YOUR TOOL BOX
Using the Refine Edge tool can take your work to the next level. Making a selection can be a pain; as good as Photoshop’s AI is, it doesn’t always select what you want, or it can leave sharp edges along the edge of a cutout. An example of when the Refine Edge tool can help is when making a selection around hair. If you ever need to do this, patience is certainly virtue, so take your time!
The tool is used for complex selections in Photoshop. To get the best results, make a semirough selection with a tool of your choice, then click “Select and mask” to open the Refine Edge tool window. On the right side, you see the Properties tab.
The View mode is great for different types of imagery; it changes the background and colors, so you can see the outline of your selection easier. Beneath that is the Transparency setting for the view— alter this to your liking. The next setting of interest is the Refine mode—there are two options: Color Aware and Object Aware. Try both to see what gives the best results. The Radius slider is used to increase or decrease the radius of the edge detection. With all these options, you can preview as you go, so keep tweaking until you get what you need. The global refinements are great for getting the edge you need. All generally do what you’d expect. Practice with mock images to understand how these tools affect the edge of a selection. Finally, at the bottom are the Output settings. You can output a selection, layer mask, new layer, new layer with layer mask, new document, or a new document with a layer mask.
On the left are the tools. You can use all of these to add or subtract from the image, holding the Alt key to differentiate. At the top is the Selection tool, then the Refine edge tool. This is the one you will probably use most to follow around the edge of your selection. Under that is a Brush tool to edit by eye. Beneath those are the Object Selection tool and the Lasso tool, handy for selecting specific parts of the image if you aren’t getting your desired edge. Finally, there are two standard tools for navigation: the hand and magnifier.
With patience and practice using all the properties and tools, you will be able to make a clean selection out of any image. If the selection is precise and tidy, it helps with blending and making things look more natural.