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Joe Needs Help
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March 12, 2020
Answered

Use of Elliptical Marquee tool

  • March 12, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 2221 views

Dear God, I find Photoshop frustrating.  I am just trying to use the elliptical marquee tool to select a circular region.  I find it impossible to select what I want.  I am running Photoshop 2020 on a new Dell laptop that I bought last year.  If I hold the "alt" key down during the selection, I get a circular region which I find impossible to get right.  (No, holding down the shift key does not cause the circle to emminate from the center.)  Once I select a circular region, I can find no way to modify the selection after the fact and the only way I can move it is to use the arrow keys which are agonizaing slow.  I would appreciate enormously if someone could tell me how to resize the selection and move it after the fact because nothing I've tried works despite reading about this and viewing online tutorials for days.  If anyone can help, I would really appreciate it.

 

Thanks

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer jane-e

    Hi

     

    The Shift key constrains to a circle and the Alt key draws from the center. If you are having trouble constraining to a circle, set the Ratio in the options bar to "1 to 1", meaning the width and height will be the same, then you won't need the Shift key.

     

    As you are making your selection — if it is in the wrong place — then hold down the spacebar to move the selection. Don't release the mouse until you are finished, as the spacebar will become the shortcut for panning the page if you stop making a selection. If that happens, then start again.

     

    When deciding where to start selecting, remember that all images are rectangles. Mentally draw a line from the top center of the shape to the left and another from the left center side and up. Where those two imaginary lines intersect is where you should start selecting with your ellipse tool.

     

    ~ Jane

    3 replies

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    jane-eCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    March 12, 2020

    Hi

     

    The Shift key constrains to a circle and the Alt key draws from the center. If you are having trouble constraining to a circle, set the Ratio in the options bar to "1 to 1", meaning the width and height will be the same, then you won't need the Shift key.

     

    As you are making your selection — if it is in the wrong place — then hold down the spacebar to move the selection. Don't release the mouse until you are finished, as the spacebar will become the shortcut for panning the page if you stop making a selection. If that happens, then start again.

     

    When deciding where to start selecting, remember that all images are rectangles. Mentally draw a line from the top center of the shape to the left and another from the left center side and up. Where those two imaginary lines intersect is where you should start selecting with your ellipse tool.

     

    ~ Jane

    J
    Jorge.Anguiano
    Participant
    March 12, 2020

    If you want to move or resize your selection please go to selection menu and then to transform selection.

    michelew83603738
    Community Expert
    michelew83603738Community Expert
    Community Expert
    March 12, 2020

    If you want to move a selection, while in a selection tool like the marquees or lassos, click in the selection and drag to where you want it to be. If you go to the move tool, it will move the pixels, but so long as you remain in the selection tools, the selection itself will move. To fine tune, use the arrows.

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