Instructions
Use the Marquee tools to quickly select regular elliptical or rectangular objects. Activate the Elliptical Marquee Tool or the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Move the mouse cursor to one of the corners of the image fragment that you want to select. Press the left button. Move the cursor to create a selection area of \u200b\u200bthe desired size. Release the mouse button.
Adjust the created selection area if necessary. From the menu, choose Select and Transform Selection. Move the mouse around the edges of the displayed frame to achieve the desired result. Double click inside the selection area to commit the changes.
To quickly select an object filled with one color or a group of similar colors, as well as a single object located on a uniform background, use the Magic Wand Tool. Activate it using the toolbar button. Set the appropriate value for the Tolerance parameter in the panel above. Click with the mouse inside an object or a uniform background. If you were processing the background, invert the selection by pressing Ctrl + Shift + I or choosing the Select and Inverse items from the menu.
Apply the Quick Selection Tool to use the smart selection mechanism. After activating the tool, select a suitable brush by clicking on the Brush control located in the top panel. While holding down the left mouse button, move the cursor over different areas of the selected image fragment. Make the selection spread over the entire object.
Use the tools in the Lasso group to quickly, but not always accurately, select complex objects. Apply the Lasso Tool if you need to create a rough selection. Just drag the desired area with the mouse cursor along the outline while holding down the left key. With the help of the Polygonal Lasso Tool, select the fragments, limited by straight lines. The Magnetic Lasso Tool is the smartest in this group. It automatically recognizes the boundaries of dissimilar parts of the image. It can be used, for example, to highlight the outline of a face in a photograph.
Start using the quick mask to select objects or groups of complex shapes. Activate the mask by pressing the Q key or the Edit in Quick Mask Mode button on the toolbar. Set the foreground color to black. Select the Paint Bucket Tool. Click anywhere on the image. Activate the Brush tool. Adjust the parameters of its operation using the controls on the top panel. Set the foreground color to white.
In this article I will explain in detail everything you need to know about selection in Photoshop... This is one of the key features on the basis of which the entire work of the program is built.
The name speaks for itself. That is, we draw a kind of frame around the object that we want to select. The frame is not a graphic element, it is not visible in the image - in fact, it is the simplest auxiliary tool for working in the program.
The functionality of Photoshop is divided into how and what form draw this frame and what can be done with the part that we have highlighted in the image. As you may have guessed, there are many options.
Many program commands and tools are dedicated to highlighting, for example, a separate independent menu for:
As you can see, this menu has an abundance of commands that define the very same functionality. In addition, there are special tools:; and. In other tabs on the control panel menu, for example Editing, there are commands that work mainly in tandem with a selection, for example, or a tool. It is also closely related and duplicates many Photoshop commands, for example,. And if you create a selection and click on it with the right mouse button, another large menu of actions will appear.
All this suggests that selection in Photoshop is a serious and important function, which is an integral part of the program, significantly expanding the possibilities of image processing.
Let me explain with an example. Let's say you've created a border in the middle of your document. Applying the inversion, we get a selection of what was previously outside this frame (grayed out):
The next three items are on the menu, but do not cause the "marching ants" to appear. Instead, they order all layers to be selected:
5. All layers
Use this command (Ctrl + Alt + A combination) if you want to select all layers in the document (so that, for example, you can move several of them at the same time).
6. Deselect layers
This command performs the exact opposite of the previous one: deselects all layers on the palette.
7. Similar layers
Select this command if you want to select all layers of the same type. For example, suppose you want to change the font on all text layers in your document. Select the text layer and then choose this command. Photoshop will select all of your text layers so you can change them all at once.
Selection tools
The most important and central selection methods are the following tools:
1. Rectangular and oval areas
Perhaps they are in first place in popularity for solving this kind of problem. Learn more about these tools.
In short, the names speak for themselves: rectangular area creates frames with right angles, which, by the way, cannot be made rounded; and oval area - creates circles.
2. Fast selection
3. Make a stroke
Command Editing - Stroke allows you to create a frame around your image or some object. To do this, you need to create a dotted selection box. Then, applying the command, the settings for what color and size you want to get the stroke will appear.
4. Move, copy and paste
The fragment selected with a frame can be moved around the document or even dragged onto a new one. To do this, after highlighting, select. Now move the piece as you like.
The key combination Ctrl + C will allow you to copy the fragment into Photoshop's memory, and the key combination Ctrl + V will paste it. The fragment will appear on a new layer. You can copy in one document and then paste it in another.
5. Resize or transform selected areas
6. Use selection as layer mask
Everything is similar here. First create a selection, then apply the command. As a result, the mask will be applied only to the selected area of \u200b\u200bthe image, and not to the entire image as usual.
The most important property of all:
When you create a selection, the program protects the areas outside of it, all your manipulations with the image affect only the selection.
If you spot an error in the text, select it and press Ctrl + Enter. Thanks!
In Photoshop Elements, you can fine-tune a selection using the Refine Edge dialog box (select a portion of an image, right-click the selection, and choose Refine Edge from the context menu). You can also open the Refine Edge dialog box by clicking Select\u003e Refine Edge.
To open the Refine Edge dialog box on your Mac, select a portion of the image, Control-click and click Refine Edge.
View Mode... From the View pop-up menu, choose a view mode for the selection. Press F to switch from one mode to another.
Show Radius tool... Specifies the radius to refine the edge.
Refine Radius Tools and Erase clarification ... Precisely adjusts the area of \u200b\u200bthe border where edge refinement is performed. To quickly switch from one tool to another, use the E key. To change the brush size, use the square bracket keys. Note. Paint over soft areas (hair or fur) to add detail to the selection.
Smart Radius tool... Automatically adjusts the radius for hard and soft edges found in the border area. Deselect this option if the entire border has equally sharp or equally fuzzy edges, or if you need more control over the radius setting and refinement brushes.
Radius... Determines the size of the border of the selection to be refined. Use a small radius for sharp edges and a large radius for softer edges.
Smooth... Trims curved areas (“bumps and valleys”) in the border of the selection, creating a smoother outline.
Feathering... Blurs the transition between the selection and surrounding pixels.
Contrast... Smooth transition edges along the border of the selection appear sharper when zoomed in. In this case, using the Smart Radius tool and refinement tools will be more effective.
Offset Edge tool... Moves soft-edged borders inward with negative values \u200b\u200bor outward with positive values. Offsetting these borders inward helps remove unwanted background colors from the edges of the selection.
Clear Colors tool... Changes the color border to the color of fully selected nearby pixels. The color swap effect is calculated in proportion to the softness of the edges of the selection.
Important information. Since this parameter changes the pixel color, you need to enter it into a new layer or document. Save the original layer so that you can return it if necessary (to visualize the change in pixel color, select the "Show Layer" view mode).
Intensity... Changes the level of cleaning and edge replacement.
Conclusion in... Determines whether the refined selection becomes a selection or mask on the current layer, or forms a new layer or document.
Instructions
Select path in Photoshop in several ways. The simplest is associated with the use of the "Magic Wand" - Magic Wand. In the Component Palette, its icon looks like a stick with an asterisk at the end. For correct selection of outlines, Magic Wand should be configured correctly. Set the Tolerance parameter in the tool properties to 30. This value will allow you to fairly confidently separate the outline of the desired image from the background.
Working with the Magic Wand is very simple. Bring it to the edge of the object, the outline of which you want to select, and click the left mouse button. The outline of a part of the image will be highlighted. Now press Shift and, while holding the key, left-click again near the part of the image that has not yet been selected by the outline. Pressing Shift allows you to drag further on an already selected path. Continue to create the path in the same way. If you are mistaken, switch the layout and press Ctrl + Z - the last action will be canceled.
When the path is closed, proceed to editing the selection. It may be needed if contouring was performed incorrectly in some areas of the image, and the contour cut off part of the image. Decrease the tolerance value a little, then move the Magic Wand to the part of the image captured by the outline. While holding down the Alt key, click the mistakenly selected area with the mouse. The contour will be corrected. Now press Del, the existing background around the image will be removed and filled with the background selected in the Component Palette.
To select more complex paths, especially those that merge with the background, use the component "Lasso" (Lasso Tool). Select it, press the left mouse button and drag the tool along the perimeter of the selected image until the path is closed. The disadvantage of this tool is that the selection is done manually and its quality is determined by how accurately you move the mouse.
In many cases, the Magic Wand and Lasso capabilities are insufficient to accurately outline the contours of a complex object. For example, you need to cut out the image of a cat from a photo, so that the mustache is preserved and. It is impossible and unnecessary to select each hair with a Magic Wand or Lasso - there is a more convenient Pen tool for this.
Select Pen Tool - Paths. Now, by successive mouse clicks, select the outline of the image element you need. Making complex contour quite laborious, but the result pays for all the time spent. At the same time, do not seek to highlight the smallest elements. contour (like a cat's whiskers and hair), at this stage you need to select a general outline. Close it by clicking the mouse one last time on the first point. You can now more accurately define borders with the Refine Edge tool contour... Considering that working with this tool is quite difficult, read about it in specialized articles.
Related Videos
Sources:
- Working with the Refine Edge tool
- how to select an outline in photoshop
For satin stitch embroidery, applique work or homemade stained glass you need contour drawing. In kits for needlework, there are usually some drawings. However, if you want to do something original, draw the outline yourself. Adobe Photoshop allows you to do this even for those who are not confident in their artistic abilities.
You will need
- - a computer with Adobe Photoshop;
- - Internet access;
- - scanner;
- - Printer;
- - ink;
- - aluminum or bronze powder;
- - glue for glass;
- - tracing paper.
Instructions
Find the right drawing. Scan a postcard or photo at 300 dpi. You can find a suitable image on the Internet. The plot can be anything, but try to find a picture with not very many small details. You will still remove the extra lines later, but at the same time the image of what you are going to embroider or not draw should be preserved.
Find the one with the brushes in the small rectangular panels. Activate it. Drag it to the top panel or leave it where it is. But in any case, fill in the parameters. Select a hard round brush and set the size. If you haven't dragged anything anywhere, there is an arrow to the right of the panel name. Click on it, and a window will open in front of you where you need to put down the size. If the path lines are thin, select 2 or 3. There you will also find the "Opacity" box. Set to 100%.
Remove unnecessary black spots from the image. This can be done in different ways. The most understandable for the uninitiated is to find the selection in the left menu, on which the tools are indicated. This is usually the top left square. Find the 2 squares below that represent the colors. In your case, it is black and white. White should be at the bottom. Select with the mouse the area you want to clear and press the "Delete" key. Remove smaller specks with the eraser, which you will also find on the side panel.
Draw the missing lines with a brush. Circuit drawing should be solid. Apply, if necessary, additional lines - flower stamens, house stones, etc.
Determine what size you need drawing... In the "File" menu set options for printing. If you need a very large drawing and the printer can only print A4 size, divide your sketch into several parts. Print each piece separately, forgetting to mark the places for gluing.
Related Videos
Helpful advice
Transfer the embroidery design to the fabric using a carbon copy, crushed chalk or slate pencil. In the first case, it is simply traced along the contour. Place the carbon paper on the fabric. In order to translate a drawing with chalk or slate, pin it along the contour with a needle. Make punctures at a distance of 3-5 mm from each other.
If you want to make a homemade stained glass window, place the drawing on a horizontal surface and cover it with glass. Add 2 parts black ink and 5 parts aluminum or bronze powder to 5 parts of glass glue. It is better to take glue in a jar and one that does not set very quickly. This can be, for example, PVA. A sealant will not work, but you can try experimenting with liquid glass. Stir the ingredients. Apply the resulting paint along the contour with a soft art brush. The line should be convex so that the liquid varnish with which you fill the details of the drawing does not flow from one part of the stained glass to another.
Sources:
- how to outline an image in 2019
Selecting part of an image is required whenever you need to constrain region using the tools of the graphic editor. Photoshop offers a wide variety of ways to do this.
You will need
- - Photoshop program;
- - image.
Instructions
The most obvious ways to select a section of a well-defined picture is to use tools such as the Rectangular Marquee, Elliptical Marquee, Single Row Marquee, and Single Column Marquee. With the help of the Rectangular Marquee, you can select a rectangular area of \u200b\u200bany size. To do this, turn on the tool, hold down the left mouse button and drag the border that bounds the selection. If you need to select a square region, while applying the Rectangular Marquee, hold down the Shift key.
To select a fragment of an elliptical shape, the Elliptical Marquee tool is suitable. Holding down the Shift key during operation will make it possible to select a round area of \u200b\u200bthe image.
The Single Row Marquee and Single Column Marquee tools come in handy when you need to select a vertical or horizontal row one pixel wide.
While working with an image in Photoshop, you may need to select region free form. The tools of the Lasso group are suitable for this purpose. To apply the Lasso Tool, hold down the left mouse button, circle the desired fragment of the image and close the selection by moving the cursor to its beginning.
Polygonal Lasso should be used when you need to select a polygon. Turn on the tool and, by clicking with the left mouse button, place the anchor points in the corners of the fragment in turn. To close the selection, click on the first anchor point.
The Magnetic Lasso tool is used to quickly select areas with contrasting edges. Before starting work, set the value in the Edge Contrast field. With a small value of this parameter, the tool will react to a slight change in contrast. Click on the edge of the selected object and, releasing the mouse button, circle the fragment. Magnetic Lasso will add anchor points to the edges of the area. If the last anchor point is out of place, delete it with the Backspace key. If necessary, put a point manually by clicking on the contour in the desired place.
In Photoshop, you can highlight region image, taking as a basis its color, using the Magic Wand. To use this tool, click on the area of \u200b\u200bthe picture containing the color from which you create a selection. When the Contiguous checkbox is checked, only adjacent pixels will be affected by Magic Wand. By deselecting this option, you will select all parts of the image that fit the selected range.
When processing images, it is often necessary to deal with separate processing of shadows, halftones and bright areas of the image. To select them, you can use the Color Range option from the Select menu. Selecting the Highlights item from the Select list, you will select the bright parts of the picture, the Midtones item will be needed for the middle tones, and the Shadows - for the shadows. Color Range can be used to highlight regioncolored in any shade. To do this, select the Sampled Colors item and specify the color on the image, on the basis of which the selection will be created.
Related Videos
Sources:
- 5 secrets of selection tools in Photoshop
- how to select an area in photoshop
When working with images in the graphics editor Adobe Photoshop, it is impossible to do without selecting the entire image or its individual fragments. To implement this operation, the program has a whole set of tools, divided into several groups. Using them is not particularly difficult, but it takes some practice.
You will need
- Graphic editor Adobe Photoshop.
Instructions
If in any layer you want to select all picture to the height and width of the document, then first click on the line of this layer in the layers panel. Panel display can be turned off - press F7 or select Layers from the Window menu to display this element in the Photoshop interface. Having selected the required line, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A or the "All" item in the "Selection" section of the menu. An animated dashed frame appears around the edges of the image, showing the boundaries of the selection. If you then go to another line in the Layers panel, the contents of the other layer will be selected.
The first step describes the only way that does not require you to select anything from the toolbar. And to select, for example, a rectangular fragment of an image, you must first click the second icon on this panel - "Rectangular area" - or press the key with the letter M. Then use the mouse pointer to set the desired rectangular area on the image.
The mouse is also used to indicate an oval or perfectly circular selection in the image. To switch the tool from rectangular to oval format, left-click its icon in the toolbar and hold it until a menu of four lines appears. Select the Region Tool, and then proceed as in the previous step.
To select a fragment of an image of any shape, use the Lasso tool - this is the next (third) icon on the panel. Instead of clicking on it, you can press the L key. Draw the desired closed selection area with the mouse pointer. This tool has two variations, one of which, the "Straight Lasso", allows you to select complex polygons, and the other, the "Magnetic Lasso", is very useful for selecting similarly colored areas of an image. You can select one of these options in the same way as in the previous step - when you press and hold the left button on the tool icon, a menu with a list appears.
The tools of the fourth button - "Magic Wand" and "Quick Selection" - are designed to work with image fragments that have the same color and color saturation. They are similar in action to the "magnetic lasso", but when using these tools, you only need to specify one reference point by clicking it with the mouse pointer. After that, Photoshop will select the entire area of \u200b\u200bpoints similar to the sample at its discretion. Use the W key to turn on this tool.
Related Videos
When working with images in " Photoshop»You may need to undo the previous act and return to the original picture. To return to the previous result, you need to perform several actions.
You will need
- - computer;
- - any version of the Photoshop program.
Instructions
Working with images is an exciting activity that requires certain knowledge and skills from the photographer. But even an experienced Photoshop user often faces situations when, in the course of working on a new masterpiece, you need to go back a few steps.
You can make changes to the processed photo at any stage of editing. True, before starting work, you naturally need to open an image. To do this, it is enough to simultaneously press the keyboard keys Alt + Shift + Ctr + O or in the "File" menu, which is on the working panel, select the "Open as" option, and then specify the location of the image and its format.
Next, proceed to direct processing. And if you need to make changes and go back, look in the "Editing" section on the work panel. Here you can perform the necessary operations by selecting the appropriate option: "Undo", "Step back" and "Step back".
For convenience, you can use the "hot keys": Ctrl + Z - to undo the last action, Shift + Ctrl + Z - to take a step forward and Alt + Ctrl + Z - to take a step back.
View the entire history of image changes in " Photoshop"Can also be done by selecting the appropriate operation in the" Window "menu of the top panel. Check the "History" item in this section, and a table will appear in the working window, showing all the actions performed with the picture.
To cancel the changes made at any stage of image processing, it is enough to find the required operation on the "History" screen and return to it by clicking on it with the left mouse button. In this case, you will find yourself exactly at the editing step that you indicate.
If you need to save all the previously performed actions in the photo, keep the draft image for yourself. After all, you may still need it. And in order not to get confused, when saving, come up with a name for it, by which you can easily navigate in all your photos, finished and are still at the processing stage.
Adobe Photoshop is well-deservedly popular with graphics users. Using this program, you can create very complex graphic works. One of the most common operations when working with an image is cutting out an element.
Instructions
Cut part of the image into Photoshop in several ways. If you just need a picture, start the program, open the desired image through the "File" menu item. On the left side of the program window there is a toolbar, select the "Crop" tool on it. Move the cursor to the area of \u200b\u200bthe image where one of the corners of the cropped image will be located and press the left mouse button.
Without releasing the button, move the cursor to the diagonal opposite corner, the frames will show the outline of the cropped part of the image. Do not be afraid to set inaccurate dimensions, you can correct them by dragging the handles on the corners and sides of the selection with the mouse. Then select any tool on the panel. A prompt appears with three options: Crop, Undo, Do Not Crop. To trim drawing, choose the first one. If you want to change the cropping boundaries, click Cancel. Pressing the third button completely cancels the trimming operation.
If you need to quickly cut out a rectangular element, use the Rectangular Selection tool. Select the desired area, then copy it: "Edit" - "Copy". Now you can paste the copied element into the same or another image. For precise insertion, first select the desired area with the same tool, then press: "Edit" - "Paste".
If you need to cut a fragment of an image of a complex shape, you can use several tools. The simplest of these is "Quick Selection". For example, you need to select a round element. Select the Quick Selection tool and click at the edge of the circle. Then, without releasing the button, move the cursor to the opposite edge of the selected element. An uneven selection area will follow the cursor. Release the button. Now you can use the mouse to refine the selected area by dragging the outline in the required directions.
The most complex objects are best cut with the Pen tool. Select this tool, at the top of the window, click on the "Paths" tool option. Now, by successive mouse clicks, create the outline of the cut element. Having closed the contour, right-click it and select the "Form selected area" item in the context menu. Now you can copy the selected item and paste it into another image.
The Pen tool is very powerful and can be used to cut out even very complex image elements, such as a fluffy cat. In this case, the program, following your commands, will automatically refine the edges of the image, highlighting the animal's fur and whiskers. It is better to read more about the use of the "Pen" in specialized literature.
Sources:
- Complex hair selection in 5 minutes in Photoshop CS5
If you have not been able to spend the summer in a sunny country, but want to look tanned and rested in the photos, "" provides a convenient opportunity to fulfill this desire.
You will need
- Computer with installed "Photoshop", photography.
Instructions
Open the photo you want to change in Photoshop. First of all, you need to highlight the skin. You can do this in several ways, choose a convenient and familiar one. For example, using the Pen tool or through channels. If you are using the first method, select the desired area by closing the path. Right-click on the selection and select "Create selection" from the drop-down menu.
Create a new layer by clicking the corresponding button in the layers panel on the right. You will see a new layer appear above the main one.
Decide how strong you want the photo to be. It is best to look at photos of tanned people on the Internet, save the one that suits you, open it in the editor window and use the Eyedropper tool (on the left panel) to choose the color you like.
Go back to your photo to fill in a new layer. This action can be called using the keyboard shortcut Shift + F5 or through the program menu: "Edit" - "Fill" ("Edit" - "Fill"). In the window that opens, select "Foreground Color" and confirm the action. You do not need to change or set any other parameters. You can also just select the desired icon on the toolbar and click on the desired area. As a result of filling, the selected area of \u200b\u200bthe skin will be completely painted in the desired color. Don't be alarmed when you see that it doesn't look like a tan yet.
Change the Blending Mode to "Soft Light" and lower the opacity of the layer so that the image takes on a natural look. You can do this in the layers panel in the top drop-down settings. Choose the transparency level yourself, depending on your preferences and the original skin color in the photo. Try different settings, move the slider, change opacity and tan color to achieve the desired result.
If you initially selected only the skin, then you can already enjoy the resulting virtual tan. If your clothes come with your tan, you will have to take one more step. For the new layer that you created, create a mask to hide the clothing parts. This can be done by clicking on the corresponding button on the layers panel below. Then paint over the unnecessary parts with black using the Brush tool. After that, the brown fill will not be applied to the clothes.
Photoshop is a very powerful program. With its help, you can not only edit photos, but also engage in graphics, the creation and drawing of various shapes.
You will need
- Photoshop
Instructions
Open the image. Go to the menu "Filter -\u003e Blur -\u003e Smart Blur" (Filter -\u003e Blur -\u003e Smart Blur). Select the "Edges Only" mode. Next, invert the colors. "Editing -\u003e Correction -\u003e Invert colors" (Edit -\u003e correction -\u003e inventirovat color). Or press Ctrl + I.
Create a new document: "File -\u003e New" (file -\u003e new). Move the drawing there. Select the layer on which the picture is shown. To do this, go to the layers palette. Turn off the visibility of the background layer, that is, click on the eye opposite.
Click on the selected layer with the right mouse button and select "Blending Options" (Blending Options). On the main panel, in the Blend If option, drag the white slider so that all white disappears from the image. Click OK.
Create a new layer so that it sits on top of the others. Go to "Layers -\u003e new layer" (layer -\u003e new layer). Press Ctrl + E. Or select Layers -\u003e Link Layers from the menu. This action will completely displace the white color. Next, you need to highlight figure... Press Ctrl and simultaneously click on the first layer window.
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 a lot of graphic editors on the Internet, 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's outline carefully outlined with a pen and select the "Make Selection" command, then set the feathering radius in the opened dialog box, 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 contour 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 while holding down the Shift key, you get a square (or a 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 path in order to better "aim", then release the spacebar and continue the selection.
And the last "if" refers to the cursor, which changes its appearance within 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 has gone 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 a 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 with its own brush with adjustable parameters (size, hardness, 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 erasers (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 extracting the object will no longer be difficult.
The 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 your pulse" 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 using standard methods.
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 all you have to do is click with the Ctrl key pressed on the layer of the channel copy and, "closing its eye", return to the "Layers" tab in RGB mode, where a neat and accurate 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 would be easier to "patch the hole" in 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 a different 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 selecting “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.
