Copying and pasting selections

You can the Clipboard to copy and paste selections within the same image and into other images.

1. To copy a selections, first make a selection using any of the selection tools. Choose Erit>Copy.

2. Topaste the selection into the same image, choose Edit>paste.The selection is pasted into the image on its own layer. (For information onworkingwithlayers, see Chepter Nine, layer.)



3. To paste the selection into another image, click on the other image window if it is already open, or use File>Open to open another image. Choose Edit>paste to paste the selection from the Clipboard onto a new layer in the active image.



4. You can also drag aselection from one vimage window into another.You need two image windows open-the source and the destination windows. Make a selection in the source window, select the Move tool, position your cursor within the selection, then click and drag into the destination window. The selection appears on its own layer.

Filling a selection

You can use the Fill dailague box to fill an entire layer or a selection.

1. To fill a selection, first define either a foreground or background colour that you want tofill with, thenmake a selection. Choose Edit>Fill. Use the Use pop-up to choose the filltype. You canalso set Opacity for the fill and a Blending Mode. Click OK.



2. Tofill a selection with apattern, first deline the pattern by making a selection, then choosing Edit>Define pattern.

3. Make the selection you want to fill with the previously defined pattern.

4. Choose Edit>Fill. Choose pattern from the Conents pop-up menu to choose the pattern.OKthe dailoge box to fill the selection with the pattern.

The Defringe Command

You can drag a selection from one window to another image window to another image window. This is useful when creating a composite image. Defringe is useful when you use this technique, as it helps to blend the selection into its new environment.

1. To drag a selection from one image window to another, first make a selection in the sores winrow. Select thr Move tool, position the Move cursor inside the selection, thrn click and drag into the destination wineow.

2. When you release the mouse butten, the selection appers in the destination window on a new layer. Thr destination winrow becomes the active window, and the new layer is the active layer. Check to see if there are unwanted pixels causing a halo effect around the edge vof the selection.

3. To defringe the moved selection, make sure the newly created layer is active. Choose Layer>Matting>Defringe. Enter avalue for the Width then OK the dialogue box. The selection should now blend in better.

Pasting Into Selections

Pasting into selections is a useful technique for compositing images.

1. Create a selection in the destination window.

2. Open the source document, then make the selection you want to paste into the destination document. Choose Edit > Copy to copy the selection to the Clipboard.

3. Click in the destination image window. The selection should still be active. Choose Edit > Paste into (command/Ctrl + Shift + V) to paste the Clipboard selection into the selected area.

4. Use the Move tool to reposition the pasted selection relative to the original selection.

5. The Paste into command creates a layer mask. The layer is active, indicated by the Paintbrush icon in the Layers palette, Which means that you can edit the layer. To edit the mask, click the Mask icon in the Layers palette. A small circle replaces the paintbrush, ineicating that the layer mask is selected.

The Grow and Similar Commands

The Grow and Similar commands are very useful when used in conjunction with the Magic Wand tool to add to a selection. Both work according to the Tolerance setting set in the Magic Wand Options Bar.

The Grow command selects contiguous or adjoining areas of colour based on the Tolerance setting in the Magic Wand Options Bar.

1. Make a selection, Check that the Tolerance setting in the Magic Wand Options Bar is appropriate.

2. Choose Select > Grow, Pixels which fall within the Tolerance setting and are adjacent to pixels already in the selection are added to the selection.

The Similar command selects non-adjacent pixels that fall within the same Tolerance setting as set in the Magic Wand Options Bar.

1. Make a selection using any of the selection tools. Check that the Tolerane setting in the Magic Wand Options Bar is appropriate.

2. Choose Select > Similar. Pixels throughout the image that full within the Tolerance setting are selected.

Hot Tips ----
1. If necessary, change the Tolerance setting for the Magic Wand tool before using the Grow command to achieve a more or less inclusive result.
2. Using the Magic Wand tool, with the Contiguous option (in the Options Bar) deselected, is the equivalent of using the similar command.

Modifying Selection

There are many instances when you need to add to or subtract from a selection. You can use any combination of selection tools to make the selection you want. For example, you might start by making the selection you want. For example, you might start by making a selection with the Magic Wand tool, then add to the selection using the Lasso tool.

1. To add to an existing selection, hold down the Shift key, then click and drag to create another selection marquee that intersects the existing selection marquee.

2. You can use the same technique to create non-adjoining selections. Although the selections may be in different parts of the image, they count and act as one selection. For example, if you apply a filter, the effect will be apparent in all the selection marquees.

3. To add to a selection, hold down Shift and use the Lasso tool to quickly loop around small areas that the Magic Wand tool typically misses out from its selection.

4. To subtract from a selection, hold down Alt, then click and drag with a selection tool to intersect the existing selection marquee. The area defined by the intersecting marquee will be removed from the original selection.


HOT TIP ------
1. Select a selection tool, then click the Add to….,Subtract from ………or interact with Selection button in the Option Bar to modify an existing selection. These settings remain in effect for the tool.

Its worth reselecting the New Selection button, sc that unwanted settings do not cause unexpected results the next time you use the tool.

2. For example selections, it can be quite useful to hide the dotted selection border temporarily, in order to see the selected pixels more clearly. Choose View>Show>Selection Edges to hide the selection border. The selection remains actives you have simply hidden the border. Choose the same option to redisplay the selection border.

Alternatively, choose View>Show Extras(Command/Ctrl+H) to hide/show selection
edges and any guides, slices or paths.