help with selections in photoshop

[LeAnne]

I'm using the select > modify > border tool in photoshop CS and I find that no matter what I do, my border selection comes out feathered. I can't get hard lines. Can anyone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it? This is driving me nuts!!!

Thanks!

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by LeAnne

I'm using the select > modify > border tool in photoshop CS and I find that no matter what I do, my border selection comes out feathered. I can't get hard lines. Can anyone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it? This is driving me nuts!!!

Thanks!

Based on a thread I read recently at another venue, the PS expert there (definitely not me) advised (in effect) "That's the way it works." I just did a little surfing via Google and that appears to be true.

One workaround is to:
* Create a new layer
* Create a rectangular selection. The selection represents the "outside" of the soon-to-be border.
* Edit > Stroke. Important: Select option "inside," otherwise you'll get rounded corners. Specify the stroke color and width accordingly.
* OK to create the colored border.

If you want "just the border selection" and not the colored border:
* Literally Ctrl + Click on the stroke "layer name" in the Layers Palette. This will "load the selection" (you will get "marching ants"). At this point you can do whatever you like with the selection.
* Delete the stroke layer unless you need it for some other purpose.

Does this help?

~Danny~

[LeAnne]

Thanks Danny. I'm really surprised that this is "just the way it is" with photoshop. This has to be the first (what I would consider) major flaw or oversight I've found with it. I am sure your suggestion will be helpful. I'm actually wanting the rounded corners so I'll give it a shot and see how it turns out.

Thanks again!

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by LeAnne

I'm really surprised that this is "just the way it is" with photoshop. This has to be the first (what I would consider) major flaw or oversight I've found with it.

Me, too. It's kind of a misleading representation. Had the menu command been something intuitive like, Select > Feathered border, and/or there was mention of it in the Help, I'm sure it would have saved a lot of folks time/frustration over the years.

Like many I initially thought that Select > Feather would have an effect, but alas, not. The Google search found questions about this functionality as far back as Photoshop 6, so I guess it's not a recent "feature."

Note: If you want control over the radius of your rectangles' rounded corners, another approach (albeit a little convoluted) involves using the Rounded Rectangle custom shape. (Note: Adding/subtracting selections isn't my strong suit, so there may be a shorter combination of steps.):
* Choose Custom Shape tool
* Select Rounded Rectangle
* Specify corner radius at top of screen
* Drag to create the rounded rectangle shape. Assumption: The shape edges represent the outside edges of the desired border.
* Ctrl + Click on the Shape 1 layer mask (load the selection)
* Select > Save selection... (Channel: New; Name: Outside; Operation: New Channel)
* Select > Modify > Contract (however many pixels for border width)
* Select > Save selection... (Channel: New; Name: Inside; Operation: New Channel)
* Select > Deselect
* Select > Load Selection > (Channel: Outside; Operation: New Channel)
* Select > Load Selection > (Channel: Inside; Operation: Subtract)

Any of the custom shapes can be used in this fashion.

[cardmnal]

I am a little confused with this thread. I am using ps7 and if I input 0 in the feather box on the options pallet I get a hard selection line.

Is CS different or am I missing the boat completely on this one.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by cardmnal

I am a little confused with this thread. I am using ps7 and if I input 0 in the feather box on the options pallet I get a hard selection line.

Is CS different or am I missing the boat completely on this one.

To my knowledge CS is no different than other versions.

Did you apply Select > Modify > Border to an existing rectangular selection? If not try one of about 25 px, then fill with black and zoom in. Edges should be fuzzy despite Feather=0 setting.

[Doug Nelson]

From the help file:

"The Border command creates an anti-aliased selection. To paint a hard-edged border around a selection, use the Stroke command."

I know, it's nothing like anti-aliasing, but the second part is helpful.

[cardmnal]

Thanks Danny, I see what you mean now.

I don't see it as a flaw or anything. PS has so many ways to do so many things...even borders as you and Doug have both pointed out different solutions to the same situation.

[LeAnne]

In order to get the rounded corners for my rectangular selection I used the rectangular selection tool and then went to select>modify>smooth and smoothed the selection by 20 pixels for the right size. I had to experiment a bit to find the number 20 but it worked great.

I finally got the border I needed by going to the paths pallette and converting the selection to a path and then stroking it with a 5 pixel hard brush.