Introduction to Selections & Selection Tools
A selection allows you to make adjustments to part of an image, to move an object within an image, or add an object from another image.
Making quality selections of objects is a large and important part of Photoshop and image editing. There are many tools available, as shown below. Some are actual "selection" tools, while others are tools that can also be used to make selections. Then there are tools that are indispensable in the process of using and refining selections.
When making a selection, it's important to make a high quality selection, so your editing seamlessly blends into the final image.
Three Great Selection Tools
These three selection tools, either independently, or used in combination, will create good quality selections of most objects, most of the time. You will still need Select and Mask to refine selections that involve hair, fur and soft or blurred edges and there will also be times when you will benefit by using Transform Selections.
These three selection tools each do things the others can't. They are all good in their own right and sometimes can be used on their own, but at other times they benefit by being used with one or more of the tools listed here, to achieve a good quality selection. It always depends on the image and object.
This is the selection tool to try first. It automatically selects objects, or skies and it usually does a good job and sometimes does an amazing job. But even though it's not always perfect, it's often a good starting point. You can often improve and refine the selection with other tools, or use another tool entirely, if it's clear that it just can't select a particular object.
Before the Object Selection Tool existed, this was my go-to selection tool. This is a great tool to refine a selection made with the Object Selection tool, if the selection isn't perfect. You can sometimes achieve a better quality selection than the Object Selection Tool, but it takes longer and requires the right settings and good technique. It's not difficult, but does require an awareness of the process.
This can achieve a higher quality selection of areas such as skies, especially when some sky is visible through branches of trees. It takes longer than the Object Selection Tool and requires good settings, technique and awareness.
Other Selection Tools
The Adjustment Brush aims to make it easy and intuitive to make adjustments to part of your image, simplifying the workflow by combining the techniques of making a selection and then applying these to a an Adjustment Layer and Layer Mask, which are both essential Photoshop tools.
However, be aware that initially the adjustments are applied with "default values" and you will probably want to adjust these.
A basic selection tool that is used freehand to draw around areas to be selected. Not useful in selected objects, but useful to removed unwanted areas from a selection, if they are non-contiguous.
Available in the Select menu, this automatically selects skies. It generally does a very good job, but is not perfect at selecting areas of sky within branches of trees. Very similar results to the Object Selection tool, when used on skies.
Available in the Select menu, this automatically selects subjects. It generally does a very good job, but sometimes selections are not perfect and will need refining. Very similar results to the Object Selection tool.
This tool creates selections of squares and rectangles, which can then be fine tuned with Transform Selection.
This tool creates selections of circles and ellipses, which can then be fine tuned with Transform Selection. This can be useful in cases where you are selecting round objects, such as wheels, in areas in an image that makes it impossible for other tools to make a perfect selection. See this example of selecting a wheel.
Other Tools Used With Selections
Foreground and Background Colors are an integral part of working with Layer Masks, so are a major tool in working with selections.
The Pen tool is not classified as a selection tool, but it can be used to make selections of objects with curves and/or straight edges.
The Freeform Pen tool is not classified as a selection tool, but it can be used to make selections of objects with curves.
The Curvature Pen tool is not classified as a selection tool, but it can be used to make selections of objects with curves.
The Content Aware Tracing tool is not classified as a selection tool, but it can be used to make selections of objects with curves.
Tools to Edit Selections
Not a selection tool, but it allows you to transform and fine tune a selection you have already made. See this example of selecting a wheel.
Not a selection tool, but it allows you to transform and fine tune a selection you have already made.
Not a selection tool, but it allows you to transform and fine tune a selection you have already made.
Not a selection tool, but it allows you to transform and fine tune a selection you have already made.
Other Tools
Not a selection tool, but it does make selections of text. You can create interesting effects with in an image.
More tools and techniques will be added soon. Last edited November 2024.
