To make a selection in Photoshop CS6, you primarily use the selection tools. These tools allow you to isolate specific areas of your image for editing. Let's look at the most common method.
Using the Marquee Tool
The Marquee tools are a fundamental way to create selections based on geometric shapes like rectangles and ellipses. Here's how:
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Select the Marquee Tool: You can select the Marquee tool in two ways.
- Click the Marquee tool icon in the Tools panel.
- Press M on your keyboard, the shortcut key for the Marquee tools, to activate the tool. As referenced, "To make a selection with either marquee tool, just grab the tool by clicking its icon in the Tools panel or by pressing M, and then mouse over to your document."
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Click and Drag: Mouse over your image. Then, click and drag with your mouse to draw a selection of the desired size and shape. The selection will appear as a "marching ants" outline.
- Rectangular Marquee: Draws rectangular and square selections. To draw a perfect square, hold down the Shift key while dragging.
- Elliptical Marquee: Draws elliptical and circular selections. To draw a perfect circle, hold down the Shift key while dragging.
Additional Selection Tips:
- Adding to a Selection: To add to an existing selection, hold down the Shift key while drawing a new selection.
- Subtracting from a Selection: To subtract from an existing selection, hold down the Alt (or Option on Mac) key while drawing a new selection.
- Moving a Selection: After making the selection, you can click inside the selection outline and drag to move the selected area around your image without moving any pixels.
Other Selection Tools
Besides the Marquee tools, Photoshop CS6 offers other selection tools like:
- Lasso Tool (L): For freehand selections.
- Polygonal Lasso Tool: For drawing selections with straight lines.
- Magnetic Lasso Tool: Automatically snaps to edges while you drag, useful for selections with clear boundaries.
- Quick Selection Tool (W): Paints selections using brush strokes, automatically selecting similar areas.
- Magic Wand Tool (W): Selects areas based on color similarity.
Choose the selection tool that best suits your needs for the desired selection outcome.
