INTRO
This article teaches you every important feature of rulers in Clip Studio Paint EX 1.13.2. You will learn how to use all rulers, ruler shortcuts and hotkeys, and special tips and tricks with rulers. Let’s get started!
This article is based on my video: “The ULTIMATE GUIDE to Using Rulers in Clip Studio Paint!”. Check it out to see every feature in action!
This tutorial is for Clip Studio Paint 1.13.2 (Most recent version of CSP pre-2.0 release), so we don’t cover fisheye perspective rulers. Also note that the order of things in this article will be slightly different from the video, nd excludes some topics.
The Video!
Take the time to watch the video so you can see every ruler in action!
STEP 1: Object Tool
The Object tool allows us to edit rulers after they’ve been placed.
We can access it in the Operation menu by clicking Object, or pressing the “O” key.
With the Object tool, we can access toggles and buttons on each ruler. We also see editable features in the object tool property menu. These editable features are distinct for each ruler.
STEP 2: Ruler Shortcuts
Before we look at the many rulers in CSP, let’s take some time to learn the shortcuts that will make our lives a lot easier in the future!
SHIFT
Hold SHIFT while dragging the ruler out to snap it to the set “Snap Angle” (default is 45 degrees).
SPACE
Hold SPACE to move current point with the cursor (Result depends on ruler). For example, once you’ve placed a point with the Curve ruler, pressing SPACE will allow you to move that placed point, without changing it’s toggle orientation. In the image below, the previous hollow circle is moving as I hold SPACE.
CTRL
Hold CTRL to move the mouse freely, without ending the ruler. In the image below, when holding CTRL, my cursor is normal instead of being a crosshair, indicating that it is free to move around. The ruler has not turned pink as well, meaning I am moving my cursor without ending the ruler.
CTRL + ALT
Hold CTRL ALT on certain rulers to toggle only one end of the toggle arm for a point. On rulers like the curve tool, this is useful for placing points where one end is a straight line and the other is curved. On the image below, you can see that the toggle arm is bending at the last point.
RIGHT CLICK
Pressing right click on your mouse will delete the last point places in a ruler.
STEP 3: The Rulers
Accessing Rulers
To access rulers, click on the triangular ruler icon in the toolbar.
Linear Ruler
The Linear ruler works like a normal real-life ruler. Click where you want to start, and drag to where you want to end it. Release to end the ruler.
Now you can draw on the ruler. Remember, if your cursor is too far from the ruler, you will not draw on it.
This ruler also has some curve options. Those are covered in the linked video.
Curve Ruler
The Curve ruler allows you to create rulers with bends! To use, click and drag from where you want to start, then release the mouse button. The tool is still active, so if you click and drag again, you’ll have created a new point where you clicked and you can keep making new points. Continue until satisfied!
If you want your ruler to automatically close itself (AKA no gaps in the ruler), toggle “Close line” in the properties. This will lead to results as seen below, where the ruler connects to it’s starting point no matter where you end it.
Figure Ruler
The Figure ruler makes rulers in the form of polygons AKA shapes! To use, click and drag to make a ruler, then release when it’s the right size. Your ruler isn’t done yet! Move your mouse to rotate to shape. Once you’re satisfied, click your mouse to finish!
The Figure ruler has a few unique features in its property menu:
Number of corners: Changes the amount of corners the polygon has
Roundness of corners: Rounds out the corners to a chosen degree
Aspect type: Allows you to alter the length and width of the shape
Below we see an example of the rounded corners look, and how the aspect ratio works.
Ruler Pen
The Ruler pen allows you to draw rulers freehand, the same way you would draw with a pen! To use, draw as you would with a normal pen tool. Ruler will be created when you lift your stylus.
This tool often has crooked or unstable lines, so there are tools included to fix that:
“Stabilization” smooths lines while you’re drawing. Increase for more smoothness.
“Post-correction” smooths lines after you’ve finished them (Note that your line will not be exactly the same as what you initially draw).
Guide
The Guide creates vertical or horizontal guidelines. We’ve skipped “Special ruler” because I want to leave the complicated rulers for last. We will also skip Perspective ruler on the list and then come back to both of them. To use, click and drag in either a horizontal or vertical direction to place the ruler. They work like infinitly long linear rulers!
Symmetrical Ruler
The Symmetrical ruler creates areas of symmetry using “Lines of symmetry” as the ruler line. I know that sounds a bit complicated, but trust me, you’ll get it! To use, click and drag to create the base symmetry line. The line will stretch to infinity. Now, when you draw, the lines you make will be copied onto the other side of the ruler!
The ruler has a few property functions:
“Number of lines” increases the number of lines of symmetry.
“Line symmetry” shifts the ruler between lines symmetry and rotation symmetry. The feature must be changed before placing the ruler. The image below shows what it does. The first is when “Line symmetry” is on, the second is when it’s off.
Special Ruler
This ruler is actually 7 rulers in 1! The guide is one of the special rulers, but because we already covered it, we will ignore it for now and look at the other 6. The special rulers are as follows:
Parallel line
Parallel curve
Multiple curve
Radial line
Radial curve
Concentric circle
Let’s see what each one does!
Parellel line
Lines drawn when the parellel line ruler is active will be parallel to it! To use, click and drag to the angle you want to draw parellel to, and release to complete!
Parallel curve
Lines drawn when the parellel curve ruler is active will also be parallel to it! It works the same as the curve ruler when you’re creating it. Once it’s done, your drawn lines will be parellel to it!
Multiple curve
This ruler works similarly to the parallel ruler. However, instead of creating parallel lines, the lines will be an exact copy of the ruler, sort of like a blueprint! Creating this ruler is also similar to the Curve ruler. Once done, any lines you draw will be a copy of this ruler, no matter where you place your pen!
Radial line
This ruler lets you choose a point where all lines will point towards, sort of like a vanishing point. To use it, click where you want the point to be, and you’re done!
Radial curve
This ruler allows you to create a blueprint for your radial lines. It’s like combining the radial ruler with the multiple curve ruler! To use, click where you want your centre point, then continue on as if using the multiple curve ruler, creating a curve for your lines to follow. Now, your lines will radiate out from the centre point matching the shape of the ruler you drew!
Concentric circle
This ruler allows you to create a circular ruler, which makes all drawn lines concentric to it (AKA all drawn lines will follow the shape of the circle and have the same centre point. To use, click where you want the centre of the circle to be, then drag out to where you want the edge of the circle to be.
To change the width and height of the circle, edit the “Aspect ratio” setting in the tool property window.
Perspective Ruler
The perspective ruler is the most complicated of all the rulers. Let’s simplify how it works!
How do you make one?
To make a perspective ruler, go to Layer > Ruler/Frame > Create Perspective Ruler. Then, choose which perspective you want (This dictates the number of vanishing points). Press OK to create the ruler.
You now have a perspective ruler! It should look like the image below.
What are all those icons?
When you use the object tool on a perspective ruler, there are a plethora of toggles and buttons. What they do is better described on video, so go check out the linked youtube video at the top to see what each button does! The timestamp for this section is 40:59.
Using the Process menu
The tool property window for the perspective ruler has a dropdown labelled “Process”. There are several options on this dropdown, so here’s what each of them do!
Add vanishing point: Adds VP wherever you click
Delete vanishing point: Deletes any VP you click on
Add guide: Adds guideline wherever you click
Delete guide: Deletes guideline you click on
Fix vanishing point: Vanishing point stuck in place
Infinitize: Sends VP to infinity
These tools can come in handy when you’re trying to get the most out of the perspective ruler!
Good job, you’ve mastered every ruler! Now let’s look at some cool tips and tricks you can do with them!
STEP 4: Tips and Tricks
TIP 1: Ruler Visibility
Choose which layers you can be on and still use your active rulers!
“Show in All layers” lets all layers use the ruler.
“Show in same folder” lets only layers in same folder use the ruler (If the ruler is in that folder).
“Show only when editing target” Let’s only the ruler layer use the ruler.
You can find this dropdown menu above your layers tap, and just below the opacity bar.
TIP 2: Create At Editing Layer
Many rulers have a “Create at editing layer toggle”. This allows you to choose whether your ruler is created on a new layer or on the current layer.
When toggled on, the ruler will be placed on the current working layer. When toggled off, the ruler will be created on it’s own layer, or on the nearest layer that already has the same type of ruler (e.g. if you already have a layer of linear rulers, and you have Create at editing layer toggled off, your new linear ruler will automatically be placed on the layer with those previously made linear rulers.
TIP 3: Toggle Rulers
There are two ways to toggle a ruler.
The first is manually. Hover over the ruler icon on your ruler layer. Hold SHIFT, then CLICK on the icon. The ruler will disappear from the page. The ruler icon should now have a red X over it. To toggle it back on, repeat the same process.
The other way is to setup a shortcut!
Go to File > Shortcut Settings. A pop-up window will appear. At the top of that pop-up is a Category dropdown. Make sure that’s set to “Menu Settings”. Then, open the Layer dropdown, and scroll down until you find Ruler/Frame. Scroll a little further to find “Delete Ruler” and “Show Ruler”. Set shortcuts for these (I use SHIFT D and SHIFT R respectively).
TIP 4: Perspective Grids
Did you know you can add grids to perspective rulers. Your lines will snap straight to them, and even the figure tool (NOT the figure ruler, just the tool) will snap to the grids as well.
To turn a grid on, have a perspective ruler active. Then, go to the object tool, and use it to click on the perspective ruler. This will bring up Perspective tool specific properties in the tool property window. Here, you’ll see 3 grid icons. Click on any one of them to show the ruler for that axis!
Once the grid is active, your lines and shapes will snap straight onto it!
TIP 5: Scale
Some rulers (namely the Linear ruler) have a “Scale” option. When toggled on, it adds a measurement scale to the ruler, just like a real life ruler would have. To use it, toggle it on, then place the ruler!
To change the measurement unit, open the dropdown to the right of “Scale” and choose from the listed options. his must be done BEFORE placing the ruler.
TIP 6: Ruler Snapping
There are 3 icons located at the top of the drawing window that allow you to toggle which rulers your lines will snap to.
The icon on the left is “Snap to Ruler”, and will toggle the snapping of any basic ruler (Linear, Curve, Figure, Ruler Pen).
The icon in the middle is “Snap to Special Ruler”, and will toggle the snapping of any special ruler (Special, Guide, Perspective, Symmetrical).
The icon on the right is “Snap to Grid”, and will toggle the snapping of any grid (regular or perspective).
TIP 7: Draw Along Ruler
When you don’t want to use your pen tool, there’s a feature that lets you draw along the entire ruler with just to push of a button.
To use this, go to Layer > Ruler/Frame > Draw Along Ruler. A pop-up window will prompt you with choosing the line width and the anti-aliasing. Choose you preferred settings, then click OK. The ruler should be completely drawn in with a basic hard pen line.
TIP 8: Symmetric Fill
Filling in every drawing on the symmetric ruler seperately is annoying and tedious. Instead of that, you can fill them all in at once!
Go to the fill tool, and open the fill tool property menu pop-up (Little wrench button at that bottom right of the tool property window). Toggle “Snap to Symmetry ruler” and hit OK. Now you can fill in every section at once!
TIP 9: Rulers in Manga Panels
Want to use rulers in your manga/comic panels? Great, it’s really easy!
Create a ruler, and then drag it into your panel (Panels basically act like folders). Now, anything you draw using that ruler layer will stay within the manga panel!
TIP 10: Swinging Action Lines!
Let’s learn to add some action lines to a swinging bat!
I’ve drawn a character swinging the bat, and we’re going to use rulers to draw the swinging action lines.
First, I’ll use the multiple curve ruler to create the edge lines. These are the biggest lines, so I want the ruler to be very smooth. I wanted the swing to look 3D, so I made the closer edge a bit thicker.
I then used the Parellel line ruler to add some shorter action lines directly to the bat. I rotated the ruler as I moved along the bat to make sure they didn’t look weird, as the edge lines of the swing are not at the same angle. By rotating my parellel ruler, I avoid the swing looking incoherent.
Once we finish off those bat lines, were almost done! I erased the characters body just behind the swing, to really sell that the bat went in front of his body. Here is the final result!
CONCLUSION
Wow, you made it to the end! Congrats on mastering the rulers in Clip Studio Paint!
If you liked this tutorial, I make other tutorials just like it on my YouTube channel @StartManga, so please go check it out!
Thanks for reading!
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