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Photoshop Selections: Modify, Save and Share Selections
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Modify your selection
Perhaps your selection is close to perfect, but is a bit rough, or you
wish it was one pixel larger or smaller. Choose Select> Modify and
the answer is just a click away. You have the option to add a border
to, smooth, expand or contract your selection.
The samples at the left show the effect of smoothing your selection.
The top image shows a selection with sharp bumps and hollows. Smoothing
the selection by 4 pixels results in gentle curves. You can set the
smooth amount to any value. (This selection is actually the same flower
selection from above, moved to a new document – see below to find
out how to share selections between images.)
Need a border for your selection, or just want to blur a few pixels
along the edge? Choose Select>Border and set the value for the number
of pixels you would like to manipulate. See left for the selection with
a border added. Adding a border to a selection automatically creates
an antialiased border as shown below. Use the Edit>Stroke command
for a solid border.
When you would like to include one more pixel all around your selection,
simple choose Select> Modify> Expand and set the value to 1. Ditto
to select one less pixel, but choose Select>Modify>Contract. This
is a feature I use a lot when removing backgrounds.
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Feather your selection
This is an option I use all the time. Feathering your selection softens
the edges, and is very important when you are removing backgrounds or
adding objects to collages, etc. Create your selection, then choose Select>Feather
and specify a value. The image at the left has the original selection
at the left, and the same selection feathered by 5 pixels. Both were filled
with the same fill. |
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Save your selection
You can spend a lot of time creating a selection. Often, it is important
to save the selection, so you can return to the exact location for a
later manipulation. Simply choose Select>Save Selection and your
selection will be saved with your document. The Save Selection window
will open. Type a name that will mean something to you later in the
Name field.
To retrieve the selection later, choose Select>Load Selection, and
choose the selection from the drop-down list in the Load Selection window.
Photoshop saves your selection by creating a channel. Open the Channels
palette, and you will see your selection represented as a channel. You
can also load the selection back into your document by activating your
selection channel and clicking on the Load channel as selection icon
at the bottom of the Channels palette. This same feature lets us share
selections between documents. Note: Don't panic when you see
that your screen is filled with a grayscale image ... simply activate
the RGB channel to get your colored image back.
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Channel is copied from one image to another.
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Share your selection
We know that in Photoshop, that selections are design power. But that
power can be magnified many times over when you can share your work
between documents. Using the Channels palette, this is a very easy task.
Both the document containing the selection channel, and the document
that you would like to copy it to, must be open. Set the window size
on each document so that you can see both on the screen. Now, simply
click and drag the channel from the original document to the screen
of the new one. As you move your mouse over the new document, the cursor
will change to a hand as shown at the left. Release the mouse. Check
the Channels palette in the new document, and you will see the selection
channel is now showing at the bottom of the channels list, with the
same name as was originally assigned. You can now load the selection
as above.
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So, there you have it. Certainly more than just the basics for one
of the most basic operations in Photoshop. Selections are the backbone
of Photoshop, and the more methods for selection that you learn, and
the more you practice, the better your work will be. The added bonus
is time. When you know which selection tool to reach for, you are halfway
to completing your task. After all, how long does it take to select
Edit>Fill, or hit the Delete key.
Make sure you do not miss my earlier tutorial, Masks
are Easy ... Really. Masks are nothing more than high-class
selections, and with what you have learned in this article, you can
really make your masks/selections work for you.
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Trivia answer
Remember on the front page of this article, I asked you to figure out
how this selection was created. The selection itself was one click with
the Magic Wand tool. The trick is that the selection was made on a layer
that contains only the drop shadow.
Create a layer and apply a layer effect. To separate the effects from
the layer, choose Layer>Effects>Create Layer from the main menu
(or right click and choose Create Layer from the pop-up menu). Your
layer and its effects are now on separate layers.
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Back to start
Photoshop Selections Tutorial Index
Photoshop Selections: Back to Basics
Selection Tools
Selection Tools 2
Selecting with Channels and Color Range
Edit Selections
Modify, Save and Share Selections
 
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