How to Use the Selection Tools in Adobe Photoshop

Posted on 20th June 2023

In Adobe Photoshop, the selection tools are used to select pixels in an image to perform an action on, such as moving, copying, or filling with color. There are a variety of selection tools available, each with its own purpose. In this article, we’ll cover how to use the following selection tools:

• Rectangular Marquee Tool
• Elliptical Marquee Tool
• Lasso Tool
• Polygonal Lasso Tool
• Magnetic Lasso Tool
• Quick Selection Tool
• Magic Wand Tool

Before we get started, let’s make sure we have a document to work with. Open up Adobe Photoshop and create a new document. You can do this by going to File > New. A new window will pop up asking you to choose the size of your document. For this tutorial, we’ll be using a document size of 8×10 inches.

Once you have your document open, you can begin using the selection tools.

The Rectangular Marquee Tool is the most basic of the selection tools. To select an area with the Rectangular Marquee Tool, simply click and drag your mouse around the area you want to select. The area you select will be bordered by a dashed line, as seen in the image below.

If you want to select a perfect square or circle, you can hold down the Shift key while you click and drag with the Rectangular Marquee Tool. This will constrain the Marquee Tool to only select perfect squares or circles.

The Elliptical Marquee Tool is used to select elliptical or circular areas of an image. To select an area with the Elliptical Marquee Tool, click and drag your mouse around the area you want to select. As with the Rectangular Marquee Tool, the area you select will be bordered by a dashed line.

If you want to select a perfect circle, you can hold down the Shift key while you click and drag with the Elliptical Marquee Tool. This will constrain the Marquee Tool to only select perfect circles.

The Lasso Tool is used to select irregularly shaped areas of an image. To select an area with the Lasso Tool, click and drag your mouse around the area you want to select. As you move your mouse, you will create a line that you can use to outline the area you want to select.

If you make a mistake while using the Lasso Tool, you can press the Alt (Windows) / Option (Mac) key to change the Lasso Tool into the Eraser Tool. Then, simply click and drag over the area you want to erase. When you release the Alt / Option key, the Lasso Tool will be activated again.

The Polygonal Lasso Tool is similar to the Lasso Tool, but it allows you to create straight lines when making your selection. To use the Polygonal Lasso Tool, simply click around the perimeter of the area you want to select. As you click, straight lines will be drawn between each point.

If you make a mistake while using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, you can press the Alt (Windows) / Option (Mac) key to change the Polygonal Lasso Tool into the Eraser Tool. Then, simply click and drag over the area you want to erase. When you release the Alt / Option key, the Polygonal Lasso Tool will be activated again.

The Magnetic Lasso Tool is used to select areas of an image based on contrast. To use the Magnetic Lasso Tool, simply click around the perimeter of the area you want to select. As you move your mouse, the Magnetic Lasso Tool will automatically snap to the edges of the object you’re trying to select.

If you make a mistake while using the Magnetic Lasso Tool, you can press the Alt (Windows) / Option (Mac) key to change the Magnetic Lasso Tool into the Eraser Tool. Then, simply click and drag over the area you want to erase. When you release the Alt / Option key, the Magnetic Lasso Tool will be activated again.

The Quick Selection Tool is used to quickly select large areas of an image. To use the Quick Selection Tool, simply click and drag your mouse around the area you want to select. As you move your mouse, the Quick Selection Tool will automatically expand the selection to encompass similar colors and tones.

If you make a mistake while using the Quick Selection Tool, you can press the Alt (Windows) / Option (Mac) key to change the Quick Selection Tool into the Eraser Tool. Then, simply click and drag over the area you want to erase. When you release the Alt / Option key, the Quick Selection Tool will be activated again.

The Magic Wand Tool is used to select areas of an image based on color. To use the Magic Wand Tool, simply click on the area of the image you want to select. The Magic Wand Tool will automatically select all pixels that are similar in color to the pixel you clicked on.

If you want to add to or subtract from the area that the Magic Wand Tool has selected, you can hold down the Shift key (to add) or the Alt (Windows) / Option (Mac) key (to subtract). Then, click on the areas you want to add to or subtract from the selection.

That’s it! Now you know how to use the selection tools in Adobe Photoshop.

There are a variety of selection tools available in Adobe Photoshop, each with its own specific function. In this article, we’ll go over how to use the three basic selection tools: the Rectangular Marquee Tool, the Lasso Tool, and the Magic Wand Tool.

The Rectangular Marquee Tool

The Rectangular Marquee Tool is the most basic of the selection tools. To select a rectangular area with this tool, simply click and drag your mouse over the desired area. You can also hold down the Shift key to constrain the selection to a perfect square.

The Lasso Tool

The Lasso Tool is slightly more versatile than the Rectangular Marquee Tool, as it allows you to select irregularly-shaped areas. To use this tool, click and drag your mouse over the desired area. You can also hold down the Shift key to add to the selection, or the Alt key to subtract from the selection.

The Magic Wand Tool

The Magic Wand Tool is the most versatile of the selection tools, as it can select areas based on color. To use this tool, simply click on the desired area. You can also hold down the Shift key to add to the selection, or the Alt key to subtract from the selection.