Which tool in Photoshop can draw a soft line with a fuzzy edge?

• A. The paintbrush tool
• B. The eraser tool
• C. The pencil tool
• D. The smudge tool

Answer: (A)

Soft edges in painting come from using a brush with a soft edge. In Photoshop, the Brush tool is designed for laying down color with adjustable edge softness through the brush tip shape. By selecting a soft round brush or dialing the hardness down to zero, the stroke naturally has a fuzzy, feathered edge. Using a graphics tablet can enhance this effect because pressure sensitivity controls the stroke’s opacity and flow, creating a smooth, gradual transition along the line.

The other tools don’t fit as neatly. The pencil tool draws with a hard edge, giving crisp, pixel-perfect lines. The eraser removes color and only shows softness if you pick a soft eraser brush, but it’s not used to draw a new line. The smudge tool blends and drags existing pixels, which can blur edges but doesn’t “draw” a new soft line in the same way a brush does. So, for drawing a soft line with a fuzzy edge, the Brush tool is the best choice.