Using the Selection Rectangle

The selection rectangle lets you select uniform portions of the background in order to perform basic functions (e.g., cutting and pasting, moving). Additionally, you can use the selection rectangle to perform controlled functions (e.g., erasing, drawing) without changing any area outside of the selection.

Example

Example  

Your image is a large circle, but you'd like a half-circle instead. First, use the selection rectangle to section off the area of the circle you want to remove.

Now, press the DELETE key to remove it from the image.

How to Use the Selection Rectangle

  1. Open the image you want to modify.
  2. From the Edit ribbon, click .
  3. Click on the part of the canvas you want to select, and drag the mouse until the rectangle covers the desired section of the canvas. Release the mouse button when you are finished.

  4. You can copy, cut, delete, move, or resize part of the image.

    To Copy Part of the Image

    After selecting a part of the image, you can copy it for reuse in the same image, or in a different image file.

    1. Press CTRL+C to copy the area within the selection rectangle.

    2. (Optional) Press CTRL+P to paste the area onto the canvas as an image object.

    To Cut Part of the Image

    After selecting a part of the image, you can cut it to remove it from one part of the image. This lets you keep it available on your clipboard in order to paste it to another part of the image, or to add it to a new image file.

    1. Press CTRL+X to cut the selected area out of the image.
    2. (Optional) Press CTRL+P to paste the area back onto the image as an image object.

    To Delete Part of the Image

    You can delete a part of the background image from the canvas. The deleted area is replaced with a transparent background. The canvas will remain the same size.

    1. Make sure the selection rectangle covers the desired area. Only this area will be removed.
    2. Press the DELETE key.

    To Move Part of the Image

    If you move a selected area, it will flatten the selection onto the background image.

    1. Make sure the selection rectangle covers the desired area.
    2. Move the mouse over the selected area until the cursor changes into the move symbol, then click and drag the section to its new location.

    3. Release the mouse button when finished.

      Note Once you click off of the selection rectangle area, the selected area becomes part of the background image.

    To Resize Part of the Image

    After selecting part of the image, you can use the white handles around the selected area to resize the selection.

    1. Make sure the selection rectangle covers the desired area.
    2. Click on a white handle and stretch the selection as needed.

    3. Release the mouse button when finished.

      Note Once you click off of the selection rectangle area, the selected area becomes part of the background image.

Note If you are using a drawing or selection tool and Auto-Adjust is enabled, you will not be able to use the tool outside of the true canvas. The cursor changes to a no symbol to indicate areas outside of the true canvas boundaries where drawing and selection tools are disabled. See Resizing the Canvas.

Note You can use drawing tools in the selected area. When you do this, the drawing tool is restricted so you can only use it in the selected area. For example, if you select an area and then use the pencil tool, any lines you draw will stop at the edge of the selected area.

Note If the background scale is set to anything other than 1.000, the canvas tools (magic wand, selection rectangle, color fill, pencil, eraser, and flatten) will not be available. Be sure to make changes to the canvas before making adjustments to the background scale.

What's Next?

You can use the color fill tool, the pencil, or the eraser on the areas you have selected using this tool. See Drawing Tools.