Photoshop® CS3 Channels and Masks Bible

Chapter 15. Making Selections

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Finding out about Selection tools

• Modifying and transforming selections

• Working with selection techniques

The process of making a selection is fundamental to all Photoshop documents. A selection isolates an area of an image so that you can apply an effect to a specific region. You can select the entire image or you can precisely define any region down to a single pixel.

When an area is selected, it is encircled by an animated selection outline. You can make a selection with any one of the nine Selection tools found in the Tools palette or by the Color Range command. When you apply a Photoshop tool or operation, the area within the bounds of the selection out-line is affected, and the area outside of the selection outline remains unaf-fected. Photoshop provides a range of methods — from the labor-intensive to the fully automatic — that enables you to select pixels for the ultimate pur-pose of altering their appearance. This chapter shows you how to use these features to your best advantage.

Finding Out About Selection Tools

The Selection tools range from manual to fully automatic. Each of these tools facilitates the masking process with its own unique method of making selections. The one you choose depends on the characteristics of the image. Because images vary in contrast, tonality, color, and content, Photoshop provides tools and methods that can be applied to every possible situation. When you make a selection in Photoshop, an animated marquee ...