Select areas by drawing

Draw a freehand selection

The Free Selection (or the lasso) tool lets you freely draw selections by hand. You can select objects of any shape or size by simply tracing them by hand.

1. Choose the Free Selection tool by doing one of the following:

   • Click Free Selection tool in the Tools sidebar or choose it from the grouped tools.

   • Choose Tools > Select > Free Selection from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

   • Press the L key on your keyboard.

   💡 Tip: You can cycle through Magnetic, Free, and Polygonal selection tools by pressing Shift ⇧ + L on your keyboard.

2. Drag in your image to draw a selection. To reselect an anchor point, click the last point to remove it or press Backspace ⌫ on your keyboard, then continue drawing.

Draw a straight-edged selection

The Polygonal Selection (or the polygonal lasso) tool lets you make straight-edged, polygonal selections.

1. Choose the Polygonal Selection tool by doing one of the following:

   • Click Polygonal Selection tool in the Tools sidebar or choose it from the grouped tools.
   • Choose Tools > Select > Polygonal Selection from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

   • Press the L key on your keyboard.

   📘Tip: You can cycle through Magnetic, Free, and Polygonal selection tools by pressing Shift ⇧ + L on your keyboard.

2. Click in your image to add straight selection lines to make your selection.

3. Click the start of the selection to finish it. Alternatively, double-click anywhere in your image or press the Return ↵ key.

Snap a selection around an object or area in an image

The Magnetic Selection tool is used to trace selections around objects and areas in images as it snaps to any contours or edges.

1. Choose the Magnetic Selection tool by doing one of the following:

   • Click in the Tools sidebar or choose it from the grouped tools.
   • Choose Tools > Select > Magnetic Selection (from the Tools menu at the top of your screen).

   Tip: You can cycle through Magnetic, Free, and Polygonal selection tools by pressing Shift ⇧ + L on your keyboard.

2. In the Tool Options pane, customize the options for the Magnetic Selection tool:

   • Sample All Layers: Select to make selections based not just on the active layer, but your entire visible image.

3. Click in your image to add anchor points and guide your selection around the object or area you'd like to select. To reselect an anchor point, click the last added point to remove it, then click to add a new anchor point.