Adobe photoshop elements User Manual
CHAPTER 5
108
Selecting
To select the unselected parts of an image:
Choose Select > Inverse.
You can use this option to select an object placed
against a solid-colored background. Select the
against a solid-colored background. Select the
background using the magic wand tool and then
inverse the selection.
inverse the selection.
Adjusting selections manually
You can use the selection tools to add to or
subtract from existing pixel selections.
subtract from existing pixel selections.
For consistent results, before manually adding to
or subtracting from a selection, set the feather and
anti-aliased values in the options bar to the same
settings used for the original selection. (See
“Softening the edges of a selection” on page 108.)
or subtracting from a selection, set the feather and
anti-aliased values in the options bar to the same
settings used for the original selection. (See
“Softening the edges of a selection” on page 108.)
To add to a selection or select an additional area:
1
Make a selection.
2
Do one of the following from inside the
selection:
•
Select the Add to Selection option ( ) in the
options bar, and drag inside the selection.
•
Hold down Shift (a plus sign appears next to the
pointer), and drag from inside the selection to add
another selection.
another selection.
•
For the magic wand tool, click another color in
the active image to add it to the selection.
To subtract from a selection:
1
Make a selection.
2
Do one of the following:
•
Select the Subtract from Selection option ( )
in the options bar, and drag inside the selection to
subtract it.
subtract it.
•
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)
(a minus sign appears next to the pointer),
and drag inside the selection to subtract another
selection.
and drag inside the selection to subtract another
selection.
•
For the magic wand tool, click a selected color to
remove it from the selection.
To select only an area intersected by other selections:
1
Make a selection.
2
Do one of the following:
•
Select the Intersect with Selection option ( ) in
the options bar, and drag inside the selection.
•
Hold down Alt+Shift (Windows) or
Option+Shift (Mac OS) (a cross appears next to
the pointer), and drag inside the selection over the
portion of the original selection that you want to
select.
the pointer), and drag inside the selection over the
portion of the original selection that you want to
select.
•
For the magic wand tool, click another color in
the active image.
Softening the edges of a
selection
selection
You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by
anti-aliasing and by feathering.
anti-aliasing and by feathering.