SUMMARY
Summary of ways to create a selection:
- Selection Tools >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> directly create a >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Selection
- Marquee Tools - 4 tools for GEOMETRIC SHAPE selections (Rectangular, Elliptical, Single row/columns)
- Lasso Tools - 3 tools for EDGE selection (Lasso, Polygonal, Magnetic Lasso)
- Color Tools - 2 tools for COLOR selections (Quick Selection, Magic Ward)
- Color Menu - 1 menu for COLOR selection (Select > Color Range...)
- Bitmap Painting Tools >>> create a >>>>>>> Quick Mask >>>>>>> that can be converted into a >>>>>>>> Selection
With an optional selection made and the Quick Mask turned on, paint or erase with black, white, or gray with Quick Mask.
- Brush Tool
- Eraser Tool
- Vector Drawing Tools >>> create a >>>>>>>>>> Path >>>>>>>>> that can be converted into a >>>>>>>> Selection
Right-click and select Make Mask… from menu and click OK to create a selection.
- Pen Tools
- Shape tools
- Text tools
- CTRL + Thumbnail >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> directly create a >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Selection
Hold down the CTRL key and click on one of these thumbnails
- Vector Mask thumbnail
- Layer Mask thumbnail
- Alpha Channel thumbnail
- Path thumbnail
- Layer with transparency
- Text layer
NOTE: It is helpful to think of the QuickMask, Path, thumbnails and Text layer all as a PATH to get a selection. Once you have the selection, you no longer need them.
NOTE: To add or subtract from an existing selection, draw a path with the selection tool and then convert it to a selection or subtract from a selection. You can also use the Alpha Channel panel.
Selections
- A selection is a window to the underlying pixels of the active layer. It is helpful to think of the selection as areas where there are "holes" in a transparent mask where the canvas can be drawn on or modified.
- Only pixels within the selected area can be modified with other actions(e.g., filling with a color or pattern, adding a stroke, or transformation). Everything else in the image will be considered protected from modification.
- You can also think of a selection as a stencil or a masking tape that protect or expose paint on the surface of another object (e.g., poster, wall).
- You typically "know" you have a SELECTION (with one major EXCEPTION) by viewing the marquee which is commonly known as the "marching ants" on the canvas. This is an EXPLICIT (clearly seen) selection.
- If you don’t have anything selected, you will have an IMPLIED (suggested without being directly) selection of the whole canvas without any marching ants. If you don't have anything selected, the whole canvas is a SELECTION.
- If you want to “see” the selection of the whole canvas, press Select > All or CTRL + A to select all of the pixels on the canvas with the marching ants showing around the whole canvas. This is NOT necessary unless you want to copy or cut the whole image to another file.
- Look behind the curtain to see what is certain. If you want to "see" what is actually selected or not selected, turn on the Quick Mask (Q key). Typically, you will see a red translucent Quick Mask with areas that have "holes" (clear areas) cut out of them. These holes or clear areas represent the actual selection once you exit the Quick Mask mode by clicking on the Q key again.
- It is important to note that you can not view the selection AND the Quick Mask at the same time. To bring back the selection, you have to exit the Quick Mask mode (e.g., pressing Q key again).
- The Quick Mask is red by default, however, if the image contains a lot of red color in it, you may want to change the Quick Mask overlay color to a different color by double-clicking on the Quick Mask icon and then clicking on the Color chip to change its color
- Because a selection behaves like an transparent mask with holes in it, only what's selected gets affected by what you do next (e.g., cut, copy, transform, etc.). Hence, a selection provides "protection" for the unselected pixels. If you make a selection and then decided to cut or delete the selected area, only the area where the selection has been made will be affected.
- If you don't have anything selected, the whole canvas is affected by what you do next.
- It is important to note that while only what is selected get affected, it is more important to not that the layer that is selected is the layer that get affected. Ensure you are on the right layer before you do something after creating a selection.
- To learn more about the various ways to create selections, see the app called "Learning Selections From The Joes."
In the app, you will learn how:
- "Joe the Architect" uses vector drawing tools (e.g., pen, text, custom shape) to create a selection.
- "Joe the Builder" uses selection tools (e.g., rectangular, ellipse) to create a selection.
- "Joe the Painter" uses bitmap painting tools (e.g., brush, eraser) to create a selection.
- "Joe the Contractor" uses blueprints (e.g., CTRL + thumbnail) to create a selection.
- "Joe the Inspector" uses colors (e.g., Alpha Channel, Color Range) to create a selection.