NoBs Digital Dogbowl

Making Selections, Refining, and Feathering

In class whenever I start the section on making selections, I will get both rapt interest and disgust. For so many users one reason they got into Photoshop is to be able to take someone out the picture, so to speak. However, the first time they tried to use the mouse and the Lasso they are ready to toss the computer out the window. But there are some ways to make this less painful and save a computer.

First, keep in mind that any time you cut something out for it to blend in to a new image you do need to soften or feather the edges because if you don’t it will have that scissors cut out or that “Photoshop Look”. Feathering can be done at the time of the selection but I always find it is better to make a selection first then feather because feathering depends on the size and resolution (ppi) of the image. A small image needs very little feathering while a larger image might need more feathering. Feather can be found in the menu bar under Select but this is still a guessing game. The old formula was about 1% of the ppi (for example a 72 ppi might be .7 pixel feather while a 300 ppi might be 3 ppi but this take into account the look and feel of your selection. Here are two better ways than trial and error.

Near the bottom of tool bar is the Quick Mask icon of a square with a circle in it. When you have a selection made and click on this, you will see the image change to a clear area (your selection) and a red overlay. Anything in the red area is protected but here is the neat part. You can run the blur filter on this Quick Mask to soften the selection and see how it will work in real time. Just bring up any Blur filter and run it. Move the slider and get the edge just the way want. But wait there is more.

In the Quick Mask mode, you can paint in corrections to your selection or even add to it. Using the Brush tool and black and white paint right on the mask. Black color will add to the red color and if you use a brush with feather tip you can auto feather the edge. You can reduce the opacity of the brush for see through selection. If you make a mistake just paint over it or add to the selection with white. When you’re done, click on the Quick Mask icon again and you will go back to the image with dancing ants showing your selection.

With CS 3 we got a great new tool called the Refine Edge. This tool is even in Photoshop Elements 6 and what I like is this one tool not only allows you feather the edge but smooth, and contract but also can change the view of your selection to red, black, white, and even with the dancing ants.

One last tip is to save your selections. Nothing is more frustrating than to do a lot of work of selection only to lose it and have to go back and do it all again. What I always try to do is to go to Select>Save Selection. From there is a new menu where you can name the selection (Head, Eyes, Aunt Betty) and it will be saved in the Channel pallet. This way if you need this selection you just go back to Select>Load Selection to add it back. You can even have more than one selection saved and add or subtract it from another selection.

Next month we will confront the Lasso Tool and how to make a selection using the eyedropper.

Good luck and have fun.

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