150 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TODIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
The Absolute Minimum
The full version of Photoshop includes valuable tools for selecting parts of an image,
such as the Path/Pen and Lasso tools. Photoshop Elements includes the Magnetic
Lasso, which performs a similar function depending on the sensitivity you set in the
options toolbar. The bottom line is this:
■ Photoshop’s most powerful selection tool is the Pen tool. Learn how to use it
by following the exercises in this book.
■ Photoshop Elements’ most powerful selection tool is the Magnetic Lasso.
Adjust Frequency and Edge Contrast to control its sensitivity.
■ If an image looks faint or washed out, try increasing its saturation.
■ Enter a value between 0–25 in the Magic Wand’s Tolerance box if the wand is
selecting too many pixels.
■ When using the marquee tools, press and hold down Alt+Shift (xShift) to cre-
ate perfect square or circular selections.
■ Selecting hair is difficult. See Chapter 17, “The Importance of Channels,” for
tips.