Painting Selections with Quick Masks

A Quick Mask is a selection that you paint on, usually with the Brush Tool.

Tip

Double-click the Quick Mask icon in the Toolbox palette to change the color and opacity of the Quick Mask.

Create a Quick Mask

To select an area with a Quick Mask:

1. Click the Quick Mask button in the Toolbox, or press q to enter Quick Mask mode.

2. Click the Brush Tool in the Toolbox.

3. Press d to set the foreground and background colors to black and white.

4. With the Brush Tool, paint over the areas you do not want selected.

   

Touch Up a Selection with Quick Mask

You can use Quick Mask mode in combination with other selection tools to make your selections more easily.

1. Use a selection tool, such as the Magic Wand Tool, to create a rough selection

2. Click the Quick Mask button in the Toolbox, or press q to enter Quick Mask mode.

3. Press d to set the foreground and background colors to black and white.

4. Select the Brush Tool from the Toolbox.

5. Right-click the image, and adjust the brush’s size and shape.

6. Paint with the Brush Tool to touch up the mask, as shown in Figure 3-7c.

   
   Figure 3-7a: Clean with Quick Mask: A selection made with the Magic Wand Tool.

   
   Figure 3-7b: Switching to Quick Mask mode …

   
   Figure 3-7c: … to clean up unselected bits with the Brush Tool.

7. Press x to switch the foreground color between black and white. Black adds to the mask; white subtracts from the mask.

8. When the mask is complete, press q again to leave Quick Mask mode and view your selection.

Crop to a Selection

To crop away parts of an image outside the current selection:

1. Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (or other selection tool) to select part of the image.

2. From the menu, select Image | Crop.

   Note

   Remember that the tinted parts of the image are the parts which are not selected.

Use the Pen Tool

You can create a selection by drawing with the Pen Tool.

1. Select the Pen Tool from the Toolbox palette.

2. In the Pen Tool options bar, select the Paths icon.

   

3. Click repeatedly around the area you wish to select to create a Pen path. Every time you click, the Pen creates a new anchor.

   

4. To close the path, click once in the anchor at the beginning of the path.

5. Press ctrl+enter to select the area within the path.

   

You’ll learn more about the Pen Tool in Chapter 5.