Select any object in a photo

Which tool for which object

Object selection is easiest when the tool suits the subject. AI Object Select (A) handles most things: hover to preview, then click an object or drag a box around it. Select subject, in the AI menu, finds the main subject of the photo in one step. Quick Selection (W) is the one to paint with when you want control: brush over an object and the selection grows out to its edges.

The Magic Wand selects pixels of a similar colour, good for a plain sky or a studio backdrop, and Colour Range samples colours across the whole photo. The Lasso, Polygonal Lasso and Magnetic Lasso trace outlines by hand, the Pen draws exact Bézier curves for hard product edges, and Object Box separates whatever you drag a box around.

Cleaning up a selection

Hold Shift to add and Alt to subtract. The Select menu has Grow, Select similar, Expand and Contract 2px, Feather, Smooth edges, Fill holes, Remove specks and Keep largest piece, which fix most small faults faster than painting. Invert (Ctrl+I) flips the selection when the background is easier to pick than the subject. Start a new object (N) begins the next layer without touching the last one, and Colour Range has presets for skin tones, highlights, midtones and shadows.

Selecting hair and soft edges

To select hair cleanly, start with AI select or Quick Selection, then use Refine edges (Ctrl+R). The Refine Edge Brush (R) works only where you paint, along flyaway strands or fur. The soft hair and fur refinement is part of CutLift Pro.

Layers, segmentation and price

Each selection becomes a named layer you can hide, rename and export, so a photo turns into a set of separate objects, which is what image segmentation means in practice. Segment everything turns every object into its own layer, and Select by name picks every “chair” or “person” you type; both are Pro.

Quick Selection, the Magic Wand tool, lassos, Pen, Colour Range, Object Box, Select subject and the brushes are free. AI click selection is free to use; downloads that include it need Pro or the account’s one free premium download. Selection runs on your device, and photos are not uploaded.