Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Selection options for the Magic Wand tool
Tip
A Better Wand
The Magic Wand tool works best
if you turn on the pixel-averaging
option. In the Options bar, use the
Sample Size menu to change the
Sample Size to a 5 by 5 Average (or 11
by 11 Average). The Magic Wand tool
will then become less sensitive to
erroneous clicks.
When using the Magic Wand tool, you have several options avail-
able in the Options bar that can improve or alter your selection.
These modifiers are very similar to those for the Marquee and
Lasso tools, so I'll cover them briefly.
The first four icons specify the kind of selection:
A
New selection
B
Add to selection
C
Subtract from selection
D
intersect with selection
video 27:
Magic Wand Tool
The remaining settings allow you to refine your selection parameters:
E
Sample Size. This determines how additional pixels are
selected. The targeted color value can be based on just the color
you click on or an average of neighboring pixels.
F
Tolerance. This setting determines how similar the pixels
must be to your initial click in order to be selected. You can
enter a value in pixels, ranging from 0 to 255. A higher value
selects a broader range of colors.
G
Anti-alias. This creates a smoother edge when you click.
H
Contiguous. When Contiguous is selected, only adjacent areas
with the same colors are selected. If deselected, all pixels in the
entire image that use the same colors will be selected.
I
Sample All Layers. If you have a multilayered document and
want to select colors on all layers, select this check box.
J
Refine edge. This button brings up a window with several
sliders to adjust an active selection with intuitive controls.
A B C D
E
F
G
H
I
J
