The Select Modify menu contains a group of modification commands that are lumped categorically. With the exception of the Contract command, you probably won’t use these options every day. But when you do use them, you’ll find that they prove useful. Here is the lowdown on each command:
- Border: This command selects the area around the edge of the selection marquee. You specify the width of the area, from 1 to 200 pixels, and you get a border marquee. Choose a foreground color, choose Edit➪Fill, pick Foreground Color from the Use drop-down list, and then click OK to fill your border with color. By the way, you can also achieve a similar look by using the Edit➪Stroke command.
As you can see in Figure 3-9, the Border command creates an anti-aliased (or soft-edged) selection. On the other hand, the Stroke command, on the Edit menu, creates a hard-edged selection.
- Smooth: If your selection marquee seems a bit ragged around the edges, try selecting the Smooth command to round off the nooks and crannies. Enter a sample radius value from 1 to 100 pixels. Photoshop examines each selected pixel and then includes or deselects pixels in your selection based on the range specified by the radius amount. If most of the pixels are selected, Photoshop includes the strays; if most of the pixels are unselected, Photoshop removes the pixels. Start with 2 pixels and, if that doesn’t seem like enough, increase it by a few more pixels or so.
Use this command with great caution and a steady hand. The results can be mushy, illdefined selections.
- Expand: This command allows you to increase the size of your selection by a specified number of pixels, from 1 to 100. This can come in handy if you just missed the edge of a circular selection and want to enlarge it.
- Contract: To shrink your selection by 1 to 100 pixels, choose Contract. I use this command a lot, in conjunction with the Feather command, when compositing multiple images.
After you make a selection, contract it and then feather it before you drag it onto the canvas. This technique helps to create a nice, natural-looking transition between the various images in your composite. The amount you decide to contract and feather varies according to the resolution of your images. For example, if you’re using low-resolution (72 dpi) images, you may want to use 1 pixel for the Contract amount and 0.5 pixels for the Feather amount; higher resolution images may warrant 2 to 3 pixels for the Contract amount and 1 to 2 pixels for the Feather amount.
- Border: This command selects the area around the edge of the selection marquee. You specify the width of the area, from 1 to 200 pixels, and you get a border marquee. Choose a foreground color, choose Edit➪Fill, pick Foreground Color from the Use drop-down list, and then click OK to fill your border with color. By the way, you can also achieve a similar look by using the Edit➪Stroke command.
As you can see in Figure 3-9, the Border command creates an anti-aliased (or soft-edged) selection. On the other hand, the Stroke command, on the Edit menu, creates a hard-edged selection.
- Smooth: If your selection marquee seems a bit ragged around the edges, try selecting the Smooth command to round off the nooks and crannies. Enter a sample radius value from 1 to 100 pixels. Photoshop examines each selected pixel and then includes or deselects pixels in your selection based on the range specified by the radius amount. If most of the pixels are selected, Photoshop includes the strays; if most of the pixels are unselected, Photoshop removes the pixels. Start with 2 pixels and, if that doesn’t seem like enough, increase it by a few more pixels or so.
Use this command with great caution and a steady hand. The results can be mushy, illdefined selections.
- Expand: This command allows you to increase the size of your selection by a specified number of pixels, from 1 to 100. This can come in handy if you just missed the edge of a circular selection and want to enlarge it.
- Contract: To shrink your selection by 1 to 100 pixels, choose Contract. I use this command a lot, in conjunction with the Feather command, when compositing multiple images.
After you make a selection, contract it and then feather it before you drag it onto the canvas. This technique helps to create a nice, natural-looking transition between the various images in your composite. The amount you decide to contract and feather varies according to the resolution of your images. For example, if you’re using low-resolution (72 dpi) images, you may want to use 1 pixel for the Contract amount and 0.5 pixels for the Feather amount; higher resolution images may warrant 2 to 3 pixels for the Contract amount and 1 to 2 pixels for the Feather amount.
Using the Modify Commands in Photoshop
![Using the Modify Commands in Photoshop]()
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