Chapter 6: Making Selections

Overview

Essential to image editing is the ability to isolate an area of the image so that an effect can be applied exclusively to that area. A selection serves two contradictory purposes: it affects and it protects. When you apply a Photoshop tool or operation, the area within the bounds of the selection marquee will be altered and the area outside the selection marquee will remain unaffected. Think of a selection simply as a hole through which you can alter the reality of your image.

Because there are so many variables to selecting an area, Photoshop provides several tools that facilitate the selection process. You ll encounter a wide range of methods , from the labor- intensive to the fully automatic, that enable you to select pixels for the ultimate purpose of altering their appearance.

This chapter will introduce you to the following:

• Masking

• Using selection tools

• Applying selection techniques