One of the important things we do often in retouching is targeted color corrections. To isolate parts of an image for localized adjustment we use Photoshop selection tools and methods.

There is no shortage of selection tools, and some will work quicker and better than others depending on the area you are selecting – we have listed the simple ones below.

Additionally, the latest versions of Photoshop make simple selections of an object or a region super easy with the Object Selection tool – it’s very straightforward (steps below).

However, a few manual methods are considered the professional standard and you should know how to use them in case the simple automatic tools do not yield the desired results.

These methods will be required for more complex selections when there are no sharp, high-contrast, or well-defined edges of the area that you need to select.

In this video lesson, we cover the professional selection staples: Color Range, the Pen Tool, and Channel Masking.

With that in mind, you still will most likely use automatic selection tools available in the latest versions of Photoshop in the majority of cases that are simple.

This is an outtake from our Professional Beauty Retouching online course.

The Object Selection tool

The Object Selection tool is great for automatically selecting objects or regions such as nails, accessories, props, products, background, or facial features that are well-defined, for example, the lips, teeth, eye whites, and parts of the body in beauty, fashion and portrait images.

 Tips: Use the “Object Subtract” mode to remove unwanted parts from the selection. This tool is beneficial for quickly selecting distinct objects in an image.

1. Select the Object Selection tool (W)  from the toolbar.
2. In the Options bar, at the upper-right corner of the workspace, ensure that the Object Finder is enabled.
3. Hover the mouse pointer over an object or region in your image you would like to select. Selectable objects and regions will be highlighted with an overlay color. To customize the hover overlay, select the gear icon in the Options bar and modify desired settings.
4. Click to automatically select the object or region.
5. Additionally, you can press the Shift (macOS) / Ctrl (Windows) key on your keyboard to add other objects or regions to your selection and Option (macOS)/Alt (Windows) to subtract objects or regions from your selections.

Other Available Selection Tools 

These are the common selection tools every non-beginner retoucher is familiar with.

Each has its benefits and may be helpful in certain situations where other tools fail, so just keep them in mind and reach for them in appropriates situations:

Quick Selection Tool

• Usage: Ideal for quickly selecting areas with similar colors and textures.
• Method: Drag the tool over the area you want to select, and Photoshop will automatically detect the edges based on contrast differences.
• Tips: Adjust the brush size to refine the selection and use the “Add to selection” or “Subtract from selection” options for more control.
• Adobe instructions here.

Magic Wand Tool

• Usage: Best for selecting areas with uniform color.
• Method: Click on the area you want to select, and the tool will select contiguous pixels of similar color.
• Tips: Adjust the tolerance level to increase or decrease the color range of the selection. Lower tolerance for more precision; higher tolerance for broader selections.
• Adobe instructions here.

Lasso Tools

• Lasso Tool: Freeform selection tool allowing you to draw around the area.
• Polygonal Lasso Tool: For selecting straight-edged segments by clicking around the area.
• Magnetic Lasso Tool: Snaps to the edges of defined areas, making it easier to select objects with high contrast edges.
• Tips: Combine these tools with “Add to selection” and “Subtract from selection” options to refine your selections.
• Adobe instructions here.

Pen Tool

• Usage: Provides the most precision for creating complex and smooth selections.
• Method: Create paths by clicking to create anchor points, which can be adjusted and curved to fit the exact outline of the object.
• Tips: Convert the path to a selection by right-clicking and choosing “Make Selection.” Use this tool for high-precision work, such as cutting out detailed objects or creating masks.
• Adobe instructions here.

Select and Mask

• Usage: For refining selections and masks, especially with complex edges like hair or fur.
• Method: After making an initial selection, go to Select > Select and Mask. Use tools like the Refine Edge Brush, Smooth, Feather, Contrast, and Shift Edge sliders to fine-tune the selection.
• Tips: Use the “View Mode” to see your selection against different backgrounds for better accuracy. The “Edge Detection” and “Global Refinements” options are particularly useful for creating natural-looking edges.
• Adobe instructions here.

Color Range

• Usage: Selects pixels within a specific color range.
• Method: Go to Select > Color Range, then click on the color in the image you want to select. Adjust the fuzziness slider to include more or fewer colors in the selection.
• Tips: Use this method for selecting and isolating specific colors in an image, which is especially useful for color correction and adjustments.
• Adobe instructions here.

Focus Area

• Usage: Automatically selects areas of an image that are in focus.
• Method: Go to Select > Focus Area. Photoshop will detect and select the areas that are sharp and in focus.
• Tips: Adjust the “In-Focus Range” slider to refine the selection. This is useful for images with a shallow depth of field where the subject is in focus, and the background is blurred.
• Adobe instructions here.

Channel Selection

• Usage: For detailed selections based on the luminosity of different color channels.
• Method: Go to the Channels panel, select the channel with the best contrast for your subject, and use the Load Channel as Selection option.
• Tips: Combine with levels or curves adjustments to increase contrast before making the selection. This method is excellent for selecting fine details like hair.
• Adobe instructions here.

Selection Tools Usage Tips

Combine Tools: Often, using a combination of these tools yields the best results. Start with a broad selection using a quick tool, then refine with more precise tools.

Layer Masks: Always use layer masks for non-destructive retouching. This allows you to refine selections and make adjustments without permanently altering the image, and makes client revision rounds easier to execute.

Refine Edge/Mask: Always refine your edges to ensure smooth, natural transitions between the selected area and the rest of the image via the Select and Mask workspace.

Feathering: Use feathering to soften the edges of your selection depending on where in the image the selected region is in relation to the focus plane. This helps in blending the retouched area seamlessly with the rest of the image.

Save Selections: Save complex selections in your working PSD file by going to Select > Save Selection. This allows you to reuse and modify selections without starting from scratch, especially for the client revision rounds.