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<ul class="navigation"><li class="prev"><a accesskey="p" class="prev" href="WS9C5407FF-2787-400b-9930-FF44266E9168a.html" title="Refine selection edges"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Previous" width="17" height="17" /></a></li><li class="next"><a accesskey="n" class="next" href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76dea.html" title="Remove fringe pixels from a selection"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Next" width="17" height="17" /></a></li></ul><div class="hierarchy" id="hierarchy"><a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7701a.html">Selecting and masking</a> /
     <a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76f0a.html"><b>Adjusting pixel selections</b></a> 
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                <h1>
                    Soften the edges of selections
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                <br clear="both" /><div id="minitoc"><div class="t"><div class="b"><div class="l"><div class="r"><div class="bl"><div class="br"><div class="tl"><div class="tr"><div><h3>Contents [<a href="#" onclick="return toggleMiniToc('minitoc-links', this);" class="hideLink">Hide</a>]</h3><ul id="minitoc-links"><li><p><a href="#WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76e1a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Select pixels using anti-aliasing</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76e0a"><h1 class="topictitle1">Define a feathered edge for a selection tool</h1>
</a></p></li><li><p><a href="#WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76dfa"><h1 class="topictitle1">Define a feathered edge for an existing selection</h1>
</a></p></li></ul></div></div><br clear="both" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br clear="both" /><div><div class="section"><p>You can smooth the hard edges of a selection
by anti-aliasing and by feathering.</p>
<dl><dt class="dlterm">Anti-aliasing</dt>
<dd>Smooths the jagged edges of a selection by softening the
color transition between edge pixels and background pixels. Because
only the edge pixels change, no detail is lost. Anti-aliasing is
useful when cutting, copying, and pasting selections to create composite
images.<p>Anti-aliasing is available for the Lasso tool, the
Polygonal Lasso tool, the Magnetic Lasso tool, the Elliptical Marquee
tool, and the Magic Wand tool. (Select a tool to display its options
bar.) </p>
<div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>You must specify this option before using these
tools. After a selection is made, you cannot add anti-aliasing.</div>
</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">Feathering</dt>
<dd>Blurs edges by
building a transition boundary between the selection and its surrounding
pixels. This blurring can cause some loss of detail at the edge
of the selection.<p>You can define feathering for the Marquee
tools, the Lasso tool, the Polygonal Lasso tool, or the Magnetic
Lasso tool as you use the tool, or you can add feathering to an
existing selection. </p>
<div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>Feathering effects become apparent
only after you move, cut, copy, or fill the selection.</div>
</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p></dl>
</div>
</div>
<div id="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76e1a" class="nochunk"><a name="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76e1a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Select pixels using anti-aliasing</h3><div><ol><li><span>Select the Lasso tool, the Polygonal
Lasso tool, the Magnetic Lasso tool, the Elliptical Marquee tool,
or the Magic Wand tool.</span></li>
<li><span>Select Anti-aliased in the options bar.</span></li>
</ol>
</div></div>
<div id="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76e0a" class="nochunk"><a name="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76e0a"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Define a feathered edge for a selection tool</h3><div><ol><li><span>Select any of the lasso or marquee tools.</span></li>
<li><span>Enter a Feather value in the options bar. This value
defines the width of the feathered edge and can range from 0 to
250 pixels. </span></li>
</ol>
</div></div>
<div id="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76dfa" class="nochunk"><a name="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76dfa"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Define a feathered edge for an existing selection</h3><div><ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Choose Select&#160;&gt; Modify&#160;&gt;
Feather.</span></li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Enter a value for the Feather Radius, and click&#160;OK. </span> <div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>A small selection made with a large feather
radius may be so faint that its edges are invisible and thus not
selectable. If you see the message “No pixels are more than 50%
selected,” either decrease the feather radius or increase the size
of the selection. Or click&#160;OK to accept the mask at its
current setting and create a selection in which you cannot see the
edges.</div>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="se_08" src="images/se_08.png" /><div class="figdesc">Selection without feathering and with feathering. </div><br /><dl><dt class="dlterm">A.</dt>
<dd>Selection with no feather, same selection filled with
pattern</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">B.</dt>
<dd>Selection with feather,
same selection filled with pattern</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p></dl>
</div></li>
</ol>
</div></div>

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