How to Use the Magic Wand Tool in Adobe Photoshop

Posted on 17th June 2023

What is the Magic Wand Tool?

The Magic Wand Tool is one of the selection tools in Adobe Photoshop. The Magic Wand Tool allows you to select an area of an image based on color. The Magic Wand Tool is similar to the Quick Selection Tool and the Lasso Tool, but is unique in that it automatically selects an area of an image based on color. The Magic Wand Tool can be found in the toolbar on the left side of the Adobe Photoshop workspace.

How to Use the Magic Wand Tool

Step One: Select the Magic Wand Tool

To select the Magic Wand Tool, click and hold on the Quick Selection Tool in the toolbar on the left side of the workspace. A drop-down menu will appear with the Magic Wand Tool as one of the options. Select the Magic Wand Tool from the menu.

Step Two: Set the Tolerance

The Tolerance is the number of colors that the Magic Wand Tool will select. The higher the number, the more colors the Magic Wand Tool will select. To set the Tolerance, click on the drop-down menu next to the word “Tolerance” in the options bar at the top of the workspace. A menu will appear with a number of different options. Select the desired Tolerance from the menu.

Step Three: Select an Area

To select an area of an image with the Magic Wand Tool, click on the area that you want to select. The Magic Wand Tool will automatically select an area of the image based on the Tolerance that you set in the previous step.

Step Four: Deselect

If you want to deselect the area that you just selected, click on the “Deselect” button in the options bar at the top of the workspace. You can also deselect an area by pressing the “Ctrl” + “D” keys on your keyboard.

Step Five: Add to a Selection

If you want to add to a selection that you have already made, hold down the “Shift” key on your keyboard and click on the area that you want to add to the selection. The Magic Wand Tool will add the area that you clicked on to the selection.

Step Six: Subtract from a Selection

If you want to subtract from a selection that you have already made, hold down the “Alt” key on your keyboard and click on the area that you want to subtract from the selection. The Magic Wand Tool will subtract the area that you clicked on from the selection.

Step Seven: Expand or Contract a Selection

If you want to expand or contract a selection, click on the “Expand” or “Contract” buttons in the options bar at the top of the workspace. A menu will appear with a number of different options. Select the desired amount of pixels that you want to expand or contract the selection by.

Step Eight: Feather a Selection

If you want to feather a selection, click on the “Feather” button in the options bar at the top of the workspace. A menu will appear with a number of different options. Select the desired amount of pixels that you want to feather the selection by.

Step Nine: Invert a Selection

If you want to invert a selection, click on the “Invert” button in the options bar at the top of the workspace. This will invert the selection so that the area that was selected is now unselected and the area that was unselected is now selected.

Step Ten: Save a Selection

If you want to save a selection, click on the “Save Selection” button in the options bar at the top of the workspace. A menu will appear with a number of different options. Select the desired format that you want to save the selection in.

The Magic Wand tool is one of the most commonly used tools in Adobe Photoshop. It can be used to select areas of an image based on color or tone. The Magic Wand tool is located in the Tools panel, which is usually located on the left side of the screen. To use the Magic Wand tool, simply click on the area of the image that you want to select. The selection will be based on the color or tone of the area that you clicked on.

If you want to select a different area of the image, you can hold down the Shift key and click on another area. This will add the new area to the selection. You can also hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Mac) and click on an area to subtract it from the selection.

Once you have made your selection, you can use the Photoshop Selection tools to modify the selection. For example, you can use the Selection Brush tool to paint over the selection to add or subtract areas. You can also use the Selection Tool to expand or contract the selection.

When you are finished making your selection, you can use the Photoshop Edit menu to copy, cut, or paste the selection. You can also use the Edit menu to fill the selection with a color or pattern.

How to Use the Magic Wand Tool in Adobe Photoshop

Select an Area

To use the Magic Wand Tool, first select it from the toolbar on the left. Then, click and drag your cursor over the area you want to select. The selection will appear as a dashed line. You can adjust the tolerance level by clicking on the “Tolerance” drop-down menu in the options bar at the top of the screen. A higher tolerance will select a wider range of colors, while a lower tolerance will be more specific.

Feather the Selection

If you want your selection to have soft edges, you can “feather” it. To do this, go to the “Select” menu at the top of the screen and click ” Feather.” In the Feather dialog box that appears, enter the radius you want and click “OK.”

Invert the Selection

If you want to select everything except the area you’ve already selected, you can invert the selection. To do this, go to the “Select” menu and click “Inverse.” Alternatively, you can press “Shift + Command + I” on a Mac or “Shift + Control + I” on a PC.

Expand or Contract the Selection

If you want to expand or contract your selection by a certain number of pixels, you can do so by going to the “Select” menu and clicking “Grow” or “Shrink.” Alternatively, you can press “Command + Shift + G” on a Mac or “Control + Shift + G” on a PC to grow the selection, or “Command + Option + G” on a Mac or “Control + Alt + G” on a PC to shrink it.

Save the Selection

If you want to save your selection for later use, you can do so by going to the “Select” menu and clicking “Save Selection.” In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the selection and click “OK.”