Creating selections

You can create a selection when you want to isolate part of an image. For example, you can use a selection to adjust or retouch one area of a photo, or to copy a portion of a photo and paste it into another photo. The way you make a selection depends on whether you are working on a raster layer or a vector layer.

You can create a selection by using a Selection tool shape (left), by creating a freehand selection (center), or by using the Magic Wand tool to select specific areas of color or opacity (right).

The following selection tools can be used to create raster selections:

•	Auto Selection tool — lets you create a smart selection by enclosing an image area in a rectangle that automatically snaps to the edges it detects.

•	Smart Selection Brush — lets you create a selection by brushing over a sample area. The selection expands automatically to the edges based on the information that is sampled by the brush.

•	Selection tool — lets you create a selection of a specific shape, such as a rectangle, square, ellipse, circle, or star.

•	Freehand Selection tool — lets you create a selection around the edges of an object, such as petals of a flower or fingers on a hand. You can make four types of selections with the Freehand tool:

•

Magic Wand tool — makes a selection based on the color, hue, brightness, or opacity of an object. This tool is designed to select an area that has distinctly different pixels than those in other areas of an image — for example, a pink rose surrounded by green leaves, or a dark area in an otherwise bright image.

The selection tools can also be used on vector layers to create selections from vector objects. For example, if you copy a selection and paste it as a new image, it is copied to a raster layer as individual pixels rather than as a vector object.

For information about vector text, see Applying text.

You can make a selection with one tool and then switch to another tool to add to or subtract from the selection. For more information, see Modifying selections.

You can also use the Paint tool to create a selection. For more information, see Working with brushes.

You can use text selections to apply effects to text; for example, when you create a text selection on a solid-color layer and then delete the selection, the letters appear transparent and outlined with the layer’s solid color.

By creating a raster selection on a vector object, you can use raster-only tools and commands to edit the vector object.

You can create a selection from a mask, which lets you omit the masked (black) areas and select the non-masked (non-black) areas. The selection is clipped to the canvas. For more information, see Working with masks.

To create a selection by using the Auto Selection tool

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Auto Selection tool .

To create a selection by using the Smart Selection Brush

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Smart Selection Brush .

You can use the Smart Selection Brush in manual mode by unmarking the Smart Edge check box on the Tool Options palette.

Drag the Smart Selection Brush across the area that you want to select (left). If required, refine the selection in Add mode or unmark Smart Edge and brush over the areas precisely (center) to add or remove areas (right).

To create a selection by using the Selection tool

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Selection tool .

You can also
Create a selection of a specific size	On the Tool Options palette, click the Custom Selection button . In the Custom Selection dialog box, specify the selection position, in pixels, for the left, top, right, and bottom edges.
Replace an existing selection by placing a rectangular selection around it	Choose the Selection tool, and click the Current selection button .
Create a rectangular selection around all nontransparent areas of the current layer	Click the Layer opaque button .
Create a rectangular selection around all nontransparent areas of all layers within the image	Click the Merged opaque button .

After you create a selection, changes to the settings on the Tool Options palette apply to the next action, not to the current selection. You can modify the options for the current selection by choosing Selections Modify and choosing a command from the menu.

To create a selection by using the Freehand Selection tool

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Freehand Selection tool .

When making an Edge Seeker selection, you can set the distance used to search for an edge by typing a value in the Range control on the Tool Options palette.

You can increase the accuracy of Edge Seeker and Smart Edge selections by clicking more frequently along the edge you are following.

You can delete a previous point by pressing Delete.

To create a selection by using the Magic Wand tool

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Magic Wand tool .

You can change the number of pixels you select by undoing the selection, adjusting the Tolerance setting, and making a new selection.

To create a selection by using a Painting tool

Edit workspace 

1	Choose Selections Edit Selection.

5	Choose Selections Edit Selection.

You can also click the Edit Selection button on the Layers palette instead of choosing Selections Edit Selection.

To create a selection by using the Text tool

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Text tool .

5	Click the Apply changes button .

To create a raster selection from a vector object

Edit workspace 

1	On the Tools toolbar, choose the Pick tool , and select one or more vector objects.

2	Choose Selections From Vector Object.

After you create a raster selection from a vector object, you can copy and paste the selection as needed. The original vector objects remain unchanged.

To select all pixels in a layer or an image

Edit workspace 

•	Choose Selections Select All.

You can also select all pixels in a layer or an image by pressing Ctrl + A.

To select all non-masked areas

Edit workspace 

2	Choose Selections From Mask.

If you saved a mask to an alpha channel, you can load it as a selection by choosing Selections Load/Save Selection Load Selection From Alpha Channel.

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