What this tool does
Object Select identifies a visually distinct connected object with one click.
Isolate objects, colors, and precise areas before editing only the pixels you need.
How to use it
- 01
Open an image and choose Object Select from the left toolbar.
- 02
Click the object, inspect the resulting boundary, then add or subtract areas with a selection brush if needed.
- 03
Review the result at 100% zoom. If the change is too strong, undo it and repeat with a lower intensity.
What you can make
- Separate a subject from its background
- Apply an adjustment to one object
- Build a mask for a distinct shape
When to use it
Use Object Selection to create a fast first selection around a clearly recognizable person, product, animal, or foreground object. It is most useful at the beginning of a masking workflow, when tracing every edge manually would be slow but the result will still receive a careful edge review.
Key controls
- Target region
- Draw a reasonably close region around the subject. Excluding unrelated objects gives the detector a clearer foreground candidate.
- Add and subtract
- Add missed parts with a smaller selection brush and subtract background islands that were included by mistake.
- Edge inspection
- Review hair, transparent material, narrow gaps, and contact shadows at 100% zoom before converting the selection into a mask.
Worked example
To isolate a shoe for a catalog card, draw a box around the shoe without including neighboring products. Add the lace loops that were missed, subtract the floor visible between the sole and shadow, and create a mask. Keep the original layer available so edge corrections remain reversible.
Common mistakes
Treating the automatic result as a finished production mask.
Selecting several overlapping subjects when only one is needed.
Deleting the background immediately instead of creating a reversible mask.
Frequently asked questions
Does Object Selection work on complex backgrounds?
It can provide a useful starting boundary when the subject remains visually distinct. Similar colors, heavy overlap, blur, and transparent edges usually require manual add and subtract corrections.
Should I delete the background or use a mask?
Use a mask for work that may need revision. A mask hides pixels without discarding them, so small edge errors can be repaired after the object is placed on its final background.