Pen tool and selection what happened in 2025?

[andreac71343726]

I’m using Photoshop with the latest release (26.8.1), but I’m encountering the same issues even with slightly earlier versions. Mac OSX chipset M3 Pro

I’ve been using the Pen Tool for 20 years, so I believe I know it quite well.

Issue: I create a clipping path with the Pen Tool, even for complex images with intersections (with the “Intersect Shape Areas” option selected). After spending several minutes carefully outlining the subject, I right-click and choose Make Selection, but I get the error: "No pixels were selected".

After several attempts (luckily I saved the path) and switching the Path Operations option, Photoshop finally creates the selection… but it’s always inverted.

Am I missing something introduced in the recent updates? Is there something new I should be aware of? Or is something simply not working properly?

[davescm]

Can you please show your paths panel in your screenshot.
Dave

[andreac71343726]

I’d also like to add that, even when using the Paths panel and clicking on ‘Load Path as a Selection’, I still get the error: ‘No pixels were selected’.

[davescm]

With intersect path operations, the selection will be made only where all the subpaths intersect - which is nowhere in your example.

Assuming you want the garage door and want to exclude the windows, set path operations to exclude overlapping shapes then draw around the door then the windows.

Dave

[andreac71343726]

Thank's Dave for attention.....
Thanks for the suggestion for this specific case, but I’m still getting the warning 'No pixels were selected'. Even in the specific case like: 'Assuming you want the garage door and want to exclude the windows, set path operations to exclude overlapping shapes, then draw around the door and then the windows', the result of the selection is that it only selects the windows...

To sum up: sometimes I get the error message, and other times—after several attempts—the selection is simply incorrect.

What could be the cause? Where am I going wrong? I’ve been using Photoshop since CS3 and this has never happened before....

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With intersect path operations, the selection will be made only where all the subpaths intersect - which is nowhere in your example.

Assuming you want the garage door and want to exclude the windows, set path operations to exclude overlapping shapes then draw around the door then the windows.

Dave

By @davescm

"Okay, thanks for the suggestion for this specific case, but I’m still getting the warning 'No pixels were selected'. Even in the specific case like: 'Assuming you want the garage door and want to exclude the windows, set path operations to exclude overlapping shapes, then draw around the door and then the windows', the result of the selection is that it only selects the windows...

To sum up: sometimes I get the error message, and other times—after several attempts—the selection is simply incorrect.

What could be the cause? Where am I going wrong? I’ve been using Photoshop since CS3 and this has never happened before. Could I need to reinstall it?"

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[davescm · Accepted solution]

You could try resetting the tool, but it sounds like the path operations were set incorrectly. When you look at the paths panel (you can make the thumbnails bigger so you can see them) if you don't see any white then no pixels will be selected when you try and turn it into a selection. In a correctly set path, the white areas will be turned into a selection the grey areas will not.

To reset the tool go click on the down arrow next to the pen tool icon in options bar, then click on the cog wheel and in the menu choose reset tool.

Dave

[andreac71343726]

Thanks Dave, actually I also noticed that the white area was missing in the tracks panel..... Resetting the tool should have fixed it... I ran a few tests and it seems that everything is now working properly.

[davescm]

Great news - thanks for confirming.

Dave

[Adjustable-Horizons]

I have the same complaint. Now with PS 2025, when I used the pen tool to make a selection the default is now to select everything BUT what I encircled.  This is not the way PS worked for many years. Sure, it's easy enough to add a new step and invert the selection. But this is illogical: I 'm selecting something because I want it, you know. to be selected. So folks, can you invert this feature in your next release and save all all a million SHIFT + CMD + I pushes.  Thanks!

[davescm]

@Adjustable-Horizons 
Set the path operations when drawing the path to get the result you want. The default is 'Combine shapes'. If yours is set differently just change it in the options bar.

Dave

[Adjustable-Horizons]

Hi Dave, 
Thank you for your quick reply. I do hope I'm suffering from user-error, but to be clear. I use the pen tool to outline part of an image. When that loop is complete, I right click the blue line and select 'make selection'. I see no optortunity to adjust the way the selection is being made (as you can see in the screenshots, 'combine shapes' is greyed out.  The result is that everything but what I encircled is the default selection. I'd prefer that by default whats in the selection circle be selected.  Please let me know what setting I'm missing here for this?

Thanks!

[davescm]

When using the pen tool, the options bar at the top of the screen shows the path operations. If your path is inverted (for example by setting 'Subtract Front Shape') , your selection made from that path will also be inverted.

Dave

[Adjustable-Horizons]

Thanks Dave, That works. I appreciate your help!

[davescm]

You're welcome 🙂
Dave