Adobe Photoshop CS5 – Illustrated Unit B: Selecting Pixels

Objectives Use the Marquee tools Use the Lasso tools Use the Magic Wand tool Save and load selections Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Objectives Work with and save alpha channels Understand anti-aliased edges Work with a feathered edge Refine selection edges Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Marquee Tools First select pixel to modify Marquee tools   Most basic tools for making selections   Rectangular Marquee Rectangular or square selections   Elliptical Marquee Oval or circular selections Pixels   Can be added or removed from a selection using quick keys Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Marquee Tools Tool icon black triangle indicates additional hidden tools   Located beneath currently displayed tool If unhappy with selection   Deselect selection   Start over Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Marquee Tools Positioning the first piece Repositioning the circle piece Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Lasso Tools Three types of Photoshop Lasso tools   Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso Lasso tools: make free-form selections   Click and drag anywhere on the canvas to create section of pixels Complex shapes: easier to make small selections and add to them with Shift key Polygonal Lasso tool   Uses straight lines for geometric shapes Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Lasso Tools Selecting the interior of the object Positioning the fifth piece Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Magic Wand Tool Magic Wand tool is powerful Click any canvas pixel   Tool selects other pixels based on tolerance   Greater the tolerance value, tool selects more pixels Options bar contiguous check box   Selects only contiguous (touch) pixels   Or selects similar pixels throughout the image Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Magic Wand Tool Once needed pixels are selected   Can modify in many ways Zooming in on selected image areas   Helpful when making selections, including colors, using the Hue/Saturation dialog box Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Using the Magic Wand Tool Selecting the white pixels Selecting pixels without the Contiguous option Results of changing the hue of selected pixels Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Saving and Loading Selections Making selections   Complex and time-consuming work Saving selections   Smart idea   Can easily access selection in the future Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Saving and Loading Selections Swatches panel   Changes foreground/background colors Click swatch and foreground color changes   Click Eyedropper tool, sample any pixel from the image Saving created colors   Float pointer over a white area of the Swatches panel Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Saving and Loading Selections The finished project Pure Yellow Orange swatch on the Swatches panel Save Selection dialog box Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Working with and Saving Alpha Channel Alpha channels   Saved selections   Listed on Channels panel   Displayed as black and white thumbnail images   Selected areas represented by white   Areas not selected represented by black   Not automatically saved when the file saved   Must specify when saving a file Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Working with and Saving Alpha Channel The Dark Gray alpha channel Save Alpha Channels option in the Save As dialog box Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Understanding Anti-Aliased Edges Edge: outline of a selection Edge types of a selection   Aliased: hard edge Very blunt and obvious   Anti-aliased: crisp but smooth edge Anti-aliased edge   Creates a smooth transition between edge and background Uses many shades of edge pixel colors Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Understanding Anti-Aliased Edges Pixels: squares and a soft edge   Cannot be made with squares   Illusion created using anti-aliasing Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated Viewing the anti-aliased edge Viewing the aliased edge

Working with a Feathered Edge Feathered edge: blended edge   Settings available for controlling blend length at the edge   Feather value: equal to feathered edge Edge equally distributed inside and outside selection edge   Vignette: visual effect with feathered edge Image edge: usually oval, gradually fades away Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Working with a Feathered Edge Drawing the feathered oval selection The selected pixels relocated Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Refining Selection Edges Refine Edge dialog box   Offers useful options for viewing and refining the edge of a selection Two key options in the dialog box   Feather slider Dynamically feathers a selection while previewing the result   Contract/Expand slider reduces enlarged selection Useful for removing halos from the edge of a selection Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Refining Selection Edges Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Refining Selection Edges The Refine Edge dialog box Selection The silhouette of the eagle against black Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Summary Marquee and Lasso tools   Provide different ways to select image pixels Magic Wand tool   Selects other pixels based on tolerance Save selections   Easy to access selection in the future After sampling a selection color   Color can be saved in the Swatches panel Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

Summary Alpha channels   Must specify saved selections as an alpha channel when saving file Images edges: made up of square pixels   Blunt square edge: aliased edge   Anti-aliased edge: made to look like a smooth edge Edges   Feathered and refined Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated