Before you can make major changes to the appearance of people or objects within a Photoshop image, you’ve got to select them first. And it’s not always easy as drawing a big box with the selection marquee. In this post, you’ll get a full rundown on the many ways to make selections in Photoshop CC.
The following free lessons are taken from our 14-hour Photoshop CC training video course by Andy Anderson, which includes 176 tutorials on different aspects of Photoshop. If you’re still learning the ropes, it’s an excellent resource to discover the many tools the program has to offer.
Basic Selections
Sometimes making a selection IS as easy as drawing a box with the marquee tool. In this clip, Andy goes through some of the program’s more straightforward tools and methods for selection.
Magic Wand and Quick Selection
While they’re far from perfect, the Magic Wand and Quick Selection tools can often automatically detect the selections you want to make based on where you click on an image. It’s often a good starting point before further refining the selection.
Similar and Grow
Similar and Grow are two intelligent selection tools that can work when no other method is right for the job.
Refine Edge
Finally, the Refine Edge tool lets you clean up and make precise selections with difficult subjects, such as the edges of hair, fabric, or trees.
Going Further
If you’d like to learn even more selection methods and get dozens of other Photoshop tutorials, be sure to check out the full course. You can order it as a download or DVD, or watch it instantly streaming through our Unlimited Learning Library, which gives you online access to the entire Infinite Skills catalog for $25 a month.
