Beginner CS5 User Here - Trouble With Selections...

robdude · Last edited by robdude on Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:40 am; edited 1 time in total

So I've got a trial of Photoshop CS5 - everyone says Photoshop is the thing to use so I'm trying to learn the basics.

I'm trying to make a simple picture frame on one layer with transparency in the middle and the actual photo in a lower layer.

I've got the 'frame' layer all filled in as 'yellow' right now and I used the selection tool to get the correct shape I want for the frame, then I inverse my selection and hit 'delete' so that the middle will be clear and show the picture below.

The problem is that it goes well past my selection! It's like it's doing some sort of auto-smooth or something; but it's messing everything up

Is there any way to select *exactly* what is selected, and not a pixel more?

robdude · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:59 am Post subject:

I hope this will help you understand the problem....

thehermit · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:52 am Post subject:

Make sure you are not feathering your selection. Right click whilst on a selection tool and check.

robdude · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:27 am Post subject:

renata · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:55 pm Post subject:

In your diagram, your selection has rounded edges. If you're using the ordinary marquee with a Feather of 0px, then it would definitely have square edges and no transparency.

There's another really useful way to make an edge which give you a lot of versatility and is really worth taking the trouble to learn, and I'll explain why later. This method is to use masking.

If you look at the bottom of the layers panel, there's a square with a circle on it. If you click on it, it adds a layer mask to the current layer. Now, here's the nice bit. When you paint on the layer mask in black and white, you'll find that anything black is hidden, anything white will show.

So, for you, if you add a layer mask to your frame layer and draw a black rectangle in the middle of the mask, then the white outer edges will show up as a frame. Click on the mask when you want to change what's hidden/visible in the main layer. Click in the main layer to adjust the actual content of the layer (e.g if you want to change the color, add a gradient, texturize it etc).

[Note: to add mask to background layer, double click on background layer first to convert it to a "normal" layer].

But the reason that this is worth learning is that you can now make lots of changes to your frame. Would you like to scruff the edges? No worries, get a scruffy brush and scruff the edges. Honestly, it's so much fun. If you make a mistake, paint back over it black.

But if you don't have time for that right now, double check your feather. OR - one more way (there are probably hundreds) - did you know that you can adjust the canvas size (see image>canvas size, choose relative and pick a color).

OR - (sorry the morning coffee has just hit and made my hyper!) - click the layer (convert to ordinary layer if it's a background layer) and choose edit>stroke. Choose "inner" and a fat radius, select your color and it will make a nice sharp edged frame for you. I do this a lot (in white) to make a quick 'snapshot' effect on a photo.

Er, better stop now or you'll think that this forum contains crazy people, but let us know how you go!

thehermit · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 4:03 pm Post subject:

Nice explanation and demo renata!

thehermit · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:42 pm Post subject:

We still have the selection issue though!

renata · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:48 am Post subject:

Yes, I can't work it out. To me, it definitely looks feathered and I can't think what else could do that...

renata · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:14 am Post subject:

So now you've got me puzzling over this, Mr Hermit! robdude, you say that you "inverse the selection and hit 'delete' so that the middle will be clear".

I'm unclear why you need to inverse the selection before deleting it. Are you not just drawing a marquee in the middle then hitting delete?

thehermit · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 4:17 am Post subject:

I too am interested in how you are getting rounded corners in your selection? If you make a new channel and fill it with your selection shape, does it come out blurry?

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