User Guide

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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP 5.0
User Guide
Converting between paths and
selection borders
Because of their smooth outlines, paths can be
converted into precise selection borders. You also
can convert selection borders into paths, using the
direct-selection tool for fine-tuning.
Defining paths as selection borders
You can define any closed path as a selection
border. A closed path that overlaps a selected area
can be added to, subtracted from, or combined
with the current selection.
To convert a path to a selection border using the
current Make Selection settings:
Click the Make Selection button ( ) at the
bottom of the Paths palette.
To convert a path to a selection border and specify
settings:
1 To combine the path with a selection, first make
the selection using a selection tool.
2 In the Paths palette, select the name of the path
to define as a selection.
3 Make the selection:
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS)
the Make Selection button ( ) at the bottom of
the Paths palette.
• Choose Make Selection from the Paths
palette menu.
4 Select a Rendering option:
• Feather Radius to define how far inside and
outside the selection border the feather edge
extends. Enter a value in pixels.
• Anti-aliased to create a finer transition between
the pixels in the selection and the surrounding
pixels. Make sure the Feather Radius is set to 0.
See “Softening the edges of a selection” on
page 147 for more on these options.
5 Select a selection option:
• New Selection to select only the area defined by
the path.
• Add to Selection to add the area defined by the
path to the original selection.
• Subtract from Selection to remove the area
defined by the path from the original selection.
• Intersect with Selection to select the area
common to both the path and the original
selection. If the path and selection do not overlap,
nothing is selected.
To convert a path to a selection border using
shortcuts:
Do any of the following:
• To define a path as a selection using the
current settings in the Make Selection dialog box,
Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac OS) the path thumbnail in the Paths palette.
• To add the path to the current selection, press
Ctrl+Shift/Command+Shift and click the path
thumbnail.