Cropping with the Pen tool

As you all know, there are many ways of  to achieve an end result. You can use the lasso tools, or marque tools to make selections in an image. One accurate way to crop/select an item in an image is to use the pen tool. As I have stated before the pen tool can be difficult at first but with a little practice is a great tool.

First open the image in photoshop.

Then select the pen tool

Begin tracing around the object with the pen tool.

Close up the pen tool selection by connecting your start location and the end location. Then right click with your mouse with the pen tool over the drawn line. Choose make selection. Radius: to 2 antialias: on and select ok.

Under select go to save selection give it a name and say ok. If you save the selection you can reload this outline in the future.

Select your marque tool and then select the refine button. The refine button allows you to control the selection a bit tighter with feathering and smoothing on the edge.

These are the basics of using the pen tool. Hope you can use this in your creations and master pieces.

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