Quick links to procedures on this page:

Adding to or subtracting from selections

You can adjust the size and shape of a selection by adding or subtracting selection areas.

To add to a selection Back to Top

*

You can also add to a selection by holding down Shift and selecting the area that you want to add. If you are using the Oval Selection tool or the Rectangular Selection tool and you want to select a circular or square area, you need to release Shift for a moment and then hold down Shift again while dragging.

When making selections, you can use any combination of selection tools, including the Magic Wand tool . If you combine pixel- and path-based selections, the result is a pixel-based selection. For more information about creating pixel-based selections with the Magic Wand tool, see To select an area by using the Magic Wand tool.

Adding to a path-based selection

To subtract from a selection Back to Top

*

You can also subtract from a selection by holding down Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) and selecting the area you want to subtract. If you are using the Oval Selection tool or the Rectangular Selection tool and you want to select a circular or square area, you need to hold down Option + Shift (macOS) or Alt + Shift (Windows) while dragging.

subtract

Subtracting from a path-based selection

You can also load selections from the Selection Portfolio, a library of ready-to-use selections. In addition, you can use Boolean operations to combine existing selections with alpha channels.


Feedback
Was this page helpful? Send feedback. (Internet connection required.)