Photoshop Elements >
Selection Tools >
6 - Which Selection Tool?
Options Bar Settings
Critical options bar settings are discussed below.
The less important options bar settings are discussed in the
next section.
Go to
Options Bar Settings.
Quick Selection Brush Tool
Try the Quick Selection Brush tool, first.
Refine the Selection
If the selection includes unwanted areas, do one
of the following.
Method #1
1) Make sure Add to selection is selected in the options bar.
2) Press and hold Alt.
3) Place the brush outside the selection.
4) Click, hold, and drag where you don't want the selection.
Method #2
1) Select the Subtract from selection icon in the options bar.
2) Place the brush outside the selection.
3) Click, hold, and drag where you don't want the selection
A Quick Selection Tool
Options Bar Setting
Try Auto-Enhance in the options bar.
It refines the selection edge automatically.
The Other Selection Tools
If the Quick Selection Brush tool doesn't do a good job, try some of the other selection
tools below.
Selection Tool Menu
Look for the type of selection you need in the left-hand column,
and then click on the tool to the right.
The menu is a guide to getting started.
The selection tool that's specified for one situation, may
also work in another situation.
Experiment and develop you're own selection-tool preferences.
For a rectangular shape, use the Rectangular Marquee tool.
• Click, hold, and drag to make the rectangle.
• To make the rectangle form from a certain point on the photograph,
place the cursor at that point.
Press and hold Alt, and drag out the rectangle.
The rectangle will be centered on the point.
To make a square, use the Rectangular Marquee tool.
• Press and hold Shift.
Then, click, hold, and drag to make the square.
• To make the square form from a certain point on the photograph,
place the cursor at that point.
Press and hold Shift and Alt, and drag out the rectangle.
The square will be centered on the point.
To make an oval selection, use the Elliptical Marquee tool.
• Click, hold, and drag to make the oval.
• To make the oval form from a certain point on the photograph, place
the cursor at that point.
• The Cookie Cutter tool may be used as well.
The Cookie Cutter tool isn't a selection tool.
Go to Cookie Cutter
Tool.
Use the the Elliptical Marquee tool to make a circular selection.
• Press and hold Shift.
Then, click, hold, and drag to make the circle.
• To make the circle form from a certain point on the photograph,
place the cursor at that point.
Press and hold Shift and Alt, and drag out the circle.
The circle will be centered on the point.
Multiple Straight Edges
If you have an object with many sides, use the Polygonal Lasso tool.
• Click at the beginning of the first edge, at the end of that edge,
and continue this process for each edge.
• Press Backspace or Delete to backtrack.
• Press Shift to move the line being drawn to the closest 90° angle.
Selection Closing Methods
When using the Polygonal Lasso tool, the end of the selection must
meet the beginning of the selection.
Do one of the following.
• As you near the beginning of the selection with the end of the
selection, position the cursor over the starting point.
A small circle will appear next to the cursor.
Click.
• To draw a straight line back to the starting point, from the current
position of the end of the selection, double click.
Or, hold Ctrl down, and click.
Or, press Enter.
Use the Lasso tool.
• Click and draw free-hand.
• To add to the selection, release the mouse.
If the pointer doesn't now have a +, press Shift.
Drag to make a shape on the area you wish to add.
• To subtract from the selection, release the mouse.
If the pointer doesn't now have a -, press Alt.
Drag to make a shape on the area you wish to subtract.
• You can also switch between add and subtract with buttons in the
options bar.
• To add a straight line segment, press Alt, release the mouse, and
click where you want the line to end.
Selection Closing Method
When using the Lasso tool, the end of the selection must meet the
beginning of the selection.
Do the following.
• Release the mouse button, and a straight segment is drawn back
to the starting point.
Mixed: Edges & Curves
If the object being selected has both straight edges and curves,
you can use the Lasso tool and the Polygonal
Lasso tool at the same time.
Switch back-and-forth by pressing and holding Alt.
Do the following.
1) Start using the Lasso tool.
2) With the mouse button still held down, press and hold Alt.
The Polygonal Lasso tool is now operating.
3) To go back to the Lasso tool, with the mouse button still held
down, release Alt.
Use the Magnetic Lasso tool for intricately shaped objects.
The area around the selection must be a different tone/color from
the selection area.
• As you drag the pointer near the edge of the selection, the selection
border snaps to the edge automatically.
Fastening points appear.
• Click at certain difficult-to-navigate junctures to help the tool.
• Press Backspace or Delete to backtrack.
Selection Closing Methods
When using the Magnetic Lasso tool, the end of the selection must
meet the beginning of the selection.
Do one of the following.
• As you near the beginning of the selection with the end of the
selection, position the cursor over the starting point.
A small circle will appear next to the cursor.
Click.
• To draw a straight line back to the starting point, from the current
position of the end of the selection, double click.
Or, hold Ctrl down, and click.
Or, press Enter.
Use the Magic Wand tool for similar-colored areas.
You have to set the tolerance, and select or deselect Contiguous, in the options bar.
Options Bar Settings
Tolerance
The tolerance value determines how many shades are selected.
Increase tolerance in the options bar to select more.
Decrease the tolerance to select less.
Go to
Tolerance Explained.
Contiguous
Select or deselect Contiguous.
Contiguous - Selected
Contiguous - Deselected
Contiguous - Selected
Select Contiguous to select only the area adjacent to where you click
the Magic Wand tool.
When Contiguous is selected, you can add non-contiguous areas.
Click the Add to selection icon in the options bar, and click on
the other areas to be selected.
Or, press Shift and hold, and click on the other areas to be selected.
Contiguous - Not Selected
When Contiguous is not selected, scattered areas will be selected.
To subtract an area that was selected, click the Subtract from selection
icon in the options bar, and click on the area to be deselected.
Or, press Alt and hold, and click on the area to be removed.
Using the Magic Wand Tool
• Click the tool on the tone or color that you want to select.
• If too much or too little is selected, delete the selection.
Change the tolerance setting in the options bar.
• If too much is selected, use the Selection Brush tool as a mop
to remove unwanted portions of the selection.
Go to Selection
Brush Tool Mop.
Multi-purpose & Large Expanses
Use the Selection Brush tool for large expanses.
• Click, hold, and drag to "paint" where you want the selection.
• Press Alt to brush away unwanted portions of the selection, as
seen in the first photograph to the right.
Or, you can switch between the Add to selection and Subtract from
selection buttons in the options bar.
Use the Selection Brush as a Mop
You can use the selection brush tool to fine tune selections made
with the other selections tools.
For example, if the Magic Wand tool selected too much, use the Selection
Brush tool to erase the unwanted portion of the selection.
Go to Selection
Brush Tool Mop.
