Selection Techniques

1 How to Select Geometric Areas

Selecting geometric areas such as circles, ovals, and rectangles is a common Photoshop task. Reasons for selecting geometric areas include lightening an area to place text on it, deleting a section of the image, or preparing to crop the image.

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open to open the desired file.
   

2. Select the Marquee Tool

   Select the Rectangular Marquee tool to draw a rectangular selection; select the Elliptical Marquee tool to draw an oval selection. (Other tools offer you the option of selecting a vertical or horizontal row of a single pixel.) To select any tool not currently visible in the toolbox, click and hold the current marquee tool and drag to the desired tool in the pop-out menu that appears. Note that the selected tool now appears on the toolbox button and in the Options bar at the top of the screen.
   

3. Drag the Selection

   Move the cursor onto the image and click and drag to draw the selection. If the selection is not where you want it, click once outside the selection to deselect the area, and drag to redraw the selection.
   

4. Move the Selection as Needed

   After you create the selection, you can move the selection area (the ellipse or the rectangle, for example) to another area in the image. With the Marquee tool still selected, click inside the active selection and drag to move its location.
   

5. Deselect as Necessary

   If you need to deselect the area and start over, choose Select, Deselect to deactivate the current selection. You also can deactivate a selection by clicking outside the selected area or by pressing +D (Mac users) or Ctrl+D (Windows users) when using any of the marquee tools.

How to Modify Selections

To select complex shapes and areas, you must sometimes combine multiple selection methods. Adding or subtracting from a selection is only the beginning. You also can shrink or grow a selection, smooth out sharp corners, and tweak or skew the selection area in any direction. This task shows the top 12 shortcuts for working with selections. Combine them as you see fit to select exactly the right area of your image.

1. Adding to Selections

   To add to a selection, hold the Shift key as you're using any of the Photoshop selection tools. Alternatively, you can also click the Add To Selection button in the Options bar. A plus sign appears next to the cursor to show that you're adding to the current selection.
   

2. Subtracting from Selections

   To subtract from a selection, hold the Option key (Mac users) or Alt key (Windows users) as you're using any of the Photoshop selection tools. Alternatively, you can click the Subtract from Selection button in the Options bar. A minus sign appears next to the cursor to show that you're subtracting from the current selection.
   

3. Intersecting Selections

   With an area selected, it's possible to create a second, overlapping area that leaves only the common, intersecting area selected. First, select an area. Then press Shift+Option (Mac users) or Shift+Alt (Windows users) as you draw a second selection that overlaps the first. An x appears next to the cursor as you do this. After you release the mouse and the keyboard keys, only the intersecting area remains selected.
   

4. Nudging a Selection

   After you select an area, you can nudge the selection area up, down, left, or right one pixel at a time. Select one of the Marquee tools in the toolbox and press the arrow keys on your keyboard.
   

5. Inverting Selections

   To invert an active selection, choose Select, Inverse. This action selects the exact opposite of the current selection. In this example, after you select the menu command, everything on the image area will be selected except the rectangle that's currently selected.
   

6. Smoothing Selections

   Smoothing a selection involves a gradual rounding of corners or sharp edges. To smooth an active selection, choose Select, Modify, Smooth. In the Smooth Selection dialog box that appears, enter a value from 1 to 16 pixels to determine the degree of smoothing. Click OK to modify the selection. Repeat this step as desired to smooth the selection even more.
   

7. Expanding Selections

   Expanding a selection means just what it says: expanding the overall area of a selection by a specific number of pixels. To expand an active selection, choose Select, Modify, Expand. In the Expand Selection dialog box that appears, enter a value from 1 to 16 pixels to determine the degree of expansion. Click OK to modify the selection. Repeat this step as desired to expand the selection even more.
   

8. Contracting Selections

   Contracting a selection makes the overall selection area smaller. To contract an active selection, choose Select, Modify, Contract. In the Contract Selection dialog box that appears, enter a value from 1 to 16 pixels. Click OK to modify the selection. Repeat this step to contract the selection even more.
   

9. Isolating Selection Borders

   When you're working with geometric selections, there may be times when you want to apply an effect only to the broder of a selected area. Choose Select, Modify, Border. In the Border dialog box that appears, enter a value from 1 to 16 pixels to specify the width of the border. This option thickens the selection line to the width you specify and makes that line the active selection area. Click OK to modify the selection.
   

10. Feathering a Selection

    Feathering a selection involves vignetting the selection edges, softening any effects that are applied to the selected area. To feather a selection, enter a pixel value in the Feather field of the Options bar. Alternatively, choose Select, Feather. In the Feather Selection dialog box that appears, type a feather value from 0.2 to 250 pixels and click OK.
    

11. Selecting Similar Colors

    After you select an area, you can select all other pixels in the image that have the same color value. This capability can be effective if you want to select multiple colored objects or areas. To do this, select a color or range of colors, and then choose Select, Similar. All pixels with similar pixel values are selected.
    

12. Transforming Selections

    You can to transform an active selection, choose Select, Transform Selection. A bounding box appears around the selection; drag the handles to modify the selection area. Double-click inside the bounding box or click the Move tool and then click OK to apply the transformation.

Image Editing Basics

How to Resize Images

The size of a Photoshop image is measured in width and height, combined with a resolution value expressed as pixels or dots per inch (dpi). For example, you could have a 4x5–inch image at 300dpi. When resizing images, it is important to understand your minimum target resolution and to never go below it. (For example, in the print world, 300dpi is generally a target resolution.)

1. Open the Image in Photoshop

   Choose File, Open and select the image file with which you want to work.
   

2. Check the Image Size

   Choose Image, Image Size to open the Image Size dialog box. Make sure that the Constrain Proportions check box is enabled. This option ensures that the width-to-height ratios are maintained and prevents you from distorting the image as you resize it.
   

3. Deselect Resample Image

   Make sure that the Resample Image check box is disabled. Deselecting this option keeps you from accidentally degrading image quality, especially if you plan to enlarge the image. Resampling works well when you want to resize and shrink the image, but resampling can be disastrous when you're trying to increase the dimensions.
   

4. Enter Target Resolution

   Resolution refers to the number of dots per inch (dpi) or pixels per inch (ppi). For print, you want the image resolution to be between 225dpi and 300dpi; in contrast, the Web needs only 72dpi. Type the target resolution for this image in the Resolution field. As you do this, the dimensions (the Height and Width fields in the Document Size area) change, ensuring that image quality is not sacrificed. In this case, typing 300 in the Resolution field changed the dimensions from 14x21 to approximately 3x5.
   

5. Enter Target Dimensions

   Because resolution is tied to image dimension, changing the dimension values modifies the target resolution you entered in Step 4. To change dimensions without altering resolution, enable the Resample Image check box and select Bicubic as the interpolation method. If you are designing for the Web, enter the dimension size in the fields in the Pixel Dimensions area; if you are designing for print, use the Document Size section. Specify the units of measurement in the pop-up menus (remember that image quality degrades if you enable the Resample Image check box), and then increase the image dimensions. Enter the desired dimensions and click OK to resize the image.

How to Flip and Rotate an Image

You may have to reverse the orientation of an image for compositional or aesthetic reasons. This is relatively simple to do in Photoshop (provided that there is no text that would be reversed). In addition to reversing an image, you may want to rotate the entire image canvas, reorienting it to a new position. This is a common requirement for optimizing scans that were set up in the wrong direction. The main difference is that Free Transform operates on individual layers rather than the entire image (so your text, on a separate layer, won't be affected).

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open and select the desired image file.
   

2. Rotate the Image

   Select Image, Rotate Canvas. From the submenu, choose 90° CW (clockwise), 90° CCW (counterclockwise), or 180°. In this example, I choose 90° CW. The command is executed as soon as you select it from the menu.
   

3. Apply Arbitrary Rotation

   Choose Image, Rotate Canvas, Arbitrary to open the Rotate Canvas dialog box. You can use this dialog box to specify the precise degree and direction of rotation. In this example, I want to rotate the image an additional 19° clockwise (CW). Click OK to rotate the canvas, which enlarges to accommodate the angled image.
   

4. Flip the Image Horizontally

   Choose Image, Rotate Canvas, Flip Canvas Horizontal to flip the image horizontally.
   

5. Flip the Image Vertically

   Choose Image, Rotate Canvas, Flip Canvas Vertical to flip the image vertically.
   

6. Observe the Results

   As you can see, rotating and flipping an image can greatly affect how the image is perceived. Although you haven't really changed anything about the image other than the way it is presented to the viewer, you can see that presentation is important.

Drawing, Painting, and Filling with Color

How to Paint an Image

Painting an image in Photoshop involves selecting a brush and applying an effect to an image. This task outlines the basic procedure for working with any of Photoshop's painting tools, regardless of the effect you are applying or the kind of file to which you're applying it. Photoshop makes available the Airbrush, Paintbrush, Rubber Stamp, History/Art History Brush, Eraser, Pencil/Line, and Sharpen/Blur painting tools and the Dodge/Burn/Sponge tools.

1. Select the Brush Tool

   Open an image file. Click the Paintbrush tool in the Photoshop toolbox.
   

2. Choose a Blending Mode

   With the Paintbrush tool selected, choose Normal from the Mode menu in the Options bar.

3. Set the Opacity

   The Opacity slider controls the density of the brushstrokes applied by the tool. Click and drag the slider to a lower setting for more transparent effects; leave it at 100% to paint with a completely opaque stroke. The Flow slider controls the feather of the brush. Combine Flow and Opacity to create the proper balance of transparency and soft brush strokes.
   

4. Choose a Brush

   Click the small arrow next to the Brush icon in the Options bar to open the brush palette. Move the Master Diameter slider to set the brush size, or select a preset from the list. To avoid painting the image when you click, try clicking in an empty space in the Options bar.
   

5. Paint the Image

   To apply the paint effect, move the cursor into the image window and click and drag.

How to Use the Clone Stamp

The Clone Stamp tool (also called the Rubber Stamp tool) "clones" one area of an image, enabling you to paint it into another area. It can be useful for filling in an open area with a pattern or a color or for duplicating or repeating an object. The basic process for using the Clone Stamp tool requires you to set a source point (the point from which the pixel values come) in the image and then to paint that value into another area of the image.

1. Select the Clone Stamp Tool

   Open the image file you want to modify and select the Clone Stamp tool from the toolbox.
   

2. Set the Opacity

   In the Options bar for the Clone Stamp tool, click and drag the Opacity slider to set the transparency of the effect. For example, if you want to select a part of the image and apply it to another area on the image at the same intensity as the original, set the Opacity slider to 100. Set the slider to 50 if you want the copied area to appear more transparent (lighter) than the original area.
   

3. Set the Aligned Option

   Enable the Aligned check box if you want the reference point to move when you move the brush. For example, if you place the reference point to the left and down 50 pixels from the current brush position, the reference point will always be to the left and down 50 pixels as you paint with the brush. Leave this option disabled if you want the reference point to sample the same area every time you click the brush (the size of the area depends on the brush size you select).
   

4. Select a Brush

   Select a brush size and feather appropriate for the image. For the angel image example, you want to clone the entire face. A medium-sized brush with a slight feathered edge is your best choice for copying the face while blending it into the background. To set the feather, modify the Flow slider.
   

5. Set the Reference Point

   Move the brush into the image window and position it at the desired reference point. Press and hold the Option key (Mac users) or the Alt key (Windows users) and click to set the reference point. The reference point is the starting point for the area you will clone.
   

6. Stamp the Image

   With the reference point set, click and drag in a new location (away from the original area) in the image. Notice that a crosshair (the reference point) effectively paints a copy of the original area in the new location. If the Aligned check box was not enabled, the specific area you referenced in Step 5 is the starting point, regardless of where you click.

How to Fill with the Paint Bucket

The Paint Bucket tool follows the same basic principle as the Magic Eraser. The difference is that instead of erasing continuous pixels, the Paint Bucket tool changes the pixels to a single color. As with the Magic Eraser, you apply the Paint Bucket effect with a single mouse click. The Tolerance setting plays a big role in the final result.

1. Select the Foreground Color

   With the image file you want to modify open, click the Foreground color swatch in the toolbox. The Color Picker opens. Select the fill color you want to use with the Paint Bucket. (With the Color Picker open, you also can select the foreground color by clicking in the image window itself.)
   

2. Select the Paint Bucket Tool

   Select the Paint Bucket tool from the toolbox. If it is not visible, click and hold the Gradient tool and select the Paint Bucket tool from the pop-out menu that appears.
   

3. Set the Opacity and Fill Type

   In the Options bar, drag the Opacity slider to modify the transparency of the effect. Set the opacity to less than 100 to fill the area with a transparent color. Always set the Fill menu to Foreground unless you want to fill with a saved pattern. If no pattern is saved, the Pattern menu is grayed out.
   

4. Set Tolerance

   The Tolerance option determines how adjoining pixels are changed by the Paint Bucket tool. Type a high value in the Tolerance box to spread the fill color across a wider tonal area. Type a low value to change a narrow color range.
   

5. Fill the Area

   Click in the image window to fill an area with the specified color. By default, the effect is confined to an area on a single layer, based on the Tolerance setting. You can target the entire image by enabling the All Layers check box in the Options bar for the Paint Bucket tool.
   

6. Undo If Necessary

   If the effect is too broad or narrow, undo it by choosing Edit, Undo Paint Bucket or by using the History palette. Alternatively, adjust the Tolerance slider in the Options bar for the Paint Bucket tool and reapply the effect.

Using Type

How to Add Type to an Image

When you add text to an image in Photoshop, it is placed on a separate layer. It remains editable at all times—unless you intentionally convert the image to pixels for further editing (as you must if you want to apply filters that work only on raster layers) or integration. When text is added, a new layer is created. The text is the only element in the layer; all other areas are transparent. Photoshop can access all fonts in your system and makes them available through the Type Tool dialog box.

1. Select the Type Tool and Orientation

   With the image you want to work with open, click the Type tool in the Photoshop toolbar. In the Options bar, click the Horizontal Orientation icon (the T with a horizontal arrow).
   

2. Place the Text Starting Point

   Move the mouse pointer into the image area and click to set the text entry point.
   

3. Select the Font

   From the Font menu in the Options bar, choose a typeface. From the Font Style menu, select a typestyle (bold, oblique/italic, and so on). You can also select the font size, alignment, and anti-aliasing method.
   

4. Set Parameters

   Click the Palettes button in the Options bar to launch the Paragraph and Character palettes. In the Character palette, set the Kerning (the spacing between individual pairs of letters),Tracking(spacing between entire lines of letters), leading (whether the letters sit on an invisible baseline or "float" above or below it), horizontal or vertical scale, and type color. You can also change the font from this palette. In the Paragraph palette, you can align the text to the left, center, or right (in relation to the entry point), and you can set justification parameters, paragraph indentation, and hyphenation.
   

5. Set Sharpness of Text

   In the Options bar, select the sharpness of the type. The sharpness of the image, the kind of background the text sits on, and your overall intentions will determine this setting. Use your eye to judge type for the Web. For print, try to stay with the Strong or Crisp option, unless you want a softer effect. Click the check mark in the upper-right corner of the Options bar to accept the current type edits and create the type layer on the image.
   

6. Type Text

   With the image as the active window, type the text you want to add. Highlight the text and use the Options bar and the palettes to change any of the characteristics of the text. When you move your cursor away from the type, the cursor changes to a gavel, indicating that a click will set the type and complete the text entry.
   

7. Edit the Type

   The type is represented as a separate layer on the image, denoted as a type layer by the T icon in the Layers palette. Select Window, Layers and then select the Type tool and highlight the text to make further changes.

How to Create Typographic Style Sheets

Style sheets provide full control over all type parameters, including font, alignment, and spacing options. Photoshop even allows you to associate a specific color with a preset. Now you can easily select a specific type tool for headlines and another for captions, body text, or any other format present in the project.

1. Select the Type Tool

   Select the Type tool from the toolbox.
   

2. Select the Font Parameters

   Use the Options bar to set the basic font settings including font, size, and sharpness.
   

3. Set Line and Character Spacing

   Choose Window, Character to launch the Character palette. Set the leading, tracking, baseline shift, and vertical or horizontal shift as desired.

4. Set Alignment

   Choose Window, Paragraph to open the Paragraph palette. Set the alignment, justification, and indent settings as desired.
   

5. Choose a Font Color

   If you want to include a text color in the preset, click the font color swatch in the Options bar. When the Color Picker opens, select the desired color for the text.
   

6. Save the Preset

   Choose Window, Tool Presets to open the Tool Presets palette. Select New Tool Preset from the palette menu, name the preset in the dialog box that appears, and click OK to save. Now you can access this text preset to load these precise text parameters whenever you need them.

Using Paths

How to Create a Straight-Edge Path

You can use paths to define an image area that you then can select, fill, or outline. Paths are especially valuable for graphic shapes you may want to select repeatedly. You create a path using the Pen tool; you click points that are connected automatically with line segments. This task begins by creating a simple path with straight-line segments; later tasks show you how to create more complex path shapes.

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open to launch the desired file.
   

2. Select the Pen Tool

   Select the Pen tool from the toolbox (you may have to select it from the pop-out menu of tools that appears after you click this button in the toolbox).
   

3. Place the First Point

   Position the pen over the image area at the spot where you want to start the path. Click once to place an anchor point.
   

4. Place Additional Points

   Click additional points as needed to complete the path. Notice that a straight line is drawn between the points you click with the Pen tool.
   

5. Close the Path

   Place the last point over the starting point to close the path. A circle appears next to the Pen tool when the tool is positioned properly.
   

6. Edit the Path

   To edit the path, choose the Path Selection tool or the Direct Selection tool from the toolbox (click and hold the tool in the toolbox to activate the pop-out menu and select between the two tools). Click and drag the anchor points on the image to modify the path.
   

7. Save the Path

   Choose Window, Paths to launch the Paths palette. Double-click the tile for the path you just created The Save Path dialog box opens. Type a name for the path and click OK to save the path.

How to Edit a Path

Photoshop offers a number of ways to edit a path; you can add, subtract, or move points with ease. You can edit a path at any time—as you're making it or later in the process. This task shows all the ways to edit a path, enabling you to pick and choose the options applicable to your project.

1. Open the File with the Path

   Choose File, Open to launch the file containing the path you want to edit.
   

2. Select the Path

   Choose Window, Paths to launch the Paths palette. Click the title of the desired path to select it. The path becomes visible in the image window as you highlight it.
   

3. Move a Point

   Click the Direct Selection tool in the toolbox. Click in the middle of a line segment to show the points on the path. Click and drag a point to move it. If the point is related to a curved segment, handles appear when you select the point, enabling you to modify the curve.
   

4. Move Multiple Points

   To move multiple points as a group, select the Direct Selection tool and show the points in the path, as described in Step 3. After clicking the first point, press and hold the Shift key and click additional points (the points darken to show that they are selected). When multiple points are selected, click and drag to move them as a group.
   

5. Add a Point

   To add a point to a path, begin by selecting the Add Anchor Point tool from the Pen tool pop-out menu in the toolbox. Select the path you want to edit from the Paths palette, position the cursor over the path segment, and click to add a new point. Click and drag to create a point with a curved path segment.
   

6. Delete a Point

   To delete a point from a path, begin by selecting the Delete Anchor Point tool from the Pen tool pop-out menu in the toolbox. Select the path you want to edit from the Paths palette, position the cursor over the point to be removed, and click to delete.
   

7. Convert an Anchor Point

   A complex path consists of both curved and straight-line segments, which are determined by smooth and corner anchor points, respectively. To convert between smooth and corner points, select the Convert Point tool and position it over the point to be converted. Click to convert a smooth point to a corner point; click and drag to convert a corner point to a smooth point.

How to Convert a Path to a Selection

One of the primary reasons for creating a path is to convert it to a selection. You can convert a path to a selection as long as the path is available. Because paths take less disk space to save than do selections, you probably shouldn't save a selection when you can save the path.

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open to launch the desired file.
   

2. Create the Path

   Use any of the methods described in the preceding tasks to create a path.
   

3. Choose Make Selection

   Choose Window, Paths to launch the Paths palette. With the path tile selected, choose Make Selection from the palette menu. The Make Selection dialog box opens.
   

4. Enter the Feather Radius

   Enable the Anti-aliased check box and enter a feather amount if you want a selection with soft edges (or if you are making a selection around fine details, such as hair). Click OK to make the selection.
   

5. Deselect the Path

Working with Layers

How to Create and Move Layers

You should create a layer any time you want to isolate an element from the rest of the image. The element can be text, a second image, or an area of flat color. You can create a layer by using the New Layer command, by pasting an element, or by duplicating an existing layer. After you create the layer, it appears in the Layers palette, named in numerical sequence. To rename a layer, open the Properties dialog box from the Layers palette and type a new name there.

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open and select the image file you want to modify.

2. Open the Layers Palette

   Choose Window, Layers to open the Layers palette.
   

3. Create a Text Layer

   To create a new layer, choose Layer, New, Layer. (Alternatively, select New Layer from the Layers palette menu.) In the dialog box that appears, name the layer and click OK. By default, the layers are given sequential numbers (Layer 1, Layer 2, and so on). For this example, create at least two layers. Make Layer 2 a text layer by selecting the Type tool and clicking the cursor on the image (a layer is automatically created). Add some text and format it in a large, bold typeface.
   

4. Control Layer Visibility

   To turn a layer's visibility on and off, look at the Layers palette. The far-left column contains boxes with eye icons. Click the box next to the layer you want to control the visibility of to display or hide the eye icon—also called the visibility icon.
   

5. Change the Order of the Layers

   You can change the order of the layers that form the image. In the Layers palette, click the title of the layer you want to move in the stack and drag it to its new position. Moving layers around and changing their order is a very powerful feature. For example, by changing the order of various layers, you can change the apparent order of the objects that reside on these different layers.
   

6. Change Layer Opacity

   To make a layer transparent, select the layer in the Layers palette to make it the active layer. Adjust the Opacity slider at the top of the Layers palette until the active layer has the desired degree of opacity.

How to Link Layers

As you accumulate multiple layers in a file, you will want to link certain layers together to preserve alignment or visibility. After you link layers, they all move as a single group as you reposition the multiple layers on the screen—even as they maintain their identities as separate layers.

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open and select the file you want to edit. This example starts with an image that contains several layers in addition to the basic Background "layer."
   

2. Open the Layers Palette

   Choose Window, Layers to open the Layers palette.
   

3. Select the Primary Layer

   In the Layers palette, click the name of the layer to which you want to link other layers. The layer you select here becomes the primary layer, or the active layer.
   

4. Link Secondary Layers

   Click in the column to the immediate left of any layers you want to link to the primary layer. A chain icon appears in the column, indicating that the layer is linked to the currently selected layer.
   

5. Unlink Layers

   To unlink layers, click the visible chain icons to remove them. When the chain icon is gone, the layer no longer is linked to the currently selected layer.

How to Create Layer Sets

So far, we've seen that we can link layers to move them as one and can group layers to create a masking effect. This task explains how to create sets of layers that can be activated, hidden, or copied as a single unit. The layer sets feature, introduced in Photoshop 6, has been a godsend, especially for interface designers who can finally organize the dozens of layers necessary to build a Web site.

1. Open the File

   Choose File, Open and select the image file you want to modify.
   

2. Display the Layers Palette

   Choose Window, Layers to display the Layers palette. Using what you've learned in the preceding tasks, create the desired layers for the set.
   

3. Link the Layers of the Set

   Link the layers of the set together by selecting each layer and clicking in the column to the immediate left of the layer name to make the chain icon appear.
   

4. Create the Layer set
   

   Select Layer, New, Layer Set From Linked to create a new layer set from the linked layers. In the dialog box that appears, name the set and click OK. Layer sets appear in the Layers palette with a folder icon and an arrow that allows you to collapse or expand the list of the set's contents.
   

5. Add Layers to the Layer Set

   To add additional layers to the set, drag and drop them on the layer set. Alternatively, you can highlight the set and select Layer, New, Layer from the menu bar or select New Layer from the Layers palette menu.
   

6. Duplicate a Layer Set

   To duplicate an entire layer set, highlight the layer set and choose Duplicate Layer Set from the Layers palette menu. You can also select Layer, Duplicate Layer Set from the menu bar.