5 Commonly Used Selection Tools In Photoshop Designer Must Know

 

For Photoshop beginners, learning Photoshop is equivalent to learning Photoshop basic tools. Skills and methods for using commonly used tools need to be mastered. Regarding the learning of Photoshop tools, JRPanel recommends that you combine the learning of examples to quickly grasp it, and deepen the memory and learning effect of learning. Let me share with you the basic examples of Photoshop graphic tutorials, and teach you 5 quick selection tool skills commonly used in Photoshop.

1. Magic Wand Tool

This is the easiest way to create a selection, but it is only effective when the background color is a solid color.

 

Therefore, when the background of the object to be selected is a blank background, you can use the magic wand tool, such as a product shot.

 

When creating a selection, first of all, to ensure that the picture is in a layer, just right-click the background layer and choose ‘Layer from Background’. Then, select the magic wand tool and click on the background.

In this way, the background will be selected, you can delete the background, and add a new background below the layer.

 

2. Pen Tool

 

If it is a smooth, curved, and hard-edged object, using the pen tool is perfect.

Select the pen tool, then click, and drag along the edge of the object. When you encounter the path again, release the mouse to close it.

 

Then, select the direct selection tool, which can be used to clean up the path and move the path by clicking on the anchor points, or adjust the angle. After completing the path, right-click and select "Create Selection".

 

In this way, the object is selected and can be inverted to remove the background.

 

3. Color Range

 

If there is a significant color difference between the object to be selected and the background, you can create a complex selection through the color range, such as water waves.

 

Choose> Color Range, and click on the object with the color picker. In this example, I clicked on the white area of the water wave.

 

Click OK to create a selection, then copy the selection and paste it into another picture.

 

4. Quickly Select Tools and Adjust Edges

 

In Photoshop, the quick selection tool is very powerful for creating simple selections. In addition, you can optimize the selection by adjusting the edge control.

Use the quick selection brush to drag and select the selected object, you can reduce the size of the brush to select some details. Press the Alt key to add or subtract certain parts. When you are done, click the select> adjust edge.

 

Next, use the refine edge tool to trace along the edge of the selection. Use large-size brushes for the leaves, and use smaller brushes for the trunks with obvious contour edges. You can also move and adjust the edge slider to smooth, feather or harden the edge.

 

After completing the above operations, click OK to save the changes. At the same time, you can copy the selection and paste it into a new background.

 

5. Color Channel

 

When selecting more complex objects such as hair, it is relatively easy to use the channel tool.

First, click on the channel panel.

 

Click on each layer to find the layer with the biggest color difference between the layer background and the hair part. Then, copy the layer.

Select the copied layer, click Image>Adjustment>Brightness/Contrast, and increase the brightness and contrast as much as possible without reducing the hair. Ideally, the background can be adjusted to pure white and the hair is pure black.

 

 

Next, use a black paintbrush to complete the rest of the model's body, and a white paintbrush to paint dark areas in the background.

When finished, choose Image>Adjust>Convert Image, and then Ctrl+click the layer thumbnail to create a selection.

 

Now, you can hide the layer and return to the original RGB layer.

Copy the selection and paste it on a new background. Hope the above tutorial can be helpful for beginners to learn Photoshop. thank you all.