Level 3

Lesson 8

In this lesson you will learn how to use the Magnetic Lasso tool to select an object with complex edges.

Introduction

This lesson will teach you how to quickly select an object with complex edges using the Magnetic Lasso tool. You can do this by moving the pointer along the edges of an object that is positioned against a high-contrast background.

·   Open a file that contains a dark image positioned against a bright background.

From the “Toolbox”:

·   Look for “Selection Tools”.

·   Under “Lasso”, hold the mouse button down above the small triangle to reveal the hidden tools.

Click to select the [Magnetic Lasso] tool.

In the “Options bar”:

·   Choose [ New Selection ] from “Selection Options”.

·   Enter 0 in “Feather”.

·   Check “Anti-alias”.

·   Enter 30 in the text box labeled “Width”.

·   Enter 30 in the text box labeled “Edge Contrast”.

·   Enter 25 in the text box labeled “Frequency”.

·   Click anywhere along the edge of the candleholder to establish the first fastening point.

·   Move the pointer slowly and carefully along the edge of the candleholder — don’t drag or press the mouse button.

·   As you move the pointer, the Magnetic Lasso will lay down a line, and establish fastening points at major locations along the candleholder.

·   When you reach the corners of the candleholder, you should click to manually add fastening points.

If the Magnetic Lasso tool does  not keep pace:

·   Press Delete to erase the most recent fastening point.

·   To add a few fastening points along the edge, simply click manually. Continue to trace around the object by moving the pointer along its edge.

When you have moved all the way around the object and reached the first fastening point:

·   Move the Magnetic Lasso over the starting point and click once to close the selection.

In the “Options bar”:

·   Choose [ Subtract from selection ] from “Selection options”.

·   Move the pointer along the edge of the hole in the middle of the candleholder to define the outline of the hole.

This will remove the hole from your selection of the object.

Go to the “Menu bar”.

·   Choose Image > Adjustments > Color Balance.

The “Color Balance” dialog box will appear.

·   Check [ Preserve Luminosity ].

·   Check [ Highlights ].

·   Drag the top slider right toward Red to add some red to the stand.

·   Drag the bottom slider left toward yellow to add some yellow to the stand.

·   Stop when the color of the stand looks good.

·   Go to the “Menu bar”.

·   Choose Select > Deselect.

The stand now looks warm and bright.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we showed you how to use the Magnetic Lasso tool to select an object with complex edges that is positioned against a high-contrast background.

You learned how to subtract part of the selection.

You also learned how to adjust the color balance in an image.