Softening The Edges Of A Selection - Adobe PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2 User Manual

Note: The relationship between physical distance
and the pixel distance depends on the resolution of
the image. For example, 5 pixels is a longer distance
in a 72-ppi print than in a 300-ppi print. (See
"About image size and resolution" on page 75.)
Softening the edges of a
selection
You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by
anti-aliasing or feathering, or by using a soft-
edged brush with the selection brush tool. Feath-
ering lets you smooth an edge subtly with small
transitions of just a few pixels or create more
visible transitions up to 250 pixels wide.
Smooths the jagged edges of a
Anti-aliasing
selection by softening the color transition between
edge pixels and background pixels. Since only the
edge pixels change, no detail is lost. Anti-aliasing is
useful when cutting, copying, and pasting selec-
tions to create composite images.
In the options bar, you can select anti-aliasing for
the lasso, polygonal lasso, magnetic lasso, elliptical
marquee, and magic wand tools. To use anti-
aliasing, you must select this option before using
these tools; you cannot add anti-aliasing to an
existing selection.
Blurs edges by building a transition
Feathering
between the selection and surrounding pixels. This
blurring can cause some loss of detail at the edge
of the selection.
You can create a feathered selection with the
elliptical marquee, rectangular marquee, lasso,
polygonal lasso, or magnetic lasso tool. You can
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0
also add feathering to an existing selection by
using the Select menu. Feathering effects are
apparent when you move, cut, copy, or fill the
selection.
To view the boundaries of an existing feathered
selection, select the selection brush tool, and
choose Mask in the options bar. Unselected areas
display with a color overlay. See "Using the Selection
Brush tool" on page 117.
To use anti-aliasing:
Select the lasso, polygonal lasso, magnetic lasso,
1
elliptical marquee, or magic wand tool.
Select Anti-aliased in the options bar.
2
Make a selection in the image window.
3
To define a feathered edge for a selection tool:
Do one of the following:
1
• Select any of the lasso or marquee tools, and
enter a Feather value from 1 to 250 pixels in the
options bar. This value defines the width of the
feathered edge.
Select the selection brush tool, and select a soft-
•
edged brush from the brushes popup palette in
the options bar.
Make a selection in the image window.
2
To define a feathered edge for an existing selection:
1 Use a selection tool to make a selection.
2 Choose Select > Feather.
Enter a value between .2 and 250 in the Feather
3
Radius text box, and click OK. The feather radius
defines the width of the feathered edge.
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User Guide