Selecting Straight Sides with the Polygon Lasso Tool in Photoshop

Whereas the regular Lasso tool is great for selecting undulating, curvy elements, the Polygon Lasso tool shines when it comes to the more regimented, straight-sided subjects, such as city skylines, buildings, and stairways.

Unlike the regular Lasso tool, the Polygon Lasso tool has rubber-band-like qualities, and instead of dragging, you click and release the mouse button at the corners of the object you’re selecting. It’s like a digital connect the dots. Bonus: less manual dexterity required.

The following steps show you how to select with the Polygon Lasso tool:

1. Select the Polygon Lasso tool from the Toolbox.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut. Press the L key and then press Shift+L until you get the Polygon Lasso tool. It looks like the regular Lasso tool, but it has straight sides.

2. With the Polygon Lasso tool selected, click to establish the beginning of the first line of your selection.
A corner is always a good place to start.

3. Move the mouse and click at the next corner of the object.
The line stretches out from your cursor like a rubber band.

4. Continue clicking at the various corners of your object.

5. To close your selection, return to the first point you clicked and click one last time.

When you place your cursor over the starting point, a small circle appears next to your cursor, a sure sign that you’re at the right place for closing the selection.
You can also double-click, and Photoshop automatically closes the selection from the point you doubleclicked to your starting point. A selection marquee that matches your Polygon Lasso line appears.