The Power of the Color Range Command
The Color Range command can be accessed by choosing Select, Color Range. This
feature selects all pixels in the image that resemble the sample pixel(s) you chose.
Unlike the Magic Wand, Color Range partially selects pixels based on how closely
they match the clicked-on pixel. If, for example, fuzziness is set to 40 and you
clicked on silver (see the following figure):
■ All silver will be selected.
■ All white pixels will be 100% selected.
■ Grays will be 30%–70% selected.
■ Dark gray might be only 10% selected.Later in this chapter you will learn more about partially selected pixels (see the sec-
tion “Feathering and Antialiased Selections”). The Color Range preview window will
show the current selection. The Fuzziness setting, a slider in the Color Range dialog
box, allows you to numerically define the range of partially selected pixels (see
Figure 11.15).164 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TODIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
FIGURE 11.15
Color Range
partially selects
pixels.The key here is partial pixel selection. Partial selection extends the capabilities of
other commands, such as Color Balance, Hue, and Saturation. Because these com-
mands can be applied to partially selected pixels, their power is given an additional
dimension.