|
|
Post by toonbon on Apr 26, 2018 0:42:52 GMT
![]() I have an image (attached) of a box where the bottom edge is ragged. I'd like to use Photoshop Elements 13 to create a selection like the one surrounded in blue in the attached image, and then delete everything in the selection to get a nice curved line for the bottom of the box. Does anyone see a way to do that? Thanks.  |
|
|
|
Post by fotofrank on Apr 26, 2018 3:38:12 GMT
I think you just need to use the right tools. This would be a very simple task in Photoshop CC with the Pen Tool - not an option in Elements. All of the selection tool can be used alone or in combination with each other. If you start with the elliptical marquee tool you can draw an elliptical to match the shape of the bottom of the box. Just like with horse shoes and hand grenades you only have to be close. You can use the Select>Transform Selection to move/resize/angle/... the selection. You can now use the other selection tools to add or subtract from the selection.  Clean Edge  Hope this helps. |
|
|
|
Post by Bailey on Apr 26, 2018 7:21:33 GMT
Hi toonbon, There's a few ways you can do this. An easy way for me was to 1. use the quick selection tool to select all of the box. Another option could be to use the Magic Wand tool to select the white area outside the box and invert the selection. 2. Then Select->Modify->Contract. I contracted by 5px in this case. 3. Used the selection brush to then add back the part of the box on the 2 sides and top that were reduced by 5px. Hold the shift key down to make a straight line selection between 2 points. Touch up the corner where the arc meets the 2 sides. If you use a hard brush it will be easier to select the side edges in one go when holding down the shift key. This took me about a 30-60 secs to do. You can see the marching ants around the box and along the blue arc. |
|
|
|
Post by Sepiana on Apr 26, 2018 7:33:59 GMT
This would be a very simple task in Photoshop CC with the Pen Tool - not an option in Elements. All of the selection tool can be used alone or in combination with each other. If you start with the elliptical marquee tool you can draw an elliptical to match the shape of the bottom of the box. Just like with horse shoes and hand grenades you only have to be close. You can use the Select>Transform Selection to move/resize/angle/... the selection. You can now use the other selection tools to add or subtract from the selection. Frank, I tested this. It works like a charm! Simple and very effective technique. Great suggestion!
Just adding some clarification for new users of Elements . . .
You can use an add-on -- Elements+ -- to add the Pen tool to Elements. Unfortunately, according to Andrei Doubrovski, a member here and the creator of Elements+, this is not possible in Elements 15 and above.
www.photoshopelementsandmore.com/post/41264
|
|
|
|
Post by toonbon on Apr 26, 2018 23:42:02 GMT
Thanks for all the ideas. I ended up just straightening the bottom edge with the pencil tool:  I tried using the ellipse selection tool but it wasn't clear what to subtract from it to make the selection everything below the bottom edge. I tried selecting the box and then pulling the line in 5px but since the bottom edge is ragged a line 5px from that is also, more or less, ragged. I tried to add the Pen tool with E+ but this got way more complicated that I wanted to deal with now, plus, when I finished I still didn't see the Pen tool. Anyway thanks again. I'm fine with the straight edge. |
|
|
|
Post by Bailey on Apr 27, 2018 0:01:09 GMT
Hi again toonbon, This is just a quick and simple crop using the method I described in my earlier post. From go to whoa it took me about 90 seconds. The curved edge doesn't look ragged to my eyes. Hope this helps  |
|
|
|
Post by fotofrank on Apr 27, 2018 0:58:02 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Sepiana on Apr 27, 2018 1:20:54 GMT
I tried selecting the box and then pulling the line in 5px but since the bottom edge is ragged a line 5px from that is also, more or less, ragged. That’s to be expected. When you do Select>Modify>Contract, Elements shrinks your selection by the number of pixels you specify.
If you need to clean up jagged edges, you should use Select>Modify>Smooth. Elements evens out your selection by searching for pixels that are similarly colored. If you use a value of 5 px, Elements searches a 5-pixel radius around each pixel in your selection. Then, it adds/deselects pixels to get rid of the jagged edges and holes in your selection.
You can also use the Refine Selection Brush or any one of the other Selection tools to fine-tune your selection edges. However, the consensus among the experts is to use Refine Edge. It allows you to remove the jagged edges around your selection (Smooth slider); soften the edges (Feather); and adjust the size of the selection (Shift Edge).
You said you have Elements 13. Back in Elements 11, Adobe introduced a new, deluxe Refine Edge brought over from Photoshop. Give Refine Edge a chance!
 |
|
