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How Do I Move, Copy and Delete Selection in Photoshop?

As we know, Photoshop is designed with a number of photo editing tools that allow the designers to edit their photos from their own perspective; it also offers many useful ways that allow beginners to work on it with minimal experience and experts.

Delete selection photoshop is one of the essential things for editing pictures or documents while working in Photoshop. As a result, designers often search for the easiest way to delete any selected area in Photoshop.

So today, in this tutorial, we’re going to show and explain the easiest way to remove a selected area in Photoshop.

So let’s not make the introduction so long. Instead, drive into the entire article and learn more about how to delete a selection in Photoshop.

First, let’s get started with how to make a selection in Photoshop.


How to make a selection in photoshop?

To make a selection in Photoshop, follow these step-by-step guidelines.

(1) Choose a selection tool from the toolbar

Before making a selection, select a suitable selection tool from the toolbar. Selection tools are used to select or merge a specific area of an item or object that you want to remove or copy and paste.

However, you will find several selection tools in the toolbar to make a selection of images. But you can use any of them to select an item that you want to remove or delete forever.

In this section, we’ll talk about some major Photoshop selection tools, and we hope this will help you choose the most suitable tool for your image or document and make your job easier and faster.

So, let’s have a look at the description of the following selection tools.

Marquee tools:  This is the most basic selection tool in Photoshop. It is also the first one from the top of the toolbar. The marquee tool contains four different selection tools: Rectangular Marquee tool, Elliptical Marquee tool, Single raw, and Single column marquee tools. 

marquee tools

These tools specifically allow the user to select rectangular or square areas, circles, lines, rows, and columns. Then, just click on the tool and drag around an area you want to select to use any of them.

Quick Selection Tool: If the background of your image is simple but multicolored, we recommend you use the Quick Selection tool. This is the easiest way to make selections in photoshop. 

Quick Selection tool

This tool can merge an item automatically, and it will be selected instantly. Thus, this tool works so fast and can usually save time.

Magic Wand Tool: When the background of your image or object contains only one color, then you have to use the Magic Wand tool instead of the Quick Selection tool. Basically, this tool is used to select specific color areas. 

Magic Wand Tool

Moreover, the Magic wand tool is essential and works faster than freehand tools while selecting any sharp edges or contours.

Lasso Tools: Whether your item is more complex than you want to select, lasso tools are the best options to be used. Moreover, if you like manual selection, they would be the best way to create selections for you.

lasso tools

There are three different types of lasso tools involved in one icon. They are called the Lasso tool, the Polygonal Lasso tool, and the Magnetic Lasso tool

To use lasso tools, select any of them you want, drag the mouse (here, you’ll notice the lasso follows you), and join the ends together.

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(2) Make a selection using the selection tool you picked

Once you choose one of the selection tools, then it’s time to make your selection. 

Let’s see how you can do that.

  • First of all, use any of the Selection tools. We select the Lasso tool from the toolbar by left-clicking on the icon. 
  • Now move the cursor to a specific point of the object that you want to be selected.
  • Then create the outline by keeping the left button pressed and joining the ends together.

How to delete selections in Photoshop?

If you need to delete any specific item or media in Photoshop, just follow the instructions below.

(1) Select the image or document you want to work on

In the beginning, select the image or document from your files that you want to edit.

Then, make sure that the image layer is active. Otherwise, your selected area cannot be deleted.

(2) Make a selection 

In the selected picture, create a selected area that you want to delete. You can make your selection by following our previous instructions.

make a selection

(3) Delete the selection

After making the selection, in this step, you can now easily delete your selection in photoshop. 

To delete the selection, go to Edit > Clear. 

Delete the selection

Now see the selected area has been deleted. 

remove the selection

How to remove everything outside a selected area?

Do you want to remove everything outside a selected area instead of deleting a selected area in photoshop? Well, you can also do that very easily. 

You should follow the instructions given below:

  • In the beginning, select a particular area of your image or object with any of the Selection tools as I mentioned above.
  • Then, hit a magic key combination of Ctrl + Shift + I (PC) or Command + Shift + I (MAC).
  • Now, press the delete button, and after doing that, everything from outside of your selection will be deleted.
How to remove everything outside

How to move a selected area in Photoshop?

If you want to move a selected area in Photoshop, just follow the following steps:

Select the Move tool from your toolbar.

  • Then run the pointer inside the area you have selected.
selection the move tool
  • Now drag the selection to the new position where you want to place it.
move the selection

How to copy, cut and paste a selected area in Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop knows well about its user’s needs and expectations. As a result, it allows you to copy and paste selections to move them from one file to another and helps you delete any item or make duplicates of your documents like other computer programs do.

However, Photoshop also offers various advanced types of cutting and pasting to make editing as easy and simple as you want.

So, in this section of our tutorial, we would like to talk about the most useful ways to cut or copy and paste a selected area in Photoshop.

So, let’s go to our next tutorial.

(1) Cutting a selected area

Cutting is a way of copying a selected area or object in a clipboard and removing it from the original document.

You can cut out your selections using both your keyboard and toolbar. Now, let’s have a look at how you can do this.

  • First of all, select a particular area of your image or media that you want to cut by using any selection tools.
  • Now go to the Edit menu and click on the Cut option from the dashboard. 
  • Alternatively, you can also use the magic key combination of Ctrl + X ( PC) or Cmd + X (Mac) from your keyboard to cut the selection.
  • By doing this, your selected area is removed from your original document and copied to your clipboard.
cut the selection

(2) Copying a selected area

Copying a selected area is a process by which you can copy specific objects or texts from your documents in your clipboard and paste them anywhere you need.

In Photoshop, copying any object or text is fairly very simple. You just have to follow the following instructions.

copy the selection
  • In the starter, make your—selections which you’re going to copy.
  • Then, click on the Edit menu and select Edit > Copy or Edit > Copy Merged.
  • But if you want to use your keyboard, press Ctrl + C (PC) or Cmd + C (Mac).
  • Now your selection is copied into your clipboard and ready to paste anywhere else.

(3) Paste a selected area

Pasting is the system of adding the copied object or media into any other document needed. 

Pasting a selected area is as simple as copying or cutting a media or any part of the image we’ve done before. 

paste the selection
  • In the beginning, cut or copy the selected area you want to paste.
  • Then, select Edit > Paste or Edit > Paste special.
  • Possibly, you can also press Ctrl + V for PC or Cmd + V for Mac from your keyboard. 
  • By doing this, your copied object will be pasted into your document.
selection is pasted

How to copy, cut and paste a selected area to a new layer?

While editing on Photoshop, you may often need to copy and paste a selection to a new layer. Seemingly, the task is so confusing, but there is also a way to do the job easily.

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This tutorial teaches you something very easy and special to cut or copy and paste a selected area as a new layer. So, let’s have a look at our step-by-step guidelines.

  • First of all, create a new layer using the Add Layer button. You’ll see it’s just transparent. Because your background layer is the original layer that contains the original document, and from there, you’ll copy your selection and paste it within the new layer.
  • Then, copy the selected area by pressing Ctrl + C (PC) or Cmd + C (Mac). 
  • Now it’s time to paste the selected area, which is already copied in your clipboard.
  • So press Ctrl + V (PC) or Cmd + V (Mac) to paste the selection.

Now, look at your new layer. This is now filled with the selected area from your background layer, which means the original document.


FAQs

(1) How to delete selections in Photoshop?

The easiest way to delete selection photoshop is using the key command from the keyboard. To delete a selection, select the area that must be deleted and then press the Backspace (Windows) or Delete (macOS) button. Consequently, the area chosen should be deleted.

(2) Why can’t I delete a selection in Photoshop?

Probably you are working with the default background layer. Before deleting a selection, make sure that the background layer is active or copy your default background layer and make a new layer. Then, press the Delete button and see if there is no problem.

(3) How do I remove a selection in Photoshop?

When removing or subtracting a selection in Photoshop, select Subtract from the selection icon from the options bar. Alternatively, you can also press the Alt key (Win) or Option key (Mac) to remove the selected area from the selection.


Conclusion

When you like working in Photoshop to edit your pictures or documents, it is very important to know how to delete a selection in Photoshop. 

This is why we came up with this useful as well as handy photoshop tutorial article.

However, these guidelines are the most convenient processes to be done in photoshop. But other methods can be used to delete photoshop selection.

Basically, in Photoshop, each tool and method has it’s specialty and ability to be precise. That means your success while working in photoshop depends only on your knowledge and experience and your awareness of your needs.

I hope you found the vast ideas from our helpful tutorial.

About the author:

Chris Daniel

Chris Daniel

Chris Daniel is a very unique, professional, and informative website/blog writer. His biography page features various types of photography strategies in the USA. Keep an eye on his blog that contains a lot of creative details that draw with keep attention.

Chris Daniel

Chris Daniel

Chris Daniel is a very unique, professional, and informative website/blog writer. His biography page features various types of photography strategies in the USA. Keep an eye on his blog that contains a lot of creative details that draw with keep attention.

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