Mastering the Editor in Photoshop Elements requires skill in many diverse areas. While modifying an image’s color, enhancing an old photograph, removing dust and scratches, may require different skills, they have one common thread—selection. Without selection, Photoshop Elements gives you total access to the active document. If you choose to paint a black stroke, select the Paint Brush tool, the color black, and begin painting. Photoshop Elements will let you apply black paint to any portion of the image. Selection is your way to instruct Photoshop Elements what portions of the active document you want to change.
The Marquee tools are considered Photoshop Elements’ “good old” selection tools. In fact they’ve been a part of Photoshop Elements since the early days. Where the marquee tools let you select areas of an image in a structured way (squares, circles, lines), the lasso tools add a bit of freeform selection to the mix. Lasso tools require a certain amount of hand/eye coordination. For example, you can use the lasso tool to create a customized selection area around just about any object in a document, be it an animal, vegetable, or mineral. It just requires a good eye, a steady hand, and a really big mouse pad (I hate it when I run out of mouse pad).
Selection lets you influence a specific area of the image, for example, changing the color of a car from red to blue. This is where selection really shows its strength. When you select an area of a document, the selection becomes the work area-filters, adjustments, and brushes will only work within the selection boundary. Since selection is such an important aspect of controlling what happens in a document, Photoshop Elements gives you many ways to create your desired selection. Mastering the art of selection gives you control over not just what you do, but where you do it.
The Rectangular Marquee tool lets you create rectangular and square selection marquees. The Rectangular Marquee tool is excellent for a quick crop, or selecting and moving blocks of image information. Select the Rectangular Marquee tool on the toolbox from the available Marquee options, and then drag the tool using the mouse (or drawing tablet) to control your movements. To further control a selection, hold down the Shift key to produce a perfect square, and hold down the Alt key to create a selection marquee from center out. Releasing the mouse instructs the Rectangular Marquee tool to create the selection.
In the Editor, select the Rectangular Marquee tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract, or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Click the Style list arrow, and then select from the available styles:
Normal. Lets you create freeform rectangular, or square marquee selections.
Fixed Aspect Ratio. Lets you create selections using a specific ratio, such as a 2 to 1 ratio. Enter the Fixed Aspect Ratio values in the Width and Height boxes.
Fixed Size. Lets you create selections based on an absolute size such as 30 pixels by 90 pixels. Enter the Fixed Size values in the Width and Height boxes.
Drag the selection area you want.
The Elliptical Marquee tool lets you create oval or circular selection marquees. When used with the Layer Mask option, and a couple of creative filters, you can create some awesome vignettes. Select the Elliptical Marquee tool on the toolbox from the available Marquee options, move into the document, and then drag the tool using the mouse to control your movements. To further control a selection, hold down the Shift key to produce a perfect circle, and hold down the Alt key to create a selection marquee from center out. Releasing the mouse instructs the Elliptical Marquee tool to create the selection.
In the Editor, select the Elliptical Marquee tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract, or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather option to create a feathered selection edge.
Select the Anti-alias check box to create a softer selection.
Click the Style list arrow, and then select from the available styles:
Normal. Lets you create freeform elliptical, or circular marquee selections.
Fixed Aspect Ratio. Lets you create selections using a specific ratio, such as a 1 to 1 ratio (perfect circle). Enter the Fixed Aspect Ratio values in the Width and Height boxes.
Fixed Size. Lets you create selections based on an absolute size, such as 100 pixels by 200 pixels (oval). Enter the Fixed Size values in the Width and Height boxes.
Drag the selection area you want.
The Lasso Marquee is a freeform tool that requires a bit of hand-to-eye coordination. Select the Lasso tool on the toolbox from the available Lasso options, move into the active document, and then drag the tool, using the mouse (or drawing tablet) to control your movements. Hold down the Alt key, and then drag to draw straight-line segments (called the Polygonal Lasso tool). Releasing the mouse instructs the Lasso tool to close the selection shape. That’s all there is to it. I did mention that it requires good hand-to-eye coordination, didn’t I? When you use this tool, don’t drink too much coffee, and have a really big mouse pad.
In the Editor, select the Lasso tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Select the Anti-alias check box to create a softer selection (useful with intensely rounded or curved selections).
Drag the selection area you want.
Drag to the beginning point to complete the selection.
Release the mouse during the drag to have Photoshop Elements complete the selection to the beginning point.
In the Editor, select the Lasso tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Select the Anti-alias check box to create a softer selection (useful with intensely rounded or curved selections).
Drag the selection area you want.
Hold down the Alt key, and the release the mouse.
Continue to hold down the Alt key, move to a different area of the window, and then click to draw a straight line between the two points.
Complete the selection using either of the following methods:
Drag and release the mouse to the beginning point to complete the selection.
Release the mouse to have Photoshop Elements complete the selection to the beginning point.
See “Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool” on page 184 for information on using the polygonal selection tool.
The Magnetic Lasso creates a selection by following along the edge of a visible object. For example, it will follow around the edge of a building that contrasts against a bright blue sky. In reality there are no edges in a photographic document, so the tool follows along the shifts of brightness created when one image interacts with another. Select the Magnetic Lasso tool on the toolbox from the available Lasso options. Click on the visible edge of an image, and then move (don’t’ drag) abound the object. The Magnetic Lasso will follow the visible edge of the object; occasionally adding anchor points to the line as you move. Double-clicking the mouse instructs the Magnetic Lasso tool to close the selection shape.
In the Editor, select the Magnetic Lasso tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Select the Anti-alias check box to create a softer selection (useful with intensely rounded or curved selections).
Enter a Width value (0 to 256) to instruct the Magnetic Lasso tool how many pixels to consider for the edge.
Enter an Edge Contrast value (0 to 100) to instruct the Magnetic Lasso how much of a shift in the brightness values to use in determining the edge.
Enter a Frequency value (0 to 100) to instruct the Magnetic Lasso where points are added to the selection line.
Click once to create an anchor point, and then move the pointer along the edge you want to trace.
If the border doesn’t snap to the desired edge, click once to add a anchor point manually. Continue to trace the edge, and add anchor points as needed.
Double-click or click the starting point to complete the selection.
You can remove anchor points. When you’re using the Magnetic Lasso tool and you want to reverse the selection, simply back track the mouse all the way back to the last anchor point. To move even farther backwards, press the Backspace key to remove the last anchor.
You can temporally use the Magnetic Lasso tool as a freeform Lasso tool. Hold down the Alt key, and then drag to draw. Release the mouse to return to the Magnetic Lasso tool.
The Polygonal Lasso creates straight-line selections. Perfect for creating a selection around a windowpane, or the roofline of a house. Select the Polygonal Lasso tool on the toolbox from the available Lasso options, and click to create a point; then move and click to create straight lines between the two points. Keep clicking and moving your mouse until the desired selection shape appears. Double-clicking the mouse instructs the Polygonal Lasso tool to close the selection shape.
In the Editor, select the Polygonal Lasso tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Select the Anti-alias check box to create a softer selection (useful with intensely rounded or curved selections).
Click to create anchor points, and then double-click or click the starting point to complete the selection.
The Quick Selection (New!) tool makes it easier to select the areas of an image you want. Simply paint a loose selection using an adjustable round brush tip to select the area you want. As you paint with the Quick Selection tool, the selection expands outward and automatically finds and follows defined edges in the image. You can also enable the Auto-Enhance option to reduce roughness and blockiness in the selection edge.
In the Editor, select the Quick Selection tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add or subtract an existing selection.
Click the Brush list arrow, and then select the brush options you want: Diameter, Hardness, Spacing, and Size.
Select the All Layers check box to create a selection based on all layers, not just the currently selected one.
Select the Auto-Enhance check box to reduce roughness and blockiness in the selection edge.
Paint the selection you want.
The Magic Wand tool (so named since it appears like a magic wand) is unique in the fact that you do not drag and select with this tool, you simply click. The Magic Wand tool creates a selection based on the shift in brightness range within an image. If there is a definable shift in the brightness of the pixels, it can be a very powerful tool for the selection of odd shaped areas. For example, a bright colored sunflower contrasted with a bright blue sky would be a snap for the Magic Wand tool. To use the Magic Wand, click on the Magic Wand Tool button on the toolbox. Sometimes it’s easier to select what you don’t want. In this example, the blue sky was selected and removed. However, you might have wanted to select the sunflower, and move it into another image. If that’s the case, it was still easier to select the sky using the Magic Wand, clicking the Select menu, and then clicking Inverse to reverse the selection.
In the Editor, select the Magic Wand tool on the toolbox.
Use the selection options on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Enter a Tolerance value (0 to 255). The higher the value the more information the Magic Wand tool selects.
Select the Anti-alias check box to create a softer selection (useful with intensely rounded or curved selections).
Select the Contiguous check box to select adjacent pixels within the active document.
Select the All Layers check box to sample image information from all layers.
Click an area to make a selection.
With the Selection Brush tool, you can paint over an area to select it or paint over an area you don’t want to select. The Selection Brush tool uses two modes: Selection and Mask. Selection mode allows you to paint over areas to make a selection, while Mask mode allows you to paint over areas you don’t want to make a selection. You can make a rough selection using another selection tool, and then add to the selection using the Selection Brush tool in Selection mode, or subtract from it using the Mask mode.
In the Editor, select the Selection Brush tool on the toolbox.
Click the Add to Selection or Subtract from Selection button on the Options bar.
Select any of the following options on the Options bar:
Preset Brushes. Click the Brush Presets list arrow, click the Brushes list arrow, select a brush type, and then select the brush you want.
Brush Size. Click the Brush Size list arrow, and then select the brush size you want.
Click the Mode list arrow, and then click Selection (to add to the selection) or Mask (to subtract from the selection).
If you select Mask mode, specify an Overlay Opacity, and an Overlay Color.
Click the Hardness list arrow, and then drag the slide to specify a percentage.
Draw in your photo to select or deselect areas.
The Magic Extractor makes it easy to select people or objects, so you can use them in other photos on different backgrounds. For example, you can remove yourself from an individual photo and then place it on a group photo. You can save the extracted image as a file, so you can use it in other photos. The Magic Extractor makes selections based on the foreground and background areas of a photo. You make selections by placing colored marks in the areas you want to select. After you mark the areas, only the foreground area appears in the photo in the Editor.
In the Editor, click the Oval or Rectangular tool on the toolbox, and then make an initial selection if you want to limit what takes place in the Magic Extractor.
Click the Image menu, and then click Magic Selector.
The Magic Extractor dialog box appears.
Select the Foreground Brush tool, if necessary.
Click multiple times or draw lines to mark the area you want to extract.
To help mark your selection, use the Zoom tool or Hand tool to magnify and navigate the photo.
To use a different brush color or size, select a size from the Brush Size list arrow, or click the Foreground or Background Color box, click a color, and then click OK.
Select the Background Brush tool.
Click multiple times or draw lines to mark the area you don’t want to include in the selection.
With objects with varied colors and textures, drag across all the colors and textures to create the best selection.
To view the current selection, click Preview.
Display. Click to display the preview with the selection area or original photo.
Background. Click to select a different background.
Use any of the following options to fine-tune the selection:
Add or Subtract from Selection. Select the Foreground Brush tool or Background Brush tool, and then draw more marks.
Erase Foreground or Background Marks. Select the Point Eraser tool, and then click or drag over marks.
Add to Selection. Select the Add to Selection tool, and then click or drag over areas.
Subtract from Selection. Select the Subtract from Selection tool, and then click or drag over areas.
Smooth Edges. Select the Smoothing Brush tool, and then drag over areas.
Soften Selection Edges. Specify a higher value in the Feather box.
Fill Holes. Click Fill Holes to fill remaining holes in the main selection.
Remove Fringe Colors. Click Defringe to remove fringe colors left between the foreground and background. Specify the amount of defringe.
To reset everything to start over, click Reset.
Click OK to extract the selected area or click Cancel to dismiss the changes.
After you make the initial selection, you can use the Refine Edge tool (New!) to fine-tune the selection to your exact specifications. The Refine Edge tools allows you to adjust the selection using the following options: Smooth, Feather, and Contract/Expand. You can also change the view mode to preview the selection against different backgrounds.
In the Editor, use one of the selection tools to make a selection.
Click Redefine Edge on the Options bar, or click the Select menu, and then click Refine Edge.
Select the Preview check box to preview changes.
Drag the sliders to adjust the selection.
Smooth. Smooths out the rough edges of the selection (from 0 to 100).
Feather. Creates a soft edge around the selection boundary (from 0 to 250 pixels).
Contract/Expand. Decreases or increases the selection edge.
To change the view modes, click a Selection View icon.
A description appears below the view mode. Click the Description button, if necessary.
Double-click the Quick Mask view to change the color mask.
Use the Zoom or Hand tools to change the view size or position.
Click OK.
Selections can be as simple as dragging a circle or square with one of the marquee tools to a more complicated freeform selection. Whatever the case, Photoshop Elements allows you to enhance any selection with its useful modification tools. After creating a selection, you can modify it with the various options that Photoshop Elements offers in order to make complex selections easier to use. With selection being an important part of the process, practice is the key to success.
With a selection in the Editor, click the Select menu, and then select an option:
All. Selects all pixels within the active document.
Deselect or Reselect. Removes any pixels from the active document.
Reselect or Inverse. Lets you select or reverse the previous selection.
All Layers. Lets you select all the layers in the Layers palette (excluding the Background).
Deselect Layers. Deselects all layers in the Layers palette.
Similar Layers. Selects similar layers such as: all type layers, or all shape layers.
Feather. Creates a visually softer selection edge.
Modify. Lets you Modify the border, Expand, Contract, or Smooth the selection in the active document.
Grow. Lets you increase a selection by adding pixels.
Similar. Lets you increase a selection by adding non-contiguous pixels.
Load, Save, and Delete Selection. Lets you load, save or delete a previously saved selection.
You can use several commands to change an existing selection to meet your exact needs. You can use the Expand and Contract commands to increase or decrease the size of an existing section. The Border command adds a new selection border around an existing selection. The new soft-edged, anti-aliased selection border appears based on the thickness you specify in pixels. The border selection consists of only the pixels between the two selection borders. The Smooth command finds and removes stray pixels within a color range, while the Similar command find and includes similar colors in a selection.
In the Editor, create a selection using any of the selection tools.
Click the Select menu, and then click Similar.
The selection includes pixels throughout the photos (not just adjacent ones) within the tolerance range specified in the Options bar. A higher tolerance value adds a broader range of colors.
To include only adjacent pixels within the tolerance range, click the Select menu, and then click Grow.
To increase the selection, use the Similar or Grow commands again.
To say that Photoshop Elements will help you make selections easy would be an understatement. Not only can you modify selections in any number of ways, Photoshop Elements gives you the option to change your mind by adding and subtracting to an existing selection or even using the selection tools to crop the image. Since most selections are not perfect the first time around, knowing how to modify a selection marquee gives you the control you need to make perfect selections. Adding and subtracting to an image is accomplished by simple keyboard shortcuts, or items on the Options bar. Either way you can create complex selections with ease.
In the Editor, create a selection using any of the selection tools.
The selection area does not have to be a rectangle.
Click the Image menu, and then click Crop to crop the image.
Cropping an image brings focus. Cropping a document brings focus to the information contained within the image. For example, if you take a photograph of someone standing in front of a building. Is the focus the building or the person? If the focus is the person, then crop out the building. Cropping eliminates distractions, which would otherwise take away from the message of the image. A picture may be worth a thousand words; however, sometimes a picture can say too much.
Photoshop Elements’ primary method of creating selections is through the use of tools on the toolbox, such as the Marquee, Lasso, and Magic Wand, and while they create impressive and complex selections, Photoshop Elements has other ways to capture and save that tricky selection. You can save a selection and then load it at a later time to work on a photo. If you have already saved a selection and want to modify it, you can save an existing selection with an added, subtracted, or intersected sections.
Make the selection you want to save.
Click the Select menu, and then click Save Selection.
Click the Selection list arrow, and then click the selection you want to modify.
Select the Operation option you want:
Replace Selection. Replaces the saved selection with current selection.
Add to Selection. Adds the current selection to the saved selection.
Subtract from Selection. Subtracts the current selection from the saved selection.
Intersect with Selection. Replaces the saved selection with the intersection between the current selection and the saved selection.
Click OK.
After you save a selection, you can load it at a later time to work on a photo. If you have already saved a selection and want to modify it with a new selection, you can load the saved selection and then add, subtract, or intersect a new section. After you’re done with a saved selection, you can delete it.
In the Editor, open the photo with the saved selection you want to change.
Make the selection you want to save.
Click the Select menu, and then click Load Selection.
Click the Selection list arrow, and then click the selection you want to modify.
Select the Operation option you want:
Add to Selection. Adds the current selection to the saved selection.
Subtract from Selection. Subtracts the current selection from the saved selection.
Intersect with Selection. Replaces the saved selection with the intersection between the current selection and the saved selection.
Click OK.
After you make a selection, you can use the Move tool and Copy and Paste commands to copy of all or a part of a photo in other photos. You can use the Move tool to quickly create a copy of a selection while you move it. In addition, you can use the Copy and Copy Merged commands to copy a selection or all layers of a selection to the Clipboard. After you copy a selection, you can use the Paste or Paste into Selection commands to place the copied selection where you want it. When you exit Photoshop Elements, anything you have stored in the Clipboard is erased unless you select the Export Clipboard check box in General Preferences for the Editor.
In the Editor, create a selection using any of the selection tools.
Click the Move tool on the toolbox.
Press the Alt key, point inside the selection border, and then drag the selection to a new location.
Offset Copies. To offset a copy by 1 pixel, hold down the Alt key and then press an arrow key. To offset a copy by 10 pixels, hold down the Alt+Shift keys and then press an arrow key.
In the Editor, create a selection using any of the selection tools.
Click the Edit menu, and then click one of the following commands:
Copy. Copies the selection to the Clipboard.
Copy Merge. Copies all layers in the selected area to the Clipboard.
To paste the contents of the Clipboard to a photo, display the photo, click the Edit menu, and then click Paste.
In the Editor, create a selection using any of the selection tools.
Click the Edit menu, and then click Copy.
Create a selection in the photo in which you want to paste the copied selection.
Click the Edit menu, and then click Paste into Selection.
Click the Move tool on the toolbox, point inside the selection border, and then drag the selection to a new location.
When you’re done, deselect the pasted selection to accept the change.
The Move tool allows you to cut out a selection from one photo and place it in another area of the photo or an entirely different photo. You can simply drag a selection using the Move tool to complete the operation, or you can use additional options on the Options bar. These options include Auto Select Layer, Show Bounding Box, Show Highlight on Rollover, and the Arrange, Align, and Distribute menus.
In the Editor, create a selection using any of the selection tools.
Click the Move tool on the toolbox.
Select the Auto Select Layer check box to automatically select the topmost layer where you point instead of the selected layer.
Select the Show Bounding Box check box to display the bound box around the selected item.
Select the Show Highlight on Rollover check box to highlight individual layers as the mouse hovers over the image.
Select any of the following options on the Options bar:
Arrange Menu. Select a command to move the selected layer in a different stacking order.
Align Menu. Select a command to align one or more layers left, center, right, top, middle or bottom.
Distribute Menu. Select a command to space multiple layers apart to the left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom.
Point inside the selection border, and then drag the selection to a new location.