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Participating Frequently
October 31, 2024
Open for Voting

Load multiple selections at same time in Photoshop

  • October 31, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 458 views

Currently, in PS, the user can only load one selection at a time.  So, if you want to load, say, two selected areas, you need to use Load selection twice, with the second one having, for example, an "Add to Selection" operation.  This would be made a lot easier, if, for example, the Ctrl key could be activated to selected multiple items from the saved selection list. 

 

An even better facility would be the ability to load combinations of selections using any of the currently available operations assigned to any of the individual named selections in the available list - in this way, for example, it would be possible to load Selection #1 with a plus sign and Selection #2 with a negative sign - to load Selection #1  minus Selection #2.  This would be much quicker than the current approach which requires the second load selection to use a "Subtract from Selection" operation.   It would also allow, say, 3 or more named selections to be quickly loaded in one operation, rather than currently which requires the same number of "Load Selection" operations to be performed.

3 replies

Kevin Stohlmeyer
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 31, 2024

@hinddj not sure one operation via the Load Selection menu would be possible given that you could want subtraction, addtion, intersection, etc.

The best possible option that allows for this now is as @Semaphoric menitoned using the Channels Panel with your saved selections, you can use key commands to do any of the above options with a modifier (shift, alt/opt) and a click.

Semaphoric
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 31, 2024

If the selections have all been saved, they will be in the Channels panel. Shift+Ctrl click on their thumbnails will add them to the existing selection.

hinddjAuthor
Participating Frequently
October 31, 2024
Good point. Thank you. Being able to do this via « Load Selection » would
be easier I think. Also, my suggested idea would allow you to load (eg)
Selection A minus Selection B (and other operations such as intersection)
in one operation.
Derek Cross
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 31, 2024

Use the Shift button to load additional selections.