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How Do I Edit a Saved Selection in Photoshop?

Published in Photoshop Editing 3 mins read

To edit a saved selection in Photoshop, you'll actually load the saved selection and then modify it using various selection tools or operations. Here's how:

Steps to Edit a Saved Selection

  1. Open your image in Photoshop: Begin by opening the image containing the saved selection you want to edit.

  2. Load the Saved Selection: Go to Select > Load Selection.

  3. Choose the Source: In the "Load Selection" dialog box:

    • Source: Choose the document (your current image) from the "Source" dropdown menu.
    • Channel: Select the saved selection you want to load from the "Channel" dropdown menu. Saved selections are stored as channels. If you saved it as a selection, it will usually appear as something like "Selection 1" or the name you gave it. If you created a mask it will appear as the name of the mask.

  4. Operation: Choose an operation to modify the existing selection. The most common are:

    • Add to Selection: Adds the loaded selection to any existing selection.
    • Subtract from Selection: Subtracts the loaded selection from any existing selection.
    • Intersect with Selection: Keeps only the area where the loaded selection overlaps with the existing selection.
    • Make Selection: Creates a selection from the selected channel. If you don't have an active selection and want to just load in the saved selection, use this.

  5. Click OK: Click "OK" to load and apply the operation.

  6. Modify the Selection: Now that the selection is loaded, you can modify it using any of Photoshop's selection tools and commands:

    • Selection Tools: Use tools like the Lasso Tool (L), Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), Quick Selection Tool (W), or Object Selection Tool (W) to add to, subtract from, or refine the selection. Hold Shift to add to the selection, Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) to subtract, and Shift + Alt or Shift + Option to find the intersection.

    • Select and Mask: For more complex refinements, go to Select > Select and Mask. This workspace allows you to refine the edges of your selection with options like Radius, Smooth, Feather, Contrast, and Shift Edge.

    • Transform Selection: Go to Select > Transform Selection to resize, rotate, or skew the selection outline.

Example Scenario

Let's say you have a saved selection of a person's face and you want to add their ears to the selection.

  1. Load the saved selection of the face.
  2. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to carefully draw around one ear, holding Shift to add it to the existing selection.
  3. Repeat for the other ear.
  4. You now have a selection that includes the face and the ears.

Tips for Managing Selections

  • Save Selections: Remember to save your selections (Select > Save Selection) as channels for future use. Give them descriptive names so you can easily identify them later.
  • Use Layers: Consider creating separate layers for different parts of your selection to manage them more easily.
  • Practice: Experiment with different selection tools and techniques to find the best approach for your specific needs.

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