You can make selections with a number of tools. But have you ever tried making a selection with the Magic wand Tool? Perhaps not. It can also be done. But I personally think that the
Pen Tool is the best for making a selection. But let us try the Magic Wand and see if it can really work magic.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuqVeHQf4UKOETZTnIJFA6id-5K_1b3fh16iYQM1YbLF6ao1cN9KKXkvbHQ60joLB6kbKJnAgwi94V8NXGXj8hHjvGCuLrA8eOQevTnuYfroWFfZaAgF2TEeXeJEDTVeXO_kOZ5s7RTXj/s400/snap001.bmp)
If you have a photo like this using the Magic wand is easy.
Step 1 : Click the Magic wand Tool to select it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhAUIPYrnuT1Sm62c0V7yjfNT1YB2bItQb8_DpLXZaqjfq98pmRfqT6avl3aBk45DeTBDzFU1S3G8S-wHBhusoJo_AchK8by278Wc_8SUIKAZ6jF5kgw1ILjwCMHu2MbTMMJeAH5lKXLM/s400/snap004.bmp)
Step 2 : In the top panel set the Tolerance at 20. Also check the Anti-alias and Contiguous. The default Tolerance is set at 50. You can even begin by setting a Tolerance of 10.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0YBf9sPSUpfvOwXx1kzOfZsuGkj6AYYbOeIdFvyaW7L06b-XDTJYSt5xTHjDwRQwc0gpPz3N1r3NezAbipBP4W4LsYeqQpB9p8e5lnqWhsOqh26LO1yti4RUIpj8F965KnmJR5gLKT9I/s400/snap003.bmp)
Step 3 : Click anywhere in the white background with the Magic Wand. You will immediately get a selection of 'marching ants.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpxY1LXb-rwEQyusmkHiUwW-8u98jvfR6MxV_HZuobZ1DiuayiXp6MWxlLHEst_u9wCsHB_zO_BSfFbVhLI6-FoLSFmYjw4O1DLdtnLzmMGh7Mbm_A8aND9I5YpRaJdv265qEKBPch0uw/s400/snap005.bmp)
Step 4 : Hold SHIFT and click on the unselected parts. When you hold down shift you will find a tiny plus sign appear beside the Magic wand. Select the unselected areas.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzai0oJysoK0mEraglOfI78iuQC4ttgVxr5yCQCcxgYe2E1y7h8QD9nfVGeCpMFkTFbC0WpFH96-o8mJlXD8yTkgFveebEmArtOqNAAgikxvsr9QbFJQGSzPYA2KCF2qcZ7lw7oGRQdd1K/s400/snap006.bmp)
Step 5 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+I to inverse the selection. Now only the figure is selected by the 'marching ants'.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETkwGjX24uTYnA9XDlPa5ZY6diaCJUWI6oc8jVbcnGnKkrnWGtlPrRgpj74j6ue8wnHwTrs0gBIPkcHFVE_-rXGl3JBrbdbPu1pkyCSCjwBigOZoUI1J6hLIIUuSkDMNGzbiud0ll9THU/s400/snap007.bmp)
Step 6 : Press CTRL+J. The selection will be copied and pasted on a new Layer 1. Look at the Layers pallette
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmRSiDB0ozMmci2UxL7jcnwZvl9ise4KO8EjGFTsC3rxuSBTVT_MAlmnG_h_yKlRiSrxgEwurczg6NF2uuO80qMBdc5MfZ4fGPPO_YY6eH5ChH7FWmJ7BvpJIdTyEeB9jBTUTNGLw8FPt/s400/snap008.bmp)
Step 7 : Click off the eye icon in the Background layer.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBbo86A4I9VQQKrv-3h4DBNbS8nLd_niIbq8gikqFub_M35y1vjL-4kW0aIjJsQMPqZ42Ep7elKZ0WESj760YrCXknDWKwgKdW9lF0v7vZhJGsSjJYjBAeWxu-K3NEsGwUJ_Dd5ssSz8Q/s400/snap009.bmp)
Step 8 : The White Background has been deleted. This method will work for images on a uniformly colored background. This part is easy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DFNkUM1wchQbldYCXhTRrxcXhSF0WT017xFOUakw5XNLoxE6QHn8VrcCH-IMHjl_gaV5JiNO2_-gmkEKT5fIbaFWUdctNmrl7Rjw12sarNUvzYKWjyaUNgo9vU_edW_Cw43yJ8uYMpkn/s400/snap000.bmp)
Now let us try something more complex.
Step 9 : I am setting the Tolerance at 10.
Step 10 : I have clicked once on the left of the image and a large portion is selected.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxdyyUmLTKffCdsWkeJDscxs8YVsOAZvaEnnx1tmKV2cJyxXW-2b0_-Xu8E2GPnnaBAIX3jsodrbxmh0SHZUjj4YA-NaN2l9XVziQ7ABmshP1LfyJ5sAKV24jMHAj__PA64nyzELEDKnw/s400/snap012.bmp)
Step 11 : Now holding down SHIFT I have clicked on the unselected areas on the left. The entire left side is now selected.
Step 12 : Keeping SHIFT pressed keep clicking while changing the Tolerance from 10 to 15 to 20. If select wrongly press CTRL+Z to undo the last step. Or to undo more steps go to Edit>Step Backward.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiubO3xJXxu7WOqVCoSNmj83Hr3o_DQhPTpUKjmfWg8ejTvrhPo2g02PRTCKczDN-kqRsbUX6-WK5ehngeOTS53MvWHj_N-720EhRYxpIDdl17F59DKrR7TX4QWzBhaXbhowmXZNIj1T0v/s400/snap016.bmp)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWUDCECg8bxvcp-70I0Lu9X7xZ43CHzulq9m1V4HtFEwDdqHcLFzJNFd3LtJnDx0mgUhbIjjOyWk8eo5O8xf4DBIxn_cvyXUkQ0NCcnypprRKxECb2bh1Q-PBnKtkroCM9Wxj3tyqs_DN/s400/snap019.bmp)
Step 13 : I am varying the Tolerance as I click in different portions to select. It will depend on your image.
Step 14 : The entire background has been selected.
Step 15 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+I to inverse the selection. Then press CTRL+J to copy and paste the selection to a new layer. Lastly turn of the eye icon in the Background layer as earlier shown in Steps 5 and 6. The background will be deleted.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhcoQ05dP8PF8OHclMn_uvt_WLqIEiLVBabgrWhbrgoz6iu0tZuqyqsPhHoFLVz5GsAhzD0vu4egC0TsyW74juO1e50jt8mQHSpPaZgYNk7zQP37Z3R4pO8T7i0me0FrVzINrbWwVM8rs/s400/snap021.bmp)
Step 16 : Open a new white layer and drag it on top with the Move Tool.
Step 17 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+[ to send the white layer to the back.
Step 18 : Zoom into the image and you might notice that some minor spots have remained behind.
Step 19 : Click on the erazer Tool. You should also make the tip soft. To do that hold SHIFT and press the [ (left bracket a number of times). Alternately to make the tip hard press SHIFT and ] (right bracket)
Step 20 : You are on the white layer (Layer 2). Therefore click back to Layer 1.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENoE5lI7-eZlZbPO9hjQ_Y0JQBoYBm2bjUI1Rg4_sOKgcgGH97NIFfJ2BS1HmPWSm7Rn_LGYijmdK74fsFdIuPHgh61POzD4KStOzhokGHdkpi4TmTznpNk5g6Oaj-NXYM4NHAPmhvK82/s400/snap026.bmp)
Step 21 : Zoom into the image and wipe away the spots gently. Switch between a large brush tip and a small brush tip. To make the tip large press the ] (right bracket) and to make it small [ (left bracket).
Step 22 : You can see that the selection is not that bad as the hair has been cleanly selected as also the rest of the image.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwhdqrIoPkppRPxBcJisPw0KPDtPL733A_EU0CSaa_HsCI0rFGGlqhjnTPmBaEyoJfQValTH24V9Kwmv6-M5u4U4lef1TFN3JcoatZZ4iz_-O5P9i2vJ5qV_aW6uTcspSUFqVa1bobPAA/s400/snap029.bmp)
Step 23 : You can even put a new background to the image. Note that when you do so, the edges especially near the hair appear light. That has to be fixed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAbSh2nCBo458WY5FFcYLDqbqSij7Xr3seDt6af3OgeFKTmHW-3B50I0K2j5vX1nPzrtWZMXRU_OzJzVQVnhRpns1Xx9GXt2te5aYK26Bj0Cl9yfmRpDJ81CHZyrKLIoxYhqoscxJRiNq/s400/snap030.bmp)
Step 24 : Click on the Burn Tool.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtbtIEtydVduj7qmWXVNrmjwiaUzusT9nJXLz_yAqmbIBmQfCBVP0Q8bLiIw0YD-oDJ-N-yusPLROFWlJmpsFg0zXBYKBGmW34dYVp6v27RdJ-jiUaz636tbB28pZ-EihDNZXF2BEsLmY/s400/snap031.bmp)
Step 25 : in the top panel click on Highlights from the dropdown.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqi2mUQ6clHdAFZZ-sWZ-jT7CNOANHdf6V7Ga4suTOnykPg3O-SqFkI8TLiagLzZsFHypfWBhVmPQIt4jB6CvKAGo4k_enF7pbCke36425AjHhZeDmjF6burHLnIdh_0VbvmLZCpgmhQr/s400/snap032.bmp)
Step 26 : Now 'burn' the highlights of the hair with the Burn Tool. The white edges will disappear.
Step 27 : The highlights have been darkened.
The little girl is now on a different background. That is all.
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