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Refine selection edges

The Refine Edge option improves the quality of a selection’s edges and allows you to view the selection against different backgrounds for easy editing.

You can also use Refine Edge options to refine a layer mask. See Change mask opacity or refine edges.
  1. Create a selection with any selection tool.
  2. Click Refine Edge in the selection tool options bar or choose Select > Refine Edge to set options for adjusting the selection:
    Radius
    Determines the size of the region around the selection boundary in which edge refinement occurs. Increase the radius to create a more exact selection boundary in areas with soft transitions or fine detail, such as those in short hair or fur, or blurred boundaries.

    Contrast
    Sharpens selection edges and removes fuzzy artifacts. Increasing contrast can remove excessive noise near selection edges caused by a high Radius setting.

    Smooth
    Reduces irregular areas (“hills and valleys”) in the selection boundary to create a smoother outline. Enter a value or move the slider from 0 to 100.

    Feather
    Creates a soft-edged transition between the selection and its surrounding pixels. Enter a value or move the slider to define the width of the feathered edge from 0 to 250 pixels.

    Contract/Expand
    Shrinks or enlarges the selection boundary. Enter a value or move the slider to set the amount from 0 to 100% to expand, 0 to ‑100% to contract. Most useful for making subtle adjustments to soft-edged selections. Shrinking the selection can help remove unwanted background colors from selection edges.

    For images where the colors of the selected object are distinct from the background, try increasing the Radius, applying Contrast to sharpen edges, then adjusting the Contract/Expand slider. For grayscale images or images where the colors of the selected object and the background are very similar, try smoothing first, then the Feather option, then Contract/Expand.
  3. Click a Selection View icon to change view modes. Click Description to view information about each mode.

    • Select or deselect Preview to turn edge refinement previewing on or off.

    • Click the Zoom tool to zoom in or out while adjusting the selection.

    • Use the Hand tool to reposition the image.

    Double-click the Quick Mask preview mode icon to change mask color or opacity.
  4. To save your selection adjustments, click OK.