Let's say I want to highlight all horizontal green stripe. All I have to do is click anywhere on the bar. Photoshop will detect that I've clicked on a dot with that color and instantly select every pixel in the image that is the same shade of green. Agree, quickly and efficiently:

Tolerance for selecting similar pixels

Pixel selection Green colour occurs easily and clearly, since the image does not have pixels of a similar color.
Now let's see what happens if I click on one of the gradient pixels. I'll click about in the middle above the green bar. The little red circle indicates where I clicked:

This time, Photoshop selected the entire range of brightness values, rather than limiting itself to just those pixels that have the exact same tone and color as the one I clicked on. Why did this happen? To find the answer, we must look at the options bar located at the top of the screen. Specifically for the “Tolerance” parameter:

The Tolerance setting tells Photoshop how much the selected pixels can differ in tone from the pixel the user clicks. By default, the Tolerance value is set to 32, which means Photoshop will select any pixels that are the same color as the pixel we clicked, plus all pixels that are darker or brighter by up to 32 shades. In the case of my gradient, which contains a total of 256 brightness levels from pure black to pure white, Photoshop selected the entire spectrum of pixels that range in brightness from 32 shades below the sample to those that are 32 shades above the sample.

Let's see what happens if I increase the Tolerance value to 64 and try again:

With this Tolerance set to twice the original value, if I click in the same part of the gradient again, Photoshop should select an area twice as large as last time, because it will include all the pixels on 64 shades are brighter or darker than the sample, and not 32, as last time:

What if I only want to select one specific shade of gray? In this case, the Tolerance value should be set to 0, which will tell Photoshop not to include any pixels in the selection except those that exactly match the color and tone of the pixel I clicked on:

You can set the Tolerance value to any value from 0 to 255. The higher the value, the wider the range of selected pixels will be. Setting the Tolerance to 255 will select the entire image, so generally set it to a lower value.

Adjacent pixels (Contiguous)

As we've been exploring the use of "Tolerance", you may have noticed something strange. Every time I clicked on the gradient above the green bar, Photoshop would select a certain range of pixels, but only on the gradient above the bar. But it’s obvious that below the stripe there are pixels with exactly the same tone and color, then why were they ignored by Photoshop and not included in the selection?

The reason is related to another important option in the parameters panel - “Contiguous pixels”, which was enabled by default.

With the Adjacent Pixels option enabled, Photoshop will only select pixels that are within the acceptable hue and color range, defined by the "Tolerance" parameter and adjacent to each other and to the point clicked by the user. Any pixels that are within the Tolerance range but separated from the point the user clicked by pixels outside the Tolerance range will not be included in the selection.

In my case, the bottom gradient pixels that were in the "Tolerance" range were separated by a green bar and were therefore ignored. Let's see what happens if I turn off the Adjacent Pixels option. I'll also set the "Tolerance" to 32:

I again clicked with the Magic Wand in the center of the top gradient and this time, along with the top ones, the bottom pixels are also selected, although they are separated from the click location by a stripe:

Additional options

Anti-aliasing
Tolerance and Adjacent Pixels are the main Magic Wand options, but there are others as well. worth attention, options. So, " Magic wand" selects pixels, and because these pixels are square in shape, our selection may have jagged edges, often resembling a step. Photoshop can smooth out these edges by adding a slight edge blur, a technique also used to smooth letters in the type tool and is called "anti-aliasing" This option is called "Anti-aliasing" in the options bar and is enabled by default. In most cases, it should be enabled:

Sample All Layers
Also, by default, when you click on an image with the Magic Wand, it only looks for pixels to select from the currently active layer. This is generally what we want, but if your document contains multiple layers and the top visible layer has large transparent areas and you want Photoshop to include the contents of all visible layers in the selection, turn on the "Sample from all layers" option " (Sample All Layers) in the Options Bar. By default it is disabled:

Using the "Magic Wand" on a practical example: replacing the sky in a photo

For example, I'll take the following photo in which I want to replace the sky:

Replacing the sky means I need to select it first. As I mentioned earlier, the Magic Wand is good for highlighting large areas of solid color, and the sky only has a slight change in tone, so the Wand is ideal for highlighting the sky. Select this tool from the toolbar, all options leave it as default ( Tolerance 32, Smoothing included, Adjacent pix. disabled, Sample from all layers disabled).
Click in the upper left corner of the image:

Because The sky is not solid blue but has a darker tint at the top of the photo, a Tolerance value of 32 was not enough to cover the full range of tonal values ​​of the sky, leaving a large area directly above the buildings:

Adding pixels to a selection with the Magic Wand

Since I couldn't select the entire sky on the first try, you can try to create a selection again with a higher Tolerance value. But there is an easier way to solve the problem. Like other Photoshop selection tools, the Magic Wand has the ability to add new selection areas to existing ones.

To add to a selection, hold down the Shift key and click on the area you want to add. A small plus (+) icon will appear in the lower left corner of the tool cursor, indicating that the tool is in add mode. In my case, with Shift held down, you need to click somewhere in an unselected area of ​​the sky:

And just like that, Photoshop was able to add the rest of the sky to the selection. Two clicks with the Magic Wand on the image and the entire sky is selected:

Now, if this layer is background, you should unlock it and press the Delete key to delete the pixels located in the selected area, i.e. sky.

But mostly, I have to use the Pick Tool in conjunction with other selection tools to create complex selections.

Tool Magic wand(Magic Wand) is one of the oldest tools in Photoshop. Unlike other tools that select pixels in an image based on shapes or the edges of an object, Magic wand(Magic Wand) selects pixels based on tone and color. Many people are disappointed in Magic wand(Magic Wand) (giving it the unkind name of "the dreaded wand") because it sometimes seems impossible to control which pixels the tool needs to select. In this tutorial we will look at magical properties instrument, how the wand actually works, and learn to recognize the situations for which this ancient, but still incredibly sought-after instrument was created.

Selecting with the Magic Wand Tool
If you are using Photoshop CS2 or earlier, you can select Magic wand(Magic Wand) by simply clicking on it in the toolbar. In Photoshop CS3, Adobe introduces adjacent With a magic wand(Magic Wand) tool Quick selection (Quick Selection). So if you are using CS3 or higher (I'm using Photoshop CS5 here), you need to click on the tool icon Quick selection(Quick Selection) in the toolbar by holding down the mouse button for a couple of seconds until the drop-down menu appears. Select from menu Magic wand(Magic Wand):

Magic wand (MagicWand) is located in a group with the Quick Selection tool (Quickselection) in versionPhotoshopC.S.3 and above.

Magic in a wand
Before we look at the action Magic wand(Magic Wand) on real example, let's see how the tool works and that there is no magic involved. Here is a simple image I created, it consists of a black and white gradient divided by a red cross line down the center:

A simple gradient separated by a red stripe.

As I already said, Magic wand(Magic Wand) in Photoshop selects pixels based on tone and color. When we click on an area of ​​the image with the tool, Photoshop determines the tone and color of the area we clicked on and selects pixels that have the same color and brightness values. It does Magic wand(Magic Wand) is indispensable when highlighting color on large areas.
For example, let's say I want to select horizontal stripe. All I have to do is click somewhere inside the red bar With a magic wand(Magic Wand). Photoshop will see that I've clicked on an area of ​​red and will immediately select every pixel in the image that has the same shade of red, thereby highlighting the red stripe immediately after I click it:

A single click with the Magic Wand (MagicWand) is all that is needed to highlight the entire red stripe.

Tolerance (Tolerance)
Selecting the solid-colored stripe was easy enough since there were no more pixels in the image that were the same shades of red, but let's see what happens if I click With a magic wand(Magic Wand) by gradient. I click on the gray area in the center of the gradient above the red stripe:

The selected area after clicking on the center of the upper gradient.

This time, Photoshop has selected a central range of brightness values, limited to pixels that have exactly the same tone and color as the central gray area I clicked on. Why is that? To find the answer, we need to look at the tool settings panel at the top of the screen. In particular, we need to pay attention to the value of the parameter Tolerance(Tolerance):

Parameter Magic Wand (MagicWand).

Parameter Tolerance Tolerance tells Photoshop how different in tone and color the pixels that make up the area we've chosen to include in the selection can be. Default value Tolerance(Tolerance) is set to 32, which means that Photoshop will select any pixels that are the same color as the area we clicked on and add to them 32 different shades of darker and 32 different shades of brighter. In the case of my gradient, which includes 256 levels of brightness between pure white and pure black, Photoshop selected pixels that ranged between 32 shades darker and 32 shades brighter than the gray shade I clicked on.
Let's see what happens if I increase the value Tolerance(Tolerance) and try again. I'll increase the value to 64:

Increasing the value of the Tolerance parameter (Tolerance) from 32 to 64.

At Admission(Tolerance), doubled compared to the previous example, if I click With a magic wand(Magic Wand) at the same center point of the gradient, Photoshop must select an area twice as large as the previous example because it includes pixels within 64 shades darker and 64 shades brighter than the main one grey colour, which I clicked on. So here's what we have:

This time with an increased Tolerance value (Tolerance), the selected gradient area has become twice as large.

What if I want to select only the shade of the gradient that I click on? In this case I should set Tolerance(Tolerance) to 0, which will tell Photoshop not to include any other pixels in the selection, only the ones I clicked on:

Setting the Tolerance value (Tolerance) to 0.

When the parameter is set Tolerance(Tolerance) to 0, I'll click again on the same point in the center of the gradient, and this time we get a very thin selection line. Every pixel that has a different tone from the gray I clicked on was ignored:

Increase or decrease the Tolerance value (Tolerance) has a big impact on which pixels in the image will be selected by the Magic Wand (MagicWand).

You can install Tolerance(Tolerance) to any value between 0 and 255. The higher the value, the wider the range of pixels that Photoshop will select. Tolerance(Tolerance) set to 255 will highlight the entire image, so you should generally choose lower values.

Adjacent pixels (Contiguous)
When we looked at the parameter settings Tolerance(Tolerance) Magic wand(Magic Wand), you may have noticed one thing. Every time I clicked on the gradient above the red bar, Photoshop would highlight a certain range of pixels, but only within the gradient I clicked on. The gradient below the red bar, identical to the gradient I clicked on, was completely ignored, even though it contains exactly the same shades of gray that should have been included in the selection. Why weren't the pixels from the bottom gradient included?
The reason for this is another important parameter in the settings panel - Adjacent pixels(Contiguous). When the parameter is checked Adjacent pixels(Contiguous), as set by default, Photoshop will select only those pixels that are within the acceptable color and color range defined by the parameter Tolerance(Tolerance). Any pixels located within the parameter values Tolerance(Tolerance), but those separated from the area you clicked on by pixels not included in the specified range will not be selected.
In the case of my gradient, the pixels at the bottom of the gradient that were supposed to be included in the selection were ignored because they were separated from the area I clicked by a red stripe whose pixel colors were not within the limits set by the parameter

Tolerance(Tolerance). Let's see what happens if I uncheck the option Adjacent pixels(Contiguous).

Adjacent pixels (Contiguous) are highlighted by default. Click inside the box to disable the option if necessary.

I'll click on the center of the top gradient again with Magic wand(Magic Wand), and this time, with the parameter unchecked Adjacent pixels(Contiguous), pixels of the lower gradient that are within the specified parameter value Tolerance(Tolerance) will also be highlighted, even though they are still separated from the area I clicked by a red stripe:

When the Adjacent Pixels option is disabled (Contiguous), any pixels throughout the image that are within the specified limit of the Tolerance parameter (Tolerance), will be highlighted.

Extra options
Tolerance(Tolerance) and Adjacent pixels(Contiguous) - two parameters that have the greatest influence on Magic wand(Magic Wand), but there are a couple of other parameters that are of minor importance. Once the tool Magic wand(Magic Wand) selects pixels, it selects them in a quadrilateral shape, the selections can sometimes have jagged edges, often called a "ladder" effect. Photoshop can smooth out edges after applying a slight blur to them, a procedure better known as Anti-aliasing. We can turn the tool's anti-aliasing on and off Magic wand(Magic Wand) by checking or unchecking the option Smoothing(Anti-alias) in the settings panel. This option is enabled by default, and in most cases you can leave it enabled.

Leave Antialiasing (Anti- alias) turned on, in order for the Magic Wand (MagicWand) smoothed the edges of the selection.

Also by default when you click on an image With a magic wand(Magic Wand), it only looks for pixels within the layer you are currently working on. This is usually how we want to use this tool, but if your document has many layers and you want to include all the layers in your selection, select the option Sample from all layers(Sample all layers) in the settings panel. By default it is not checked:

Leave a Sample from all layers (Samplealllayers) unchecked to limit its selection to the active layer.

Case Study
Here is an image that I opened in Photoshop. I like this photo overall, but the sky could have looked more interesting. I'm thinking of replacing the sky with something else:

The pure blue sky looks a little banal.

Moving the sky means that first I have to select it. As I noted earlier, Magic wand(Magic Wand) is characterized by highlighting large areas of the same color, and since the sky is pure blue, with only slight variations in tones, Magic wand(Magic Wand) will cope with this task with ease. With the tool active and all its parameters set to default ( Tolerance(Tolerance) 32, Adjacent pixels(Contiguous) is checked), I click somewhere at the top of the image:

Click the Magic Wand (MagicWand) in the upper left part of the sky.

Since the sky is completely blue, Magic wand(Magic wand) there were no problems with its selection after a single click. Despite this, in reality the sky transitions from a light blue hue just above the buildings to a darker hue at the top of the photo, and the meaning Tolerance(Tolerance) 32 is not high enough to cover the full range of tonal values, leaving a large area of ​​light blue above the buildings out of focus:

Some bright areas of the sky above buildings were not included in the selection.

Adding selections
My first attempt to create a sky selection was unsuccessful because the value Tolerance(Tolerance) was too low, I should have tried increasing the value Tolerance(Tolerance), but there is more easy way fix the problem. Like others Photoshop tools, Magic wand(Magic Wand) has an "add to existing selections" option, which means I can keep the selection I made earlier and just add more sky to it.
To add a selection, hold down the Shift key and click on the area you want to add. You will see a small plus sign (+) in the lower left corner of the cursor Magic wand(Magic Wand), allowing us to understand that the parameter is active “add to selection”. In my case, I'll hold down the Shift key and click somewhere in the sky area that wasn't included in the original selection:

While holding down the keyShift, click on the area you want to add.

This way Photoshop will add to the existing selection new site sky. All that was needed was two mouse clicks:

Now the sky is completely selected.

Selecting what is not needed in the first place
So, since the sky will change, I want the selection to include the image below the sky, since that's the part I want to keep. And drawing a selection using tools such as Polygonal/Polygonal lasso (Polygonal Lasso) or Magnetic lasso(Magnetic Lasso) would take a lot of time and nerves, while Magic wand(Magic Wand) made it easy and simple. Now this is the most popular and very accessible extraction technique using Magic wand(Magic Wand) - first we select the area that we do not want to include in the work, and then we simply invert the selection!
To invert the selection, which will select everything that was not included in the selection (in my case, everything below the sky) and deselect everything that was selected (the sky), go to the menu Selection(Select) at the top of the screen and select Inverse(Invert). Or use more quick way invert the selection - use the short command on the keyboard Shift+Ctrl+I (Win) / Shift + Command + I (Mac):

Go to the menu Select - Invert (Select - Inverse).

With an inverted selection, the sky is no longer selected, just everything below it in the image is selected:

To replace the sky at this point, I'll press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) to quickly copy the section I saved to a new layer in the Layers palette:

The selection has been copied to a new layer above the original image.

Next, I'll open the image that I want to replace the original sky with. I'll press Ctrl+A (Win) / Command+A (Mac) to quickly select the entire image, then Ctrl+C (Win) / Command+C (Mac) to copy it to the clipboard:

A photo that will replace the sky of the original image.

I'll switch back to my original image and click on the Background layer in the Layers panel so that when I paste the image, it will appear as a layer between the two existing layers:

Selecting the background layer.

Finally, I'll press Ctrl+V (Win) / Command+V (Mac) to paste the image into the document. Everyone loves blue skies, but sometimes a little cloud can make a bigger impact:

The palate was successfully (and fairly easily) replaced.

Like other Photoshop tools, success in using Magic wand(Magic Wand) depends on whether you know the best cases to use this tool. As we saw from the lesson, Magic wand(Magic Wand) best for highlighting large quantity pixels that have a similar tonality and color are ideal for highlighting and replacing a plain sky in a photo or for images where the subject is against a uniform background. Use the “select what you don’t initially need” technique in cases where selecting an area around an object using Magic wand(Magic Wand) can be faster and easier than selecting the object itself using other tools.

We continue to explore the capabilities of the graphic editor Adobe Photoshop . We are already familiar with the Object Selection tools. And in this lesson we will get acquainted with two more new tools for selecting objects - these are the tools: Magic wand And Quick selection. These tools allow you to select objects with complex shapes. This group is located on the Toolbar, fourth from the top (Figure 1).

Picture 1.

Tool Magic wand, belongs to the category of tools for highlighting individual areas of the image. This tool works by selecting pixels that are as close in color as possible. View and change tool settings Magic wand can be done on the panel of this tool, which is located above the image.

This tool has four selection mode buttons. The first button is New selection, when you click on this button, the old selection will disappear and a new selection will be created (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

The second button is Add to selection, i.e. the new selection will add to the existing selection. The same effect can be obtained by holding the key Shift on keyboard.

Third button Subtract from a selection. If you switch to this mode, the selected selection in the image will subtract each new selection from the existing selection. The same effect can be obtained by holding the key Alt on keyboard.

Fourth button Intersection with the selected area. If you enable this mode, the program will automatically calculate common areas of selections and select the area that intersects with the selected area. We get the same thing if we press the key combination: Alt+Shift.

Next tool setting Magic wand- This Tolerance. If you enter the desired value in this parameter, the program will determine the degree of difference between colors and shades. Installing different meanings for a given parameter (more or less), you can get different results when working with this tool.

Let's break it down into specific example. I am loading the original image (Figure 3). We see that my tolerance value is set to 80. This means that the higher the tolerance values, the higher the degree of difference between colors and shades; the lower this value is, the correspondingly less the degree of difference will be.

Figure 3.

Next tool parameter Magic wand(on the panel above) - this is Smoothing. This option smoothes out jagged edges along the selection border that the Magic Wand can tolerate. This option must always be enabled to obtain high-quality results.

Let's take an example of how the tool works. Magic wand. To do this, upload the original photo with which we will experiment (Figure 4).

Figure 4.

Image of a bunch of grapes in in this case is on a uniform blue background. Of course, such an image can be selected using other selection tools, but this will take a lot of time. So we'll take the tool Magic wand. To select grapes, just click on any place with this tool. We immediately created a selection along with the background (Figure 5).

Figure 5.

But we need to select the grapes, and not the surrounding background; to do this, just use the panel at the top of the menu: Selection select item: Inversion. Or use hotkeys: Ctrl+Shift+I. Now only the grapes are highlighted and can be safely transferred with the tool to a new background image (Figure 6).

Figure 6.

But the background in images is not always uniform; most often it differs in shades, texture and is heterogeneous. For example, let's upload a photo (Figure 7).

Figure 7.

In the original photo we see that the sky background has more dark color at the top of the image and lighter towards the bottom. Choosing a tool Magic wand, and click on any place in the image; if the tolerance value in the panel at the top is set to small (up to 40), then a small part of the object will be highlighted.

By changing the tolerance value, we thereby adjust the size of the object selection. Here you need to experiment a little by changing different tolerance values ​​and achieve the optimal one. In my case, with a valid value of 60, the entire image is selected. Also on the panel at the top select Select-Invert(Figure 8).

Figure 8.

Now the bird can be freely transferred to another background image using the tool Moving. For example, like this (Figure 9).

Figure 9.

The next tool in this group is Quick selection(Figure 1 above). This tool is convenient for selecting the object itself inside the background. This tool works like a brush along the contrasting edges of an image. For example, upload a photo (Figure 10).

Figure 10.

The brush size is selected at the top of the image. The size is small so that it does not go beyond the outline of our image. I move the cursor over the object that I want to select, hold down the left mouse button and move the cursor inside the object (Figure 11).

Figure 11.

We have selected an object that can just as freely be moved to another background image, for example like this (Figure 12).

Figure 12.

As a result, we got a completely new image and a new image.

Tools Magic wand And Quick selection, we are finishing another lesson. Having such knowledge, you can easily influence any objects, separating them from the general background and creating new wonderful and beautiful compositions.

All the best.

Tool belongs to the group of selection tools and has special properties. Unlike other tools, it is designed to automatically create a selection. The principle of its operation is to highlight image points (pixels) lying nearby that are close in color.

If you are using Photoshop CS2 or an earlier version, you can select it simply by clicking on the icon in the toolbar. From Photoshop CS3 and higher Magic Wand combined into one group with the tool. In this case, you need to click on the tool icon Quick Selection in the toolbar and select from the menu Magic Wand. You can also activate the tool using the key (W).

Tool settings panel.

To use Magic Wand, you don’t need a lot of intelligence, right? Click the tool and it will select all adjacent colors that fall within the range you specify. The problem, however, is to teach our magic wand to recognize the range of colors that you see on the screen. There is a tool settings panel for this:

1 . Tool operating mode. Tool cursor Magic Wand changes depending on which option is selected. The operating mode can also be changed using hot keys.

• A - new selected area.
• B - adding to the selected area (Shift).
• B - subtraction from the selected area (Alt)
• G - intersection with the selected area (Shift + Alt)

2 . Tolerance. The main parameter of the tool, which determines the range of colors that the tool selects when clicked in the image window. Enter a pixel value between 0 and 255. Specifying a low value will select only a few colors that are very similar to the specified pixel. Specifying a higher value will select pixels from a wider range.

3 . Anti-aliased. Smoothes the edges of the selected area.

4 . Adjacent pixels (Contiguous). A very important parameter of the Magic Wand tool. If you check the box Adjacent pixels (Contiguous) The selection area will include only pixels adjacent to the selected one. If the checkbox is unchecked, all pixels similar to the selected one will be reflected in the document, regardless of their location. For example, if you click on the northern part of Africa on a geographic map of the world, the entire Sahara Desert will be highlighted. However, other deserts will not be highlighted, since they are not adjacent to the Sahara. If you need to highlight areas of the same color in a drawing, then this option will be a real godsend for you.

5 . Sample All Layers. Allows you to take into account all visible layers of the image when creating a selected area.

Case Study.

Let's look at the impact of tool settings Magic Wand to the result of the selected area using this image as an example:

In this photo I want to replace the gloomy, gray sky. Since the sky is monochromatic, it is convenient to select it using the Magic Wand tool. So let's get started.

Tool Magic Wand with the default settings (Tolerance - 32; Contiguous - checked) I click in the sky area. This is what I get:

Meaning Tolerance It’s suitable for my image and there’s no need to change it (for practice, set other Tolerance parameters and see how it affects the selected area). The selected area fits well along the tree crown, and the two corners on the right that do not fall into the selected area are not a problem. It’s very easy to add them; to do this, let’s change Tool operating mode(we covered this setting option above). I prefer to use hotkeys. To add an area to the selected area, click on it while holding down the key ( Shift), and a small (+) sign will appear next to the tool cursor.

You can see that the corners on the right have been added to the selected area. But the sky visible through the crown of trees... What to do with it? You can, of course, hold down the Shift key again, then aim well and click between the branches and leaves, but remember the Sahara Desert mentioned above...

So I go back to the original photo. From the very beginning I needed to uncheck the option Adjacent pixels (Contiguous). So we shoot, click, we get:

In principle, not bad, two corners also did not fit into the selected area (but for us this is no longer a problem), the visible sky through the foliage stood out, but also part of the path stood out, but believe me, this is not a problem either. After experimenting a bit, I set the Tolerance to 40, then cut and replaced the selected sky and here is the result:

The palate is fairly easy and quick to replace. You can read the lesson Replacing a Gloomy Sky in more detail, and within the framework of this lesson the goal was to describe the principle of operation and settings of the tool Magic Wand.

So, we saw from the tutorial that the Magic Wand is best suited for selecting a large number of pixels that have a similar tonality and color and is ideal for selecting and replacing a simple sky in a photo or for images in which the subject is on a uniform background.

Magic Wand Tool has a truly magical effect in the work associated with creating a selected area. In this article you will learn what this tool is and how to use it in Photoshop. But before you start learning, I highly recommend understanding it first, because without knowing the basics, it will be difficult to understand how this tool works.

Now pay attention to, or rather to the location Magic wand.

It is adjacent to another similar tool - . The hotkey for calling is W. Let me remind you that you can change these hotkeys if you wish (learn how to do this).

What might you need a Magic Wand for?

Using it, you can select a large piece of an area containing pixels of similar shade with one click. Unlike Quick selection, the wand analyzes the entire image at once, which speeds up the work.

It is convenient for selecting complex areas of images that cannot be reached with other tools due to the large number of corners and small objects (for example, when you need to select the sky over a city).

Depending on the parameters that I will talk about below, color pixels are selected either only adjacent to each other (that is, touching), or even all pixels of a given shade, regardless of where they are located in the image.

Sometimes there is quite a big difference between the pixels that you want to highlight. Such pixels will not stand out. To make Photoshop pay attention to them, you will have to change the value Tolerance(I'll go into more detail about what this is below).

How to create a selection using the Magic Wand

I chose a picture in which, for example, I needed to separate the background from the ghost. As you can see, the ghost is closely related to the background with a common color - green. The only difference is in the shades. But even this difference is enough to consider these colors contrasting.

By the way, if you look closely, you can see a small additional green glow around the ghost. When I use the magic wand for the first time, it will not be highlighted, since it is quite contrasting to the background. So, I take the tool and just click the mouse button anywhere in the background:

Extra green glow needed add to selection. To do this, hold down the Shift key. Then click on the area marked with green arrows. If, on the contrary, you managed to select extra pixels, then you need to subtract them. To do this, hold down the Alt key and click on places that did not need to be selected. For more information about adding and subtracting, as well as intersecting selections, see.

Now you can switch to the tool Quick selection and correct the contours a little. As a result, you can achieve the following result:

The whole process took no more than one minute. If you sit longer and do everything more carefully, then you will be more than satisfied with the result.

Thus, the Magic Wand greatly simplifies and expands your ability to work with selecting objects in Photoshop.

The tool is not at all complicated and you will find it easy to understand.

Element 1. Parameter set

In this menu you can create and then load your own combinations of instrument settings. I have an article where I described in detail why this is needed and how to learn how to make such sets -.

Element 2. Auxiliary buttons for creating a selected area

With their help, you can force yourself to add or subtract the necessary pixels from the selected area. There is also an intersection mode for certain rare cases. I described the detailed principle of operation with examples.

Element 3. Tolerance

I will dwell on this parameter in more detail, since it is one of the main ones that you will have to use when working with the Magic Wand.

So, when we click on an image with a stick, we always hit a pixel containing a certain color. Photoshop analyzes this pixel and then selects others that are similar in color. So here it is parameter Tolerance tells Photoshop in what frames it should look for similar pixels.

If you set the tolerance, for example, 15, then Photoshop will select pixels 15 shades darker and 15 shades lighter the color you got into.

For example, I'll take the green gradient. As you know, a gradient is a smooth transition from one color to another. I chose a transition from dark green to light, that is, each new column of pixels differs from the previous one by 1-2 tones. Now I'll click With a magic wand to the middle. Photoshop will display a selection area like this:

It would seem that the difference between the colors is not significant at all, but this gradient makes it clear how the parameter works Tolerance.

If you increase the value of the parameter, the number of shades covered will increase, or vice versa, if you decrease it. Compare how the selection area increases if I enter a tolerance value of 30.

Element 4. Smoothing

Leave this option turned on to soften the edges of the selected area at least a little. If you require very sharp edges, turn it off.

Element 5. Adjacent pixels

This option causes the tool to select pixels adjacent to each other. When this option is disabled, all pixels that are similar in color are selected, regardless of where they are located.

Element 6. Sample from all layers

If there are multiple layers in a document and you leave this option disabled, only the pixels on the active layer will be taken into account and pixels on other layers will be ignored. If you enable this option, the entire image will be analyzed and all pixels that are similar in color will be selected, regardless of what layer they are on.

Element 7. Refine edge

Expanding the Selection

Sometimes a tool Magic wand creates a nearly perfect selection, and all you have to do is add a few precious pixels. If this happens, it means that the elusive pixels are just a little lighter or darker than the tool's tolerance setting allows.

Here's what you can do:

• Select menu command Selection - Adjacent Pixels to expand the selection to include all pixels of similar colors adjacent to it.
• Select menu command Highlight - Similar Shades to select pixels of similar color throughout the image, even if they don't touch the original selection.

Note

Because both of these commands base their calculations on the tool's tolerance settings, you can adjust their sensitivity by adjusting the value in the Options Bar. You can also run these commands multiple times to get the desired selection.

If you notice an error in the text, select it and press Ctrl + Enter. Thank you!