In this article, we'll take a look at various selection tools in Photoshop. Considering that there are different ways selection in Photoshop, you yourself choose which one is suitable for solving your problem. So, let's begin.
Selecting simple objects in Photoshop
If your object is rectangular or elliptical, you can use one of the simple selection tools in Photoshop. They are located in the second group on the Toolbar.
"Rectangular Marquee Tool" (Rectangular selection) allows you to select a rectangular object: notebook, window, house.
"Elliptical Marquee Tool" (Elliptical selection) - selects a round or elliptical object.
By holding down the "Shift" key while selecting, you will get a selection in the form of a perfect circle or square.
Single Row Marquee Tool and "Single Column Marquee Tool" select a row or column, 1 px wide.
Settings for selecting areas in Photoshop
IN top line, in the tool settings, you can choose how the selection will take place.
The first button "New Selection" will allow you to select a new area each time.
The "Add to selection" button will allow you to select several areas at once, and if they overlap, new area will be added to the previously selected one, as if expanding it.
The "Subtract from selection" button will exclude the selected areas from the already existing selection.
The last button "Intersect with selection" will only select the area that will be on the border of the intersection.
The line "Feather" sets the value of blurring the boundaries of the selected area. For example, let's set "0 px", select the area and move or copy it. The borders of the clipped object are clear.
Now set the value to "20 px", select and copy the fragment. The cutout has softer feathered borders.
Moving a selection in Photoshop
In order to move the selected object on the image, hover over it with the mouse, the cursor will take the form of an arrow pointer with a small rectangle at the bottom, hold left button mouse and drag the area.
For more precise movement of the area, you can use the arrows on your keyboard.
If during the movement the tool “Move Tool” is selected, then not the selected area will be moved, but the selected fragment of the image.
Selection in Photoshop with the Lasso tool
Lasso is the third group on the toolbar.
"Lasso Tool" (Lasso) - a simple lasso. You need to hold down the left mouse button and drag along the contour of the object you want to select. It takes patience and skill.
"Polygonal Lasso Tool" (Polygonal lasso) - selects the outline of the object with straight lines. Click with the left mouse button at the beginning of the selection, and then click each time where the straight segment should end.
"Magnetic Lasso Tool" (Magnetic lasso) - allows you to quickly select the desired object. Click with the mouse at the beginning of the selection area, and then simply move the cursor along the path that you want to select, and selection markers will be automatically placed. The greater the contrast between the background and the area you want to highlight, the better tool defines the boundaries of the selection area.
The tool settings contain the following parameters. Consider the last three, as the rest were described above.
"Width" - the more precise the selection should be, the lower the value you need to select.
"Contrast" - if the contrast of the background and area is high, the value should be high, if it is low, choose a value less.
"Frequency" - the higher the value, the more often markers will be created along the outline of the selected area.
Selecting in Photoshop with the Magic Wand Tool
The magic wand highlights pixels that are similar in color. You just need to click on the object that you want to select.
You can configure the following parameters for it.
"Tolerance" (Tolerance) - what more value, the more the area with pixels of similar color will be selected. The selected value is 20.
The selected value is 50.
"Contiguous" - if unchecked, areas of similar color will be highlighted throughout the image.
Using the Quick Selection tool in Photoshop
"Quick Selection Tool" - with this tool, you can quickly select the desired object in the image.
The area is highlighted with simple mouse clicks. After each click, the selected area is enlarged.
If unnecessary background parts are automatically selected, press "Alt" and click on the unnecessary area - it will be subtracted from the selected area. Using the Quick Selection tool, you can select complex objects in the image. It is also convenient to remove the remnants of the background using the "Eraser Tool".
The tool settings are as follows: the first three brushes - select an area, add to the selected area, subtract from the selected area; clicking on the black arrow will open the selection brush options.
Selecting in Photoshop with a Mask
"Quick Mask Mode" is the last button on the Toolbar. You can also use the "Q" key to enable this function.
Select the "Brush Tool" from the Toolbar and press "Q". After that, black will be selected for the brush. Paint over the object you want to select with it.
Pay attention in the settings of the brush "Opacity" (Opacity) and "Flow" should be 100%. Choose a hard, opaque brush.
In this tutorial for beginners, we'll take a look at how to select an area in Photoshop CS5 with a simple geometric shape using the rectangular and oval discharge.
For fast work with simple shapes, the editor provides convenient.
Rectangular selection
As discussed earlier, one of the tools for working with rectangular shapes is the Rectangular Marquee. In Photoshop CS5, it's located on the left, at the top of the toolbar. To activate the tool, just click on the icon. A panel of parameters will appear at the top, allowing you to make adjustments: When the parameter "Style" is set to "Normal", the selection of the rectangular area will be performed arbitrarily, as you stretch it.
Change the style to Fixed Ratio and two boxes will appear next to it.
In them, you can prescribe the ratio of width to height. If you specify 3 in the width column, and leave the height 1, then the sides will keep the proportions: the width will be 3 times the height.
And the next style is "Fixed Size":
Here the exact size of the selection frame is specified in numbers. Between them is a button with arrows - swaps the width and height values.
Selection mode buttons
Now let's "go through" the mode buttons relative to the already existing selection:
The number 1 denotes the New Selection button. When it is pressed, with each next selection, the previous one that was made earlier is removed.
Under the number 2 is "Add to Selection" (Add to Selection). Activate it, and a new one will be added to the existing selection. The intersection boundaries will be erased. The same result is given by the button under the number 1 with the Shift key pressed:
The number 3 is above the Subtruct from Selection button. If you select it, then each subsequent selection will remove from the existing part that fell under the intersection. Button 1 with the Alt key held down will give the same result:
And the last, 4th button - "Intersect with Selection". In this case, Photoshop CS5 will leave the area of \u200b\u200bintersection of the shapes, automatically deleting everything else. Button # 1 with the Alt + Shift keys held down will do the same:
I think it's clear how to select an area in Photoshop CS5. But there is only one button left on the panel - "" (Refine Edge). It works with any selection tool, so there is a separate article about it.
Oval Region Tool
The Elliptical Marquee selection tool in Photoshop CS5 is identical to its Rectangular Marquee cousin, with the difference that it denotes round shapes rather than rectangles. But they work the same way and are in the same group. To activate the Oval area, call the drop-down window of this group and click on the oval icon. You can call the drop-down window by left-clicking on the small black arrow in the lower right corner of the group or right click mouse on the Rectangular Area icon.
Depending on the installed settings, you can switch between the rectangular and oval areas with the M key or the Shift + M combination.
1. As already mentioned, an equilateral square and an even circle are obtained if, during operation, hold and hold shift key.
2. It is very convenient, especially for round shapes, to create selections from the center. To do this, click in the center of the shape while holding down the Alt key and drag to the desired size. As soon as you hold down Alt, the point indicated by the click becomes the center point, and a selection is created around it. When finished, release the mouse button and then the key.
If you want to select an even square or circle from the center, use the Shift + Alt combination instead of the Alt key.
In the process of editing images in any graphics editor, one of the most frequently repeated operations, perhaps, is the selection and cutting of objects performed with the aim of moving them, transforming them, correcting them, extracting them from the background, etc.
There are tons of graphic editors, but having mastered well how to select an object in Photoshop, it will not be difficult to cope with this in all other programs or online services.
If we say that in terms of the variety and convenience of the selection methods, "Photoshop" is unmatched, it would not be an exaggeration (at least explicitly).
You can select manually by tracing the outline of an object or by drawing a selection area with a brush, as well as automatically using standard selection outline shapes and other "magic" tools. Besides, to select fragments "Photoshop" uses masks, color channels, filters and special plug-ins.
However, despite the variety, simplicity and convenience of special selection tools in "Photoshop", according to many skilled "Photoshop", there is no way more accurate and better than using the "Pen tool".
Right-click on the object outline carefully outlined with a pen and select the "Make Selection" command, then in the opened dialog box set the feathering radius, check / uncheck the "Anti-aliasing" checkbox and click OK. That's it, the selection is ready.
Automatic selection of an object in "Photoshop" is reduced to stretching the frame along the outline of the element, if it has a rectangular or oval shape, and in some tools to clicking (clicks) of the mouse inside the selected area.
Rectangular and rounded selections
Selection tools with rectangles, ellipses (circles) and narrow stripes (lines) are grouped on the panel in a group with a tip "Rectangular Marquee Tool", which, in addition to the named one, includes the "Elliptical Marquee Tool", "Area horizontal row "(Single Row Marquee Tool) and" Area vertical row "(Single Column Marquee Tool).
To make a selection, you need to click, where necessary, with the mouse, stretch the frame of the required size and release the button - the selection is ready. If you drag the mouse with the Shift key pressed, you get a square (or circle), and if you drag the mouse with the Alt key, the frame will stretch from the center of the shape, and not from the corner or edge.
The next very useful "if" is associated with the spacebar, pressing which during selection (without releasing the Shift key), you can interrupt the process of stretching the frame and move the entire outline to better "aim", then release the spacebar and continue the selection.
And the last "if" refers to the cursor, which changes its appearance inside the selection, indicating that the entire path can now be moved.
The settings for all selections in the panel above are the same, except for the oval selection, which has an Anti-aliased mode to smooth out the opacity transitions at the edges.
Complex selection outlines
Once you've figured out if the selection outlines are rectangular or oval (round), you can move on to more intelligent selection tools.
For elements with complex contours, a group of tools with a hint "Polygonal Lasso Tool" is at your service, which, in addition to the above, includes the "Lasso Tool" and "Magnetic Lasso Tool".
A simple lasso is like a pencil. Pressing the left mouse button, circle (draw a lasso) the desired area (object) and release the button. The loop will automatically close wherever you release the button. If the contour has failed, you can, without releasing the button, press the Esc key, thus removing the selection, and "sketch the lasso" again.
Turning on "Straight Line / Polygonal Lasso", you outline the object not with a smooth, continuous line, but with an angular outline, successively clicking with the mouse from point to point, between which straight lines extend. To close the contour, it is not necessary to combine the beginning with the end point - it is enough to get close to it so that a circle appears next to the cursor, hinting that you can safely click - the contour will close. You can also create a contour without closing it completely by double-clicking or pressing the Ctrl key.
If the line went wrong, the Esc key will help out, but it is better to use the Delete key, which deletes the last segment of the contour. With the Alt key pressed during the selection, both lassos change their roles.
If you don't care how to cut out an object in Photoshop, as long as the selection is more or less high-quality and, most importantly, fast, then, perhaps, the Magnetic Lasso will do the best with it.
The wise "lasso with magnet" itself recognizes the line of maximum difference in color, brightness or contrast and "sticks" to this line. All we need to do is click the mouse on the border of the selection object and simply "lay the lasso" around it, without bothering with details. Unlike ordinary lassos, the magnetic "lasso" needs to set the width (width) of the zone (strip), which it should analyze when determining the boundary of the selected object. The contour of the magnetic tool is closed in the same way as with conventional lassos.
"Magic" tools
Another sweet couple of selection tools tucked away under one button on the toolbar include the Magic Wand Tool and the Quick Selection tool. These tools allow you to select areas of the same color or similar colors in the image.
Unlike the familiar Fill tool (a bucket of paint) with the same settings, it does not fill areas with a different color, but selects them. By obeying a mouse click at a point, the "Magic Wand" analyzes the color around it and selects all adjacent areas of the same color, provided that the "Contiguous" mode is selected in the tool settings. Otherwise, the selection will spread to all suitable areas throughout the image.
The Quick Selection tool works in the same way, only here the selection area is drawn own brush with configurable parameters (size, stiffness, spacing, angle and shape).
There are many reasons why the use of standard selection tools in certain situations is inappropriate or undesirable, so it is advisable to figure out how to select an object in Photoshop in such a capricious case.
To do this, use a group of erasing tools (erasers), among which there are also "wizards". The group includes the Eraser Tool itself, the Background Erser Tool and the Magic Eraser Tool.
The essence of selecting objects with the help of erasers is obvious and simple: everything around the selected element is completely erased (or with a smooth transition), after which the extraction of the object will no longer be difficult.
"Eraser" works like a brush or pencil, so the settings are the same. The principle of operation of the Magic Eraser is the same as that of the Magic Wand tool, only the eraser does not create a selection, but removes an area of \u200b\u200bthe same color from a picture or part of it.
The "background eraser", although not magical, but if you show it a sample (click with the mouse over the area to be deleted) and, holding the button, draw an outline of the object, it will delete exactly what you need, regardless of the complexity of the border, and even generously allows you to "brazenly "to climb over the object with the aiming cursor.
Alternatively, you can use the Color Range command on the Select menu to select by color. This command will open the settings window for this function with a reduced copy of the image in the center. The color to be selected is indicated by clicking with the mouse (eyedropper) on the thumbnail or on the image itself. You can click "until you lose heartbeat" until the selected shade suits you, and if you click with the Shift key, the new color will be added to the previously selected ones, and clicking with the Alt key, on the contrary, excludes the specified shade from candidates for selection (the same is done pipettes with +/-).
To control the selection of a multicolored area, select the "Selection" radio button under the thumbnail.
Extracting an object from the background
With the task of separating the object from the background, "Photoshop" perfectly copes with the command "Extract" (Extract) in the menu This command takes us to a separate dialog box, worthy of the status of a mini-editor of selections. We are required to select a tool similar to a felt-tip pen at the top left, set the thickness of the stroke and outline the object, thus showing the program where the border between the element to be separated and the background will pass. The border must be inside the drawn line that borders the object. Having closed the path, select the paint bucket (Fill Tool) and fill the object by clicking inside (not outside!) Of the drawn path. Only then will the "OK" button allow you to click yourself and be convinced of the extraordinary abilities of the Extract filter.
Selection using color channels
To select objects with a very complex configuration, they sometimes resort to using color channels, since it turns out that you can select an object in Photoshop not only in standard ways.
To do this, in the layers panel go to the "Channels" tab and select the most contrasting (most often blue) channel. Then duplicate the layer of the selected channel, go to "Image"\u003e "Adjustments"\u003e "Brightness" / "Contrast" and enhance both parameters, extremely blackening the object and "whitening" the background. If necessary, refinements can be made with a black or white brush.
Next, the image is inverted (Invert) by choosing this command in the same menu "Image"\u003e "Correction". Now it remains only to click with the pressed key Ctrl on the layer of the channel copy and, "closing its eye", return to the "Layers" tab in rGB mode, where a neat and precise selection has already been waiting for you.
Selecting with Quick Mask
You can also select / cut an object using the "Quick selection tool" located at the very bottom of the toolbar. The selection area is simply painted with black (but the mask has red) using ordinary brushes. Partial selection for feathering its borders is obtained not only by varying hardness, opacity and brush pressure, but also by painting over with different shades of gray. In mask mode, you can also apply a black-to-white gradient fill, or vice versa.
Often there is a need for some reason to slightly move the object in the image. It is better to carry out such an operation under conditions of a relatively uniform background, so that it is easier to "patch up the hole" at the old place of the displaced fragment. It turns out that there are programs in which this is done almost automatically "without noise and dust." For example, you can CS6 and "discreetly" move it to another location using the Content-Aware Move Tool found in the Spot Healing Brush toolset.
To do this, you need to select the object in any way and just move it to the right place, and the program will take care that there are no traces (at least obvious) of the former place of residence of the "migrant" in the background. If it's a little messy, you can help the Content-Aware Move tool to cover the tracks by choosing Fill from the Edit menu and choosing Content-Aware from the Use list box.
Refine the selection edges
Starting with version CS5, Photoshop has a powerful Refine Edge tool, located among other options in the options bar of all selection tools. With this tool, you can set the width of the edge detection area (the "Radius" setting and the "Smart radius" function) and adjust the offset, anti-aliasing, feathering, and contrast of the edges of the selected object.
In this article, we'll take a look at various selection tools in Photoshop. Considering that there are different ways to select in Photoshop, you yourself choose which one is suitable for your task. So, let's begin.
Selecting simple objects in Photoshop
If your object is rectangular or elliptical, you can use one of the simple selection tools in Photoshop. They are located in the second group on the Toolbar.
"Rectangular Marquee Tool" (Rectangular selection) allows you to select a rectangular object: notebook, window, house.
"Elliptical Marquee Tool" (Elliptical selection) - selects a round or elliptical object.
By holding down the "Shift" key while selecting, you will get a selection in the form of a perfect circle or square.
Single Row Marquee Tool and "Single Column Marquee Tool" select a row or column, 1 px wide.
Settings for selecting areas in Photoshop
In the top line, in the tool settings, you can choose how the selection will take place.
The first button "New Selection" will allow you to select a new area each time.
The "Add to selection" button will allow you to select several areas at once, and if they intersect, the new area will be added to the previously selected area, as if expanding it.
The "Subtract from selection" button will exclude the selected areas from the already existing selection.
The last button "Intersect with selection" will only select the area that will be on the border of the intersection.
The line "Feather" sets the value of blurring the boundaries of the selected area. For example, let's set "0 px", select the area and move or copy it. The borders of the clipped object are clear.
Now set the value to "20 px", select and copy the fragment. The cutout has softer feathered borders.
Moving a selection in Photoshop
In order to move the selected object on the image, move the mouse over it, the cursor will take the form of an arrow pointer with a small rectangle at the bottom, hold down the left mouse button and drag the area.
For more precise movement of the area, you can use the arrows on your keyboard.
If during the movement the tool “Move Tool” is selected, then not the selected area will be moved, but the selected fragment of the image.
Selection in Photoshop with the Lasso tool
Lasso is the third group on the toolbar.
"Lasso Tool" (Lasso) - a simple lasso. You need to hold down the left mouse button and drag along the contour of the object you want to select. It takes patience and skill.
"Polygonal Lasso Tool" (Polygonal lasso) - selects the outline of the object with straight lines. Click with the left mouse button at the beginning of the selection, and then click each time where the straight segment should end.
"Magnetic Lasso Tool" (Magnetic lasso) - allows you to quickly select the desired object. Click with the mouse at the beginning of the selection area, and then simply move the cursor along the path that you want to select, and selection markers will be automatically placed. The greater the contrast between the background and the area that you want to select, the better the tool defines the boundaries of the selection area.
The tool settings contain the following parameters. Consider the last three, as the rest were described above.
"Width" - the more precise the selection should be, the lower the value you need to select.
"Contrast" - if the contrast of the background and area is high, the value should be high, if it is low, choose a value less.
"Frequency" - the higher the value, the more often markers will be created along the outline of the selected area.
Selecting in Photoshop with the Magic Wand Tool
The magic wand highlights pixels that are similar in color. You just need to click on the object that you want to select.
You can configure the following parameters for it.
"Tolerance" - the higher the value, the more area with pixels of similar color will be selected. The selected value is 20.
The selected value is 50.
"Contiguous" - if unchecked, areas of similar color will be highlighted throughout the image.
Using the Quick Selection tool in Photoshop
"Quick Selection Tool" - with this tool, you can quickly select the desired object in the image.
The area is highlighted with simple mouse clicks. After each click, the selected area is enlarged.
If unnecessary background parts are automatically selected, press "Alt" and click on the unnecessary area - it will be subtracted from the selected area. Using the Quick Selection tool, you can select complex objects in the image. It is also convenient to remove the remnants of the background using the "Eraser Tool".
The tool settings are as follows: the first three brushes - select an area, add to the selected area, subtract from the selected area; clicking on the black arrow will open the selection brush options.
Selecting in Photoshop with a Mask
"Quick Mask Mode" is the last button on the Toolbar. You can also use the "Q" key to enable this function.
Select the "Brush Tool" from the Toolbar and press "Q". After that, black will be selected for the brush. Paint over the object you want to select with it.
Pay attention in the settings of the brush "Opacity" (Opacity) and "Flow" should be 100%. Choose a hard, opaque brush.
One of the main problems when creating a photomontage is undoubtedly the high-quality selection of an object in one photo and transferring it to another image. And if there are objects containing hair or animal hair, then the problem is even more exacerbated, since not all Photoshop users are able to correctly select such an object.
In this tutorial on working with photoshop will show a simple way to separate an object from a background that has an almost uniform background with slight color transitions. It would seem nothing complicated, you can apply " Magic wand
"(W) or" Fast selection"
(W), but the task is complicated by the fact that the color of the cut out object is very much the same as the background color and, as you understand, this is the problem of selecting the object in the image. The technique described in this lesson, of course, does not claim to be universal, but in some cases it can help you a lot. So how to select an object in photoshop?
Let's open the original image. How easy it is to notice the girl's hair is close to the background color. What is the best way to highlight them?
Create a duplicate layer - Ctrl + J.
Now our task is to select the girl along the contour. Let's go to "".
In the window of the same name, first of all, click on the middle icon depicting an eyedropper with a plus sign (making it active). Then we click on the background around the girl right in the color range preview window, and then move the "Spread" slider to one side or another, so that the result is white background and a "black" girl. This is, of course, ideally, with any color range settings you will have black spots on white and vice versa, white spots on black. You can see my result in the screenshot below. Click "Ok".
The selection we created in the previous step is loaded. As you can see, it is far from ideal.
In the "Layers" palette, click on the third icon from the left and the layer mask will be loaded on the top layer in accordance with the selection created earlier.
To see directly the layer mask itself, we must hold down the Alt key and click on the thumbnail of the mask itself. We will only work with her.
Our task is to make the background completely white, and the silhouette of the girl completely black. I select the Brush Tool (B), the foreground color is white, the default brush settings and I paint over black spots on the background around the girl (I highlighted them in yellow). Please note that I am not getting close to the contour of the girl, we will process these places in a different way.
After filling the background with white, switch the blending mode of the brush to "Overlay" and "go" with the brush along the contour of the girl. In this case, you will notice that the contour will be aligned, the black spots on a white background located next to the contour will disappear, and the black color of the girl herself will practically not suffer.
This is what I got after working with a brush. You can see that the background around the girl has turned white and the outline (from the background side) has aligned.
Change the Blending Mode of the brush to "Normal" again, but set the foreground color to black. We outline the figure of the girl in black, but at the same time we do not approach her contours.
As you probably already guessed, the next step is to set the blend mode of the brush to "Overlay" and work with the brush inside the girl, along her outline. This way we did what we were aiming for - created a crisp black and white mask.
Now holding the Alt key and click on the layer mask (will appear color image girls), then while holding down the Ctrl key again click on the same mask (load the selection) and invert the selection - Shift + Ctrl + I.
Left-click on the thumbnail of the top layer (with a mask), i.e. make the layer itself active, not the mask. Press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + J - the selection will be copied to a new layer.
Delete the bottom two layers by simply dragging and dropping them onto the trash can icon (the far right icon).
We get the girl separated from the background. We have answered the question: "?"
Compare the before and after image of the girl processing photos in Photoshop.
