Hi there. Happy Easter to all! Easter symbolizes a new beginning so we'll start with a very interesting topic in Photoshop CS3 - The Art of Selection.
Many times you want to edit a certain area of an image - to enhance an old photo, to get rid of dust and scratches, or even to apply a gradient or solid color. Photoshop offers you so many ways to create your desired selection.
The Marquee tools are considered Photoshop's "good old" selection tools. In fact, they've been part of Photoshop since the early days. Marquee tools let you select areas of an image in a structured way (squares, circles, lines). While the Lasso tools add a bit of free form selection to the mix. Lasso tools require a steady hand and a steady hand. When you create a certain area in the image, the selection becomes now your working area - filters, brushes, and adjustments will only work within the selection boundary.
Let's jump to our first topic or tool which is the Rectangular Marquee tool.
Rectangular Marquee Tool(M)
As the name implies, the rectangular marquee tool lets you create rectangular and square selection marquees.
Let's try an exercise.
Step 1. Click the Rectangular Marquee tool on the toolbox. (or press the "M" key)
Step 2. Find the Tool Preset list arrow in the Options toolbar, then click on it. Choose from the available tool presets, if any.
Step 3. Use the selection tools on the Options bar to produce a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Step 4. Supply a numerical value (between 0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Step 5. Click the Style list arrow, and then select from the available styles:
- Normal. Lets you create freeform rectangular, or square marquee selections.
- Fixed Aspect Ratio. Lets you create selections using a specific ratio, such as 2 to 1 ratio. Enter the Fixed Aspect Ratio values in the width and height boxes.
- Fixed size. Lets you create selections based on an absolute size such as 30 pixels by 90 pixels. Enter the Fixed Size values in the width and height boxes.
Step 6. Select an area you want by dragging the cursor. When you release the mouse, the marquee is created.
Step 7. (Advanced Feature in Photoshop CS3) Click the Refine Edge button in the Options toolbar. Change the values depending on your preference. Once done, click OK.
The Refine Edge Dialog Box
Tip #18: To further control the selection, hold the Shift key to produce a perfect square. Normally, the reference points when selecting an area are on its corners. Try selecting an area from left to right, top to bottom, you'll notice that the selection starts at the corner of your selection. But if you press and hold the Alt key, you'll notice that you create a marquee from the center out. You may opt to use both Shift and Alt keys depending on what the task requires. This technique also applies when you're using the next tool, the elliptical marquee tool.
Elliptical Marquee Tool(M)
The elliptical marquee tool lets you create oval, or circular selection marquees. Let's have an exercise.
Step 1. Select the Elliptical Marquee tool. If the current selected tool is the Rectangular Marquee tool, hold Shift key then press "M" key.
Step 2. Go to the Options toolbar, then click on the Tool Preset list arrow. Select from the available tool presets, if any.
Step 3. Use the selection tools on the Options bar to create a new selection, or add, subtract or intersect an existing selection.
Step 4. Enter a numerical value (0 to 250) in the Feather box to create a feathered selection edge.
Step 5. Select the Anti-aliased check box to create a softer selection.
Step 6. Click the Style list arrow, and then select from the available styles:
- Normal. Lets you create free form elliptical, or circular marquee selections.
- Fixed Aspect Ratio. Lets you create selections using a specific ratio, such as 1 to 1 ratio (perfect circle). Enter the Fixed Aspect Ratio values in the width and height boxes.
- Fixed size. Lets you create selections based on an absolute size such as 100 pixels by 200 pixels. Enter the Fixed Size values in the width and height boxes.
Step 7. Select an area you want by dragging the cursor. When you release the mouse, the marquee is created.
Step 8. (Advanced Feature in Photoshop CS3) Click the Refine Edge button in the Options toolbar. Change the values depending on your preference. Once done, click OK.
Pretty much alike with the Rectangular Marquee tool. An important thing to note here is the anti-aliasing feature that Photoshop offers us. It allows us to create a much smoother selection.
Continued on next tutorial. Stay tuned.
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