Using the magic wand tool

The magic wand tool lets you select a consistently colored area (for example, a red flower) without having to trace its outline. You specify the color range, or tolerance, for the magic wand tool's selection.

Note: You cannot use the magic wand tool on an image in Bitmap mode.

To use the magic wand tool:

1 Select the magic wand tool ().

2 In the options bar, specify whether to create a new selection (), add to an existing selection (), subtract from a selection (), or select an area intersected by other selections (). The magic wand cursor changes depending on which option is selected.

3 For Tolerance, enter a range of pixel values, ranging from 0 to 255. Enter a low value to select colors very similar to the pixel you click, or enter a higher value to select a broader range of colors.

4 To define a smooth edge, select Anti-aliased. (See Softening the edges of a selection.)

5 To select only adjacent areas using the same colors, select Contiguous. Otherwise, all pixels using the same colors will be selected.

6 To select colors using data from all the visible layers, select Use All Layers. Otherwise, the magic wand tool selects colors from the active layer only.

7 In the image, click the color you want to select. If Contiguous is selected, all adjacent pixels within the tolerance range are selected.

Selecting > Making pixel selections > Using the magic wand tool