Adobe Photoshop’s Object Selection Tool is one of the program’s best beginner-friendly selection strategies. The Object Selection Tool is a powerful tool for erasing backgrounds because it can be used to clip out people, objects, and more.
I have over five years of Adobe Photoshop experience and am Adobe Photoshop certified. In this article, I’ll teach you how to use the Object Selection Tool on an image in Photoshop.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Photoshop already has a Subject Selection tool, but it is intended to select all subjects in the image.
- It’s a great way to make a fast cutout of a subject or object, no matter how complicated the background is.
- Make sure you are saving your work every so often to ensure you don’t lose your work.
How to Use the Object Selection Tool in Photoshop
Please follow the steps below to select an object in Photoshop using the Object Selection Tool:
Step 1: Choose the Object Selection Tool. If you don’t know where is the Object Selection Tool in Photoshop, you can find it in the Photoshop Toolbar.
Step 2: Decide how you want to pick an item.
- You can draw a rectangle around the object using the Rectangle mode.
- You can create a free-form lasso around the object using the lasso mode.
I will be using the rectangle mode for my example.
Step 3: Go ahead and draw a rectangle around the object you wish to select. Once you’ve drawn around the object, the dotted lines should wrap around the object as shown.
Now, my image has only the object I wish to select in the dotted lines, but for more complicated images, it might select other objects in your photos.
To deselect the other objects you will need to select one of the following options by clicking it from left to right: fresh option, Add to the list, From the options for the Object Selection Tool, choose Subtract from selection or Intersect with selection.
Select the Rectangle or Lasso mode from the options:
Draw a new rectangle or lasso around the empty space after selecting Add to selection in the options box. For each missing region that you want to include in the selection, follow the same procedure.
Selections can be made using either the Rectangle or Lasso modes. The shape of the selections they produce, though, is where the two diverge most.
You can make a rectangular selection around an object in a photograph using the Rectangle mode, as the name implies. On the other hand, the Lasso mode is used to draw a free-form border around your image.
Both modes are effective in removing objects from your photographs, but if you’re having difficulties making the ideal selection, trying a different option might help. It all depends on how complex your image is. The more complex it is, the more time you need to decide what method works best.
Pro Tips
- Remember always to save your work, you don’t want to start over from scratch.
- To make multiple selections, you can press the Shift (macOS)/Ctrl (Windows) key on your keyboard and continue making selections.
- When you just need to select one object, or a portion of an object, from a group of objects in an image, the Object Selection tool comes in handy.
Final Thoughts
So now you are aware of how the Object Selection tool in Photoshop operates, how to change its settings, and how to utilize it! It’s really one of the simplest methods for cutting out photos in Photoshop. This useful tool will save you a ton of time.
Any questions you may have about the Object Selection Tool in Photoshop? Leave a comment and let me know.
About Aly Walters