Photoshop Selection Tools
First thing you have to do when figuring out which selection tool to use on your image is to diagnose the situation. If your background is a solid color, you can use the Magic Wand tool. If your background is not a solid color, and your area you wish to extract from the background has all straight edges, you can use the polygonal lasso tool. If your background is not a solid color, and your area you wish to extract from the background is not all straight edges (like a person) then you would use the magnetic lasso tool.
Next, is executing.
- Magic Wand
· Select the Layer you would like to edit.
· Select the MAGIC WAND TOOL from your Photoshop toolbar
· With the Magic Wand, select the background color that you wish to get rid of from the image itself.
· Go to SELECT>INVERSE on the top menu bar.
· Select your MOVE TOOL from your TOOL BAR.
· Slide your selected area to your new document.
- Polygonal Lasso
- Select the Layer you would like to edit.
- Select the POLYGONAL LASSO TOOL from your Photoshop toolbar.
- With the POLYGONAL LASSO, select a starting point around the object that you wish to extract from the background and click your mouse once. THEN, trace around the perimeter of the object clicking each time the lasso changes direction (even if it’s just a slight change). When you get back to your starting point click one more time and your outline should turn into what looks like marching ants. If not, click enter/return.
- Select your MOVE TOOL from your TOOL BAR.
- Slide your selected area to your new document.
- Magnetic Lasso
- Select the Layer you would like to edit.
- Select the MAGNETIC LASSO TOOL from your Photoshop toolbar.
- With the MAGNETIC LASSO, select a starting point around the object that you wish to extract from the background and click your mouse once. THEN, trace around the perimeter of the object. When you get back to your starting point click one more time and your outline should turn into what looks like marching ants. If not, click enter/return. (You do NOT have to click each time you change directions with this tool like you do with the Polygonal Lasso.)
- Select your MOVE TOOL from your TOOL BAR.
- Slide your selected area to your new document.
For all of these tools, when you get the piece you wanted onto your project document you may need to do a few things.
- RESIZE
- Select the Layer that you want to resize
- On the top MENU BAR select EDIT>TRANSFORM>SCALE
- Hold down the SHIFT key and drag out the corners to size the image to fit.
- Double-click in your image to APPLY CHANGES.
2. ROTATING
-
- Select the Layer that you want to resize
- On the top MENU BAR select EDIT>TRANSFORM>ROTATE
- Hold down the SHIFT key and drag out the corners to rotate the image.
- Double-click in your image to APPLY CHANGE.
