In
the Edit workspace, select the Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic
Lasso, Elliptical Marquee, or Magic Wand tool.
Last updated on
Jan. 13, 2022
- Photoshop Elements User Guide
- Introduction to Photoshop Elements
- Workspace and environment
- Fixing and enhancing photos
- Resize images
- Cropping
- Process camera raw image files
- Add blur, replace colors, and clone image areas
- Adjust shadows and light
- Retouch and correct photos
- Combine Photos
- Sharpen photos
- Transforming
- Auto Smart Tone
- Recomposing
- Using actions to process photos
- Photomerge Compose
- Create a panorama
- Moving Overlays
- Moving Elements
- Adding shapes and text
- Quick Actions
- Guided edits, effects, and filters
- Guided mode
- Filters
- Guided mode Photomerge edits
- Guided mode Basic edits
- Adjustment filters
- Effects
- Guided mode Fun edits
- Guided mode Special edits
- Artistic filters
- Guided mode Color edits
- Guided mode Black & White edits
- Blur filters
- Brush Stroke filters
- Distort filters
- Other filters
- Noise filters
- Render filters
- Sketch filters
- Stylize filters
- Texture filters
- Pixelate filters
- Working with colors
- Working with selections
- Working with layers
- Creating photo projects
- Saving, printing, and sharing photos
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Keys for selecting tools
- Keys for selecting and moving objects
- Keys for the Layers panel
- Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode)
- Keys for painting and brushes
- Keys for using text
- Keys for the Liquify filter
- Keys for transforming selections
- Keys for the Color Swatches panel
- Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box
- Keys for the Filter Gallery
- Keys for using blending modes
- Keys for viewing images (expertmode)
Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing
You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by anti-aliasing or feathering. Anti-aliasing smoothes the jagged edges of a selection by softening the color transition between edge pixels and background pixels. Because only the edge pixels change, no detail is lost. Anti-aliasing is useful when cutting, copying, and pasting selections to create composite images.
You can select anti-aliasing with the Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso, Elliptical Marquee, and Magic Wand tools. To anti-alias, you must select the Anti-Alias option before making the selection; you cannot add anti-aliasing to an existing selection.
-
-
Select Anti-aliased in the options bar.
-
Make a selection in the image window.
Blur the edges of a selection by feathering
-
You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by feathering. Feathering blurs edges by building a transition between the selection and surrounding pixels. This blurring can cause some loss of detail at the edge of the selection.
You can create a feathered selection with the Elliptical Marquee, Rectangular Marquee, Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, or Magnetic Lasso tool. You can also add feathering to an existing selection by using the Select menu. Feathering effects are apparent when you move, cut, copy, or fill the selection.
Original image (left), and after making a feathered selection, applying the Inverse command, and filling with white (right) Original image (left), and after making a feathered selection, applying the Inverse command, and filling with white (right)
Define a feathered edge for a selection tool
-
In the Edit workspace, do one of the following:
Select any of the lasso or marquee tools from the toolbox, and enter a Feather value in the options bar to define the width of the feathering. The feathering begins at the selection border.
Select the Selection Brush tool, and select a soft-edged brush from the brushes pop‑up panel in the options bar.
-
Make a selection in the image window.
Define a feathered edge for an existing selection
-
In the Edit workspace, use a selection tool from the toolbox to make a selection.
-
Choose Select > Feather.
-
Type a value between .2 and 250 in the Feather Radius text box, and click OK. The feather radius defines the width of the feathered edge.