Adobe Photoshop CS5 – Illustrated Unit B: Selecting Pixels

1. Adobe Photoshop CS5 – IllustratedUnit B: Selecting Pixels

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

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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

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

15. 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

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

17. 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

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

19. 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

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

21. 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

22. Refining Selection Edges Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Illustrated

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

24. 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

25. 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