwork? I can't figure how to do that.

[puggsoy]

The only thing I can think of here is to duplicate the trace layer and just colour that in (using the bucket or whatever). Then you can move it around in the layer tab (or whatever PS uses to organise layers) so that you then have the official image, the trace with colouring, and the trace.
I don't know if what you're trying to get is the colouring without the trace, but I'm pretty sure that if you're using an anti-aliasing then that's pretty much impossible. Keep in mind that I'm just basing this off my knowledge of GIMP, there may be a way to do it in PS. Why, there might even be a way in GIMP that I don't know about

[Dazz]

You can't use the bucket for anything in photoshop, really, don't bother.
Make a layer between the two, and then colour in with the pen tool. That's really the best option.

[Previous]

Are you talking about the Pen tool (short key p) which looks like a fountain pen? That's no direct drawing tool, but a tool to create a path. You have to stroke or fill it in order to get it to do anything - or you can transform it to a selection etc. The line it draws is just marking the path, but not actual content of the image.

To add a layer between two layers, simply create a new one and drag it where you want it on the layer list.

[Dazz]

Sorry, I meant brush... I always get names wrong.

[Garamonde]

Make a layer between the two, and then colour in with the pen tool. That's really the best option.

Well, I knew I had to make a new layer between the two but didn't know how. I wasn't aware that you could re-order layers via drag and drop (which I just happened to discover before I read it on Previous' post), I was looking for a promote layer setting like PSP7 has or something, lol. And yeah I already planned on coloring with the brush. Thanks Dazz and Previous!