[j sotelo]

Modify Selections

This Tutorial will Show you the 11 most used shorcuts for working with selections, you can combine multiple selection methods by adding subtracting, you can shrink, grow, tweak it in many ways.

1.- Adding To A Selection
If you want to add to a selection, press the SHIFT key.
You can also press the ADD TO SELECTION button in the OPTION bar.
A plus sign will appear next to cursor to let you know you are adding to the current selection.

2.- Subtracting From A Selection
To Subtract from a selection, press the ALT key.
You can also press the SUBTRACT FROM SELECTION button in the OPTION bar.
A minus sign will appear next to cursor to let you know you are subtracting to the current selection.


3.-Intersecting Selections
When you have an area selected, you can create a second overlapping area that subtracts the common intersecting areas. Select the area first, then press SHIFT+ALT as you make the second selection selection that overlaps the first. An X will be visible next to the cursor when you do this, then release the mouse and the keys, and the intersecting area will remain selected.





Nudging A Selection
When you have an area selected, you can nudge that selection one pixel at a time by pressing the arrow keys.




Inverting A Selection
Choose Select, Inverse. When you do this it will select the exact opposite of what is already selected.




Smoothing A Selection
This action will round the corners or sharp edges. To do this go to SELECT, MODIFY, SMOOTH. When the Smooth Selection box appears, enter the desired value from 1 to 16 pixels, click OK.




Expanding A Selection
This name speaks for itself, all it does is expand the selection, for this go to SELECT, MODIFY, EXPAND, When the Expand Selection box appears, enter the desired value from 1 to 16 pixels, click OK.

[j sotelo]

Contracting A Selection
This will also exactly what it says, contract a selection, in other words it will make the selection smaller, for this go to SELECT, MODIFY, CONTRACT. When the Contract Selection box appears, enter the desired value from 1 to 16 pixels, click OK.





Isolating Selection Borders
If you are using Geometric selections, there will be times you will want to apply an effect only to the border of a selected area. For this go to SELECT, MODIFY, BORDER. When the Border dialog box appears, enter the desired value from 1 to 16 pixels to specify the width of the border. This thickens the selection line to what ever width you specify and makes that line the active selection area. Click OK.




Feathering A Selection
This involves vignetting the selection edges, softening the edges of the selected area. To apply this first enter a pixel value in the FEATHER field in the Options bar then do your selection. Or you can go to SELECT, FEATHER, when the FEATHER SELECTION dialog box appears type the pixel value from 0.2 to 250 pixels. Click OK.




Selecting Similar Colors
When you have selected the area that has the color or colors values you want selected, go to SELECT, SIMILAR. Click ok

Sometimes we get so cought up with complex tasks in Photoshop that we forget the most simple ones existed. This tutorial is a reminder for some of us and a lesson for others. Have fun with it.!

[Angela]

Thank you! I'm sure a lot of people are going to find that useful!

[Gary Bagshawe]

Very useful stuff!!