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I'm looking for an answer to the most obvious thing in the world.

  1. I create a new layer on a blank canvas
  2. I draw a line with the line tool
  3. I switch to the move tool and try to move the line
  4. the line will not move. It seems I can't even select it.

I've even tried free transform to move it. I can't resize it, I can't move it, I can't select it. Totally weird.

How do I draw a simple horizontal line and then move it around???

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  • The only type of "line" you can't move with the move tool in any circumstance is a path. If the tool mode (the dropdown on the left side in the tool options bar) says Path when you draw it, then you can't use the move tool. What I don't get is... paths can be free transformed (resized, etc...). As well as moved with the path selection tool, but that I feel is irrelevant. I think you need to maybe give us like a video of you making it and trying to move it.
    – Joonas
    Oct 29, 2018 at 7:40

4 Answers 4

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Did you draw a shape...

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Shapes create both a Shape Layer and a path... either can be moved.

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Or a path....

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Paths only create a new path in the Paths Panel and can only be moved using the Selection or Direct Selection tools.

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or pixels....

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Pixels can only be drawn on a existing layer and do not crete anything in the Path Panel.

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All three can be moved, but how they are moved may be different. If it's a path you need the Selection/Direct Selection tools. For Shapes or Pixels you can use the move tool on the layer associated with the line.

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By default, these days, creating a line with the line tool will create a "Live shape", not a Path. Live shapes can be tweaked indefinitely, having properties such as stroke width, color, fill (lines can be expanded into boxes), etc. I don't have a definitive answer for your question because I struggle with Photoshop's move tool as well, as it requires you to click exactly on the object in order to move it. It used to be different. Perhaps there's a shortcut or another way of doing this. Here are just a few images to illustrate what I said:

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Photoshops Move Tool (V) works in layers, so in order to move the line, you would have to move the layer (that the line is on). With the Move Tool you can actually click anywhere, since it's the layer and not a particular path/object.

It's possible that you selected a different layer. Make sure to select the Shape layer with the line.

Here's a GIF showing that scenario.

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Select your shape, hold Ctrl key, then click to drag.

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