Page 51 - CC2019_PS_Look_Inside

STAGE 3 / Creating Complex Selections

Photoshop includes a number of options for making selections based on the color content of an
image. Th e method you use will vary depending on the actual content of your image, as well as what
you hope to accomplish.
Th e Magic Wand tool is an easy way to select large areas of solid color.
• Th e fi rst options in the Options
bar are the same as those for the
Marquee tools ( New, Add To,
Subtract From, and Intersect).
• Tolerance is the degree of
variation between the color you
click and the colors Photoshop
will select. Higher tolerance
values select a larger range based
on the color you click.

• Th e Anti-alias check box allows
edges to blend more smoothly
into the background, preventing a jagged appearance. Anti-aliasing is the process of blending
shades of pixels to create the illusion of sharp lines.
• When Contiguous is selected, the tool only selects adjacent areas of the color; unchecking this
option allows you to select all pixels within the tolerance, even if some are noncontiguous.
• By default, selections relate to the active layer only. You can check Sample All Layers to
make a selection of all layers in the fi le.

• Th e Select Subject button allows Photoshop to automatically make a selection based on
what it determines to be the main “subject” of the photo.

• Th e Select and Mask button opens a special workspace where you can use a number of tools
to fi ne-tune the selection edge.

Th e Quick Selection tool essentially allows you to “paint” a selection. As you drag, the selection
expands and automatically fi nds the edges in the image.
• In the Options bar, you choose to Add to Selection Subtract from Selection
create a new selection, add to, or
subtract from the current selection. New Selection Click to open brush options.

• Open the Brush Options to change
the brush size, so that your selection
includes a smaller or wider range of
color.

• Auto-Enhance allows the software
to refi ne the edges of the selection
based on internal algorithms.
(Although many “auto” features in
the software are very useful starting
points, never rely entirely on this
type of automatic result.)

Project 1: Music CD Artwork 63