You select by color in Photoshop with the Magic Wand tool by clicking on an area of an image, and the tool will select adjacent areas with similar colors and tones.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
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Select the Magic Wand Tool: Find the Magic Wand tool in the Tools panel (it looks like a wand with sparkles). If you don't see it, it might be hidden under the Quick Selection Tool. Click and hold on the Quick Selection Tool icon, then choose the Magic Wand Tool.
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Click on the Color to Select: Simply click on the color you want to select within your image. Photoshop will automatically select pixels that are similar in color to the point you clicked.
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Adjust the Tolerance: The "Tolerance" setting in the Options bar (usually at the top of the screen) controls how wide a range of colors the Magic Wand selects.
- Lower Tolerance: A lower tolerance (e.g., 10) selects only colors very similar to the color you clicked on.
- Higher Tolerance: A higher tolerance (e.g., 50) selects a broader range of colors, including those that are less similar to the color you clicked. Experiment to find the right value.
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Contiguous Option: The "Contiguous" checkbox in the Options bar determines whether the Magic Wand selects only adjacent areas of the same color, or all areas of the same color throughout the image.
- Contiguous Checked: Selects only connected areas of similar color.
- Contiguous Unchecked: Selects all areas of similar color, even if they are not connected.
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Add to or Subtract from Selection:
- To add to your selection, hold down the Shift key while clicking on other areas.
- To subtract from your selection, hold down the Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) key while clicking on areas you want to remove from the selection.
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Anti-alias Option: The "Anti-alias" checkbox softens the edges of the selection for a smoother blend with the surrounding pixels. It's generally recommended to leave this checked.
In summary, the Magic Wand tool lets you quickly select regions of similar color in Photoshop. Fine-tune your selections by adjusting the Tolerance and Contiguous settings, and by adding to or subtracting from the selection as needed.
