Mastering Selections: A Comprehensive Guide to Cutting Out Images in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a powerful tool for image editing, and one of its most fundamental capabilities is the ability to isolate and extract specific elements from a photograph. Whether you’re looking to create a composite image, remove a background, or simply refine a portion of your picture, mastering the art of cutting out images is essential. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various selection techniques in Photoshop, providing detailed steps and instructions to help you achieve clean and precise cutouts.

Understanding the Basics of Selections

Before we dive into the specifics, let’s understand what a selection is. In Photoshop, a selection defines an area of your image that you want to modify or isolate. When you make a selection, you’re essentially telling Photoshop, “Focus your changes on this specific region.” Selections can be used for a multitude of purposes, from applying filters and adjustments to moving and cutting out portions of the image. Understanding how to create accurate selections is the foundation of efficient image manipulation.

Tools for Making Selections

Photoshop offers a plethora of tools for making selections, each suited to different types of images and requirements. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:

1. Marquee Tools

The Marquee tools are the most basic selection tools. They allow you to create selections based on geometric shapes.

• Rectangular Marquee Tool (M): Used to create rectangular or square selections.
• Elliptical Marquee Tool (M): Used to create circular or elliptical selections.
• Single Row Marquee Tool: Selects a single row of pixels.
• Single Column Marquee Tool: Selects a single column of pixels.

How to Use the Marquee Tools:

1. Select the desired Marquee Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click and drag on your image to define the shape and size of your selection.
3. Hold Shift while dragging to create perfect squares or circles.
4. Hold Alt (Option on Mac) while dragging to draw from the center.
5. You can adjust the selection using the transform handles or by moving the selection border.

When to Use the Marquee Tools:

These tools are best suited for selecting simple geometric shapes or for making initial selections which you can refine using other tools.

2. Lasso Tools

The Lasso tools provide more freedom in creating freehand selections.

• Lasso Tool (L): Allows you to draw a freehand selection border.
• Polygonal Lasso Tool (L): Allows you to create a selection using straight lines.
• Magnetic Lasso Tool (L): Automatically snaps the selection border to the edges of an object based on color and contrast.

How to Use the Lasso Tools:

Lasso Tool:

1. Select the Lasso Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click and drag on your image to draw the desired shape.
3. Release the mouse button to close the selection.

Polygonal Lasso Tool:

1. Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click to create the starting point.
3. Click at each corner or inflection point of your selection area.
4. Click on the initial point to close the selection.

Magnetic Lasso Tool:

1. Select the Magnetic Lasso Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click on the edge of the area you want to select.
3. Move the mouse along the edge of the object. The tool will automatically snap to the edge.
4. Click to create additional anchor points if necessary.
5. Click on the initial point to close the selection.

When to Use the Lasso Tools:

The Lasso Tool is useful for selecting objects with irregular shapes. The Polygonal Lasso Tool is great for objects with straight edges, and the Magnetic Lasso tool shines when selecting objects with well-defined edges.

3. Quick Selection Tool (W)

The Quick Selection Tool is a powerful, brush-based tool that quickly selects an area based on its color and texture similarities.

How to Use the Quick Selection Tool:

1. Select the Quick Selection Tool from the toolbar.
2. Adjust the brush size using the bracket keys ([ and ]).
3. Click and drag within the area you want to select. The tool will automatically expand the selection based on color and edge detection.
4. You can refine the selection by clicking and dragging in additional areas or by using the Subtract from Selection option in the options bar.

When to Use the Quick Selection Tool:

This tool is effective for selecting objects that have consistent colors and are well-separated from their backgrounds.

4. Magic Wand Tool (W)

The Magic Wand Tool selects pixels based on color similarity. It’s great for selecting areas that are relatively uniform in color.

How to Use the Magic Wand Tool:

1. Select the Magic Wand Tool from the toolbar.
2. Adjust the Tolerance value in the options bar. A higher tolerance value will select a wider range of similar colors, while a lower value will be more selective.
3. Click on the area you want to select.
4. Add or subtract areas from the selection by clicking on other areas while holding the Shift key (to add) or Alt/Option key (to subtract).

When to Use the Magic Wand Tool:

This tool is ideal for selecting areas with solid colors or backgrounds with a relatively uniform tone.

5. Object Selection Tool

The Object Selection tool is an AI-powered tool designed to intelligently detect objects in an image and create a selection around them automatically.

How to Use the Object Selection Tool:

1. Select the Object Selection Tool from the toolbar.
2. Choose between ‘Rectangle’ and ‘Lasso’ mode in the options bar.
3. Draw a rectangle or a freehand selection around the object you want to select. Photoshop will automatically detect and select it.
4. You can refine the selection further by adding or subtracting from it using the Quick Selection or other tools.

When to Use the Object Selection Tool:

This is the ideal tool for making quick selections of well-defined objects with clear separation from the background.

6. Pen Tool (P)

The Pen Tool is the most precise selection tool in Photoshop, allowing you to create vector paths around objects.

How to Use the Pen Tool:

1. Select the Pen Tool from the toolbar.
2. Click to place anchor points around the object you want to select.
3. Click and drag to create curved lines.
4. Click on the original point to close the path.
5. Right-click inside the path and choose ‘Make Selection’ to convert the path into a selection.

When to Use the Pen Tool:

The Pen Tool is ideal for selecting objects with complex, irregular shapes or when you require pixel-perfect precision. It’s often used for clipping paths.

Refining Your Selections

Creating a selection is often just the first step. Most of the time, you’ll need to refine your selections to make them more accurate and precise. Here are some techniques for doing so:

1. Add to or Subtract from a Selection

You can easily modify existing selections by adding to or subtracting from them.

• To Add to a Selection: Hold down the Shift key while using any selection tool to add to the current selection.
• To Subtract from a Selection: Hold down the Alt (Option on Mac) key while using any selection tool to remove from the current selection.

2. Select and Mask Workspace

The Select and Mask workspace provides a powerful set of tools for refining selections, particularly for complex shapes and hair.

How to Use the Select and Mask Workspace:

1. Make a selection using any of the selection tools.
2. Click on the ‘Select and Mask’ button in the options bar (or go to Select > Select and Mask).
3. Use the Quick Selection Tool and Refine Edge brush within the workspace to adjust your selection.
4. Adjust the Global Refinements like Smooth, Feather, Contrast, Shift Edge.
5. Output your refined selection as a layer mask, selection, or new layer.

Key Features in Select and Mask Workspace:

• View Mode: Adjust the background view to check the quality of your selection.
• Refine Edge Brush Tool: Allows you to smooth edges and refine details, especially useful for hair or fur.
• Global Refinements: Provides controls for smoothing, feathering, contrast, and shifting edges.

Cutting Out an Image: Step-by-Step Example

Let’s put all these concepts together to cut out a specific object from an image using a combination of tools.

Example: Cutting out a person from a complex background.

Step 1: Make an Initial Selection

Start with the Quick Selection tool. Choose a brush size appropriate for the image and drag over the subject you want to select. In this case, drag over the person. If the tool selects parts of the background, hold down ALT and select to subtract them.

Step 2: Refine the Selection with Select and Mask

Once you have a basic selection, click on ‘Select and Mask’. In this space you will see your selection with a red overlay.

Step 3: Refine the Edges

Use the ‘Refine Edge’ brush to smooth the edges, especially around hair, fur, or other details. Drag the brush along the edges to make them smoother and more accurate. Adjust the Global Refinement sliders for Smooth, Feather, Contrast and Shift Edge until you are happy with the selection edges.

Step 4: Choose Your Output

Under Output settings, choose your prefered output type, such as layer mask, selection or new layer, and then click OK.

Step 5: Use the Selection

Now that you’ve made a selection you can copy it by pressing CTRL+C (CMD+C) and paste it in a new document. Or you can add a layer mask, which will hide the background and reveal your selected subject.

Step 6 (Optional): Fine-Tune with Other Tools

If necessary, use other selection tools to further fine-tune your selection. Remember, you can always add or subtract from your selection using the Shift and Alt/Option keys.

Tips for Clean Cutouts

• Zoom In: Zoom in to your image while making selections. Working at a high zoom level helps you create more accurate selections.
• Work Non-Destructively: Use layer masks instead of directly deleting pixels. This gives you flexibility to make changes without permanently affecting your original image.
• Practice: Like any skill, the more you practice using the different selection tools, the better you’ll become at mastering the art of cutting out images.
• Combine Tools: Don’t rely on one tool for every selection. Experiment and combine different tools to create the best selection for your image.
• Be Patient: Complex selections may require more time and attention to detail. Don’t rush the process.

Conclusion

Cutting out images in Photoshop is a skill that requires practice, patience, and understanding of the various selection tools available. By mastering the techniques outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to isolate objects, remove backgrounds, and create stunning composite images with ease. Remember to experiment with different tools and find what works best for your unique needs. Happy editing!