Photoshop Basics: Getting Started With Seven Common Selection Tools

I’m going to show you some of the common selection tools in Photoshop.

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Although there are different methods or ways to do that, these are the most common tools that are readily available on your “Tools bar”.

Photoshop offers a variety of selection tools that can be used to select specific areas of an image. These tools can be used to edit, crop, or copy and paste portions of an image.

The most common selection tools in Photoshop are:

Rectangular Marquee Tool: This tool is used to select rectangular areas of an image. To use the Rectangular Marquee Tool, click and drag across the area you want to select.
Elliptical Marquee Tool: This tool is used to select elliptical areas of an image. To use the Elliptical Marquee Tool, click and drag across the area you want to select.
Lasso Tool: This tool is used to select freeform areas of an image. To use the Lasso Tool, click and drag around the area you want to select.
Polygonal Lasso Tool: This tool is used to select areas of an image with straight edges. To use the Polygonal Lasso Tool, click and drag to create a series of straight lines around the area you want to select.
Magnetic Lasso Tool: This tool is used to select areas of an image with contrasting edges. To use the Magnetic Lasso Tool, click and drag around the area you want to select.
Quick Selection Tool: This tool is used to select areas of an image based on their color similarity. To use the Quick Selection Tool, click and drag over the area you want to select.
Magic Wand Tool: This tool is used to select areas of an image based on their color. To use the Magic Wand Tool, click on the area you want to select.

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Once you have selected an area of an image, you can use the following commands to edit, crop, or copy and paste the selection:

Edit > Copy: This command copies the selection to the clipboard.
Edit > Paste: This command pastes the selection from the clipboard.
Image > Crop: This command crops the image to the selected area.
Image > Adjustments > Levels: This command adjusts the brightness and contrast of the selected area.
Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation: This command adjusts the color of the selected area.

These are just a few of the many selection tools and commands available in Photoshop. With a little practice, you will be able to use these tools to create amazing images.

Here are some additional tips for using Photoshop selection tools:

Use the Feather option in the Options bar to create a soft edge around your selection. This can be useful for blending the selection into the surrounding area.
Use the Anti-Alias option in the Options bar to smooth the edges of your selection. This can be useful for selecting areas with complex edges.
Use the Tolerance option in the Magic Wand Tool to control how closely the selected pixels must match the foreground color. A lower tolerance will select more pixels, while a higher tolerance will select fewer pixels.
Use the Add to Selection and Subtract from Selection buttons in the Options bar to add or remove pixels from your selection.
Use the Inverse command in the Select menu to invert your selection. This can be useful for selecting the background of an image.

With a little practice, you will be able to use Photoshop selection tools to create amazing images.

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