The Selection Tools
The selection tools are used to facilitate the process of making selections of shapes, colors, and objects inside of Photoshop, and positioning them in the working image area. With tools like the magnetic lasso and magic wand, Photoshop packs a powerful array of selection gadgets!
In Photoshop, selections are used to work in a specified area, while not altering any of the area around it. In many regards, a selection is a lot like a stencil. You basically are enabling yourself to only paint in one area while the rest of your canvas is left unaffected.
There are a variety of tools to help you draw out specific sizes and shapes of selections in Photoshop.
Marquee Tools
The marquee tools are used to make rectangular, elliptical, horizontal and vertical line selections. To create a selection with a marquee tool, simple hold down your mouse button over the active image area, and drag out your shape.
Piece of cake!
Perfect Circle and Square Selections
When making selections with the Rectangular Marquee Tool or Elliptical Marquee Tool, it’s possible to make perfect square and circular selections by holding shift when drawing our your selection.
Lasso Tools
The Lasso Selection Tools allow you to make selections of irregular shapes. Using the ordinary lasso tool, simply click and drag a freehand selection with your mouse. With the Polygonal Lasso Tool, click to make various points which will define a selection, and finish your selection by clicking the starting point.
The Magnetic Lasso Tool sort of combines the first two tools mentioned here. You click once, and begin to drag a freehand selection around the object you wish to select. The magnetic lasso tool tries to automatically create points itself while you follow the edge of your object (you can define points by clicking if needed). The end result is a much smoother selection than the polygonal lasso tool will make.
Now we have a general idea of how to make selections of various shapes in Photoshop. There is also a way to select objects and areas based on color.
Magic Wand Tool
The Magic Wand Tool is unlike the rest of the selection tools, in that is selects areas based on color. To use the Magic Wand Tool, you simply point and click the color you want to select in the active image area.
Take the diagram below for example. Using the Magic Wand Tool, it simply takes one click in the white area to make a selection of that space.
Combining Selections
Sometimes, it’s necessary to combine multiple selections in order to select the ENTIRE area you want to work with. In times like these, it’s possible to combine multiple selections using an easy keyboard shortcut.
Working from an existing selection, simply hold shift and create a new selection. This will add your new selection to the existing selection.
Subtracting and Intersecting Selections
Just like it is possible to add to an existing selection, you can also subtract from a selection (Hold Alt when drawing a new selection) and intersect selections (Hold Shift and Alt while drawing a new selection).
Move Tool
The Move Tool is used for moving selected areas of an image, layers, shapes, and other objects.
To move a selected part of an image, simply select the move tool, and then click and drag your selection as you please. This will Cut the selection out from it’s current location, and reposition it to wherever you release the mouse button.
Crop Tool
The Crop Tool is used to resize the canvas and active image area. To use the crop tool, simply drag out a square that encompasses the area which you want to become the new canvas size.
53 Comments
Thanks for this!
Flag as inappropriateThanks for this tutorial
Flag as inappropriateawesome!!..
Flag as inappropriatevery helpful tutorial great thanks
Flag as inappropriateThis tutorial needs to be expanded to explain how to determine what layer you need to be on when you make a selection and then fill a selection. This aspect of Photoshop is totally mystifying for the beginner.
Flag as inappropriateDude, you guys should make Starcraft tutorials for all the n00bs. LOL
Flag as inappropriatethanks.very good
Flag as inappropriateThis is very useful to learn more about Photoshop.
Flag as inappropriateuse of refine edge ?
Flag as inappropriateWOnderful tutorial. thanks for sharing
Flag as inappropriatevery nice tutorial .. it will help me
thx
Flag as inappropriateeasy and helpful.
Flag as inappropriatecontain basic contents which are very useful for the beginners
Another nice explanation from you! Thanks…
Flag as inappropriateGreat post . Thanks156
Flag as inappropriateGreat post . Thanks149
Flag as inappropriateGreat post . Thanks144
Flag as inappropriatewow Great article, thanks!
Flag as inappropriateGreat article. Thank you.
Flag as inappropriatethis will really help me out a lot, thank you!
Flag as inappropriateits really nice and usefull post.Thnks Dude
Flag as inappropriateI can’t wait to learn about masks, they always confuse me!
Flag as inappropriateit was the first site i saw when im searching tutorials about basic of photoshop…. i started here and i learned a lot which helps me to improve more my knowledge on photoshop…
tnx for the idea you have posted…
keep on posting! :)
Flag as inappropriateIt was quite good tutorial for beginners..
Thanks for sharing..
“…Sharing is sexy!!!”
Flag as inappropriate这真是一个让人震惊的BLOG，写得很好，对我很有帮助。
Flag as inappropriateIt’s a mazing blog, the articles are greet, and helpful.
I’ve started my carrier with this web. Now I’m MR. Graphic and I do advertisements for couple companies every month few our work for really good money. (Sure I decided studied more after this tutorial. It’s take me about tree month to learn almost everything)
Flag as inappropriateoh yeah love it! the very basics of photoshop…
Flag as inappropriategreat
thank you
Flag as inappropriateGreat idea. too bad I found this now and not when I started with Ps.
I miss something:
How about explaining the blendng modes or just write them down. It would be a good reference for german people like me who sometimes gets confused when reading/following engkish tutorials and working with a german Ps version?
(yeah, I know I have to get me an english version :D)
Flag as inappropriateit was be superb, i didn’t know this.
Flag as inappropriatethanks…
Hey,
Could you please add explanation for slice tool as well :)
Flag as inappropriateThanks for everything!
I like this site very much.
Flag as inappropriateGreat tutorial. I definitely recommend this site to my friends! Thanks :)
Flag as inappropriateI just wanted to thank you for such clear and helpful explanations!!! I’m taking the whole curse. I’m an argentinian video editor and I needed some greater knowledge about photoshop. The blog suites me perfectly!
Flag as inappropriateLove it! Really is a help ;-)
Flag as inappropriateBut I think that I can learn this even faster if you add something like a tut, like you did with the layers! That was really easy and now I get it completely!
Mothership: I’m sure there’s a better way to do this, but for simple selections you could try right clicking in your selection and selecting “Transform selection”.
Flag as inappropriateAnother nice explanation from you!
Very clear instructions, & tells you exactly
what each tool does.
Although as you did the ‘Mickey Mouse’ looking
shape with the Elliptical Marquee Tool. If
you were wanting/expecting the reader to follow
along with the tut, you should state that. The
reader always gets a better understanding of
what he/she is doing, if they have something
to go along with.
Which I also think ‘Viet’ was trying
to say. To put something to do, to
follow along with each tut.
Thanks again, excellent read!
Flag as inappropriateOops. I meant to say ‘bang on’. i.e. does one have to get the shape perfect first time around, or can it be edited, as opposed to having to redraw the whole shape?
Flag as inappropriate@ Mothership – I’m not sure I understand your question, but maybe this will help.
Draw out a selection with the mouse. Release the mouse button so that the selection is made. Now hold the “Shift” Key, and draw out a new selection. It should add onto the current selection when you release the mouse button again.
Flag as inappropriateStill here. Am a little confused re: Mickey Mouse hat. Is it necessary to get it back on, or once the selection is made, can one edit this selection?
Flag as inappropriateThis is great job. I love it very much. However, it would be more interesting and easier for new babies like me if there are some sources or small exercises to practice. Thank you.
Flag as inappropriateGood explanations, and thanks for the extra tips. Those are a real help.
Flag as inappropriateThanks Marco =)
I think you’ll enjoy the next few posts in this series, as they are of similar nature and quality ;) I appreciate the links mate! You’ve got a nice site!
Flag as inappropriateYet another great article!
Stumbled & featured on my website.
Keep on blogging such great posts.
Flag as inappropriate