Photoshop Elements /

Selection Tools /

You're using the Clone Stamp tool or the Healing Brush tool.

You want to protect part of your photograph from the action of the tool.

So, there are two areas on your photograph.

1) The area you want to protect.

This area will be outside of the selection

2) The area where you want edit using the Healing Brush tool or the Clone Stamp tool.

This area will be inside the selection.

In the photograph below, the Healing Brush tool, the white circle, has strayed outside the face into the shadow.

The Healing Brush Tool Strayed Outside the Face

Below, a selection was added around the mole.

The area outside the selection is now protected from the Healing Brush.

A Selection Now Surrounds the Mole

In the next photograph, you can see how the Healing Brush tool is removing the mole.

However, this activity ends at the edge of the selection.

The area outside the selection remains unaffected by the Healing Brush tool.

The Photograph Outside of the Selection

Is Protected from the Healing Brush Tool

Which selection tool should you use?

You'll probably use the Rectangular Marquee tool or the Elliptical Marquee tool.

If you're familiar with the magic and mechanical tool categories, go to the Marquee Tool Family.

Otherwise, read about the two categories of tools below first.

There are two categories of selection tools—magic and mechanical.

The magic selections tools do some of the work for you.

But, for the magic to happen, the area to be selected must have a tone or color different from the rest of the photograph.

Look at the area to be selected.

Is its tone or color different from the rest of the photograph?

If so—you can use a magic selection tool.

For example, the tones and colors of the monument below are different from the rest of the photograph.

Therefore, you can use a magic selection tool to select the monument.

If there's little tonal or color difference between the area to be selected—and the rest of the photograph—use a mechanical selection tool.

They're mechanical because you do the drawing.

For example, the tones and colors of the monument below are similar to those in the rest of the photograph.

Therefore, you can't use a magic selection tool.

You need to use a mechanical selection tool.