complex selections

DM
Posted By
David_M_Lord
Jun 3, 2005
Views
363
Replies
6
Status
Closed
hello. I need some tips on making a selection. First I’ll explain what I’m trying to do: I have a logo that I designed in photoshop. Not thinking, I flattened all the layers, and saved the logo, which is on a grid-like background. Now I want to use the logo on a website without the grid in the background, but I’m having a hard time selecting it so I can get rid of it.
Using channels isn’t really an option because the background has almost identical colors to the logo. The logo contains overlapping images, (think kind of like the new york yankees logo) I tried using the magnetic lasso tool, but it doesn’t copy it exactly how I want it, and I dont know how to drag the anchor points. Everytime I let go of the mouse, it just selects whatever I already had clicked around. Does anyone know of a way that I could somehow just use the magnetic lasso to draw a rough draft of the selection, and then drag the anchor points to get it exactly how i want it? or maybe another method of selecting? thanks!
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complex select

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GordonGraham
Jun 3, 2005
There are a couple of approaches that you might try. I’d give the magic wand a try and see if that might work for you. You can adjust the tolerance in the option bar to get the best results.

If that doesn’t work, you could try Select>Color Range and play with the Fuzziness control to get best results.

If neither of those will work, you might try creating a path and then converting it to a selection. The reason for that approach is that you can click the points roughly around the logo and then go back and adjust their position precisely, like you wanted to do. Further, you have great control over the shape of each segment of the path (by adjusting the length and angle of the direction lines for each point).
S
Sepen
Jun 3, 2005
If you can handle it, I’d take the path route. It will give you the best results of any selection method (assuming you are comfortable with bezier curves) in this situation hands down.
D
deebs
Jun 3, 2005
Yeh – the pen tool is good IMHO if the image lends itself to a hard edge selection.

The magic magnetic lasso is pretty brilliant as well.
Try this workaround whatever…
Do the first selection at 100% zoom (lasso seems to like this and snaps in nicely) – twiddle the lasso options such as 100 and pixel stuff (but make a note of the original settings first just in case you want to go back)

Once the first selection has been made zoom to 200% or 300%

Now this is the really brilliant bit (IMHO)
see those 4 square things in the lasso tool options bar (or sub-options bar I dunno what its called but it usually resides up there <points>)

The first square will usually ditch what has been selected which may be a catastrophe or brilliant – it depends –

the second will ADD to selection (handy if the first selection skimped a bit or more)

the third will SUBTRACT from selection (handy if the first selection spilled over too much)

Carefull use of options 2 and 3 will help you to fine-tune the selection.

Option 4? ah? I forget?

BTW these 4 options tend to work with any selection tool – even the insert pre-shapes stuff in case you want to intersect or join shapes

AND the super secret?
When the first rough pass selection has been made right click in the centre as save the selection just in case – it makes sense no?

The finer refinements can be saved to the same selection using right click and left click on a drop down listing

thus spake the deebs 🙂
DM
Don_McCahill
Jun 3, 2005
Option 4? ah? I forget?

Intersect. Areas that overlap are kept as selection.
PC
Pierre_Courtejoie
Jun 3, 2005
I never use the add or substract buttons, but rather Shift and Alt, their respective shortcut keys.
D
deebs
Jun 3, 2005
Thanks Pierre – I have a great deal to learn – the way ALT & CTRL & Shift all correlate across tools is still an area I have to delve into.

It was not so long ago that if a selection went off there was an ARGH! of rage and a restart from the beginning. Finding ADD and SUBTRACT was sorta supremely groovy

Your experience is appreciated

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