Selecting Sections of an Image?

[Blue Leader]

Excuse the title, I'm not really sure what to call this. And hopefully this is the correct place to put this question...

Anyhow, greetings!

I'm trying to find a way to select various portions of an image in Photoshop so I can put them on various layers, allowing me to edit them later (allowing me to change the color and what-not). But as of yet I haven't found a good way to go about doing this.
Using the Pen tool takes a very long time and can be frustrating to use when there is a lot to select, and when using the Color Range selector it's hard to get just the sections I want exactly without getting a bunch of "bits" from other sections. And just using the Magic Wand doesn't really work that well.

For example, here's one image I've been trying to "cut up" (so to speak).
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...aggExample.png
For this one I'm trying to change the colors of the yellow sections, the white, the gray, brown, and the red. I'm trying to split those up into different layers so I can edit them separately. For example, I'd like to make the yellow portions of the image purple and the red I'd like to turn gold.

What would be a good way to go about doing this? Any help on this would be very much appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

[hawkeye60]

I did this without cutting the image just using a selective color adjustment layer.

[Dave.Cox]

Hello Blue Leader, and welcome to Retouch Pro.

There are several methods that you can use to accomplish this.
A good place to start, is the selective color adjustment layer, as hawkeye mentioned. It is a good method when you just want to shift some colors.

But there are other times when you really will need to get the parts into separate layers. For this, you might try making your selection with Menu>Select>Color Range. Move the fuzziness slider around to change the sensitivity.

You can also try using the magic wand tool. You can also change the sensitivity of this tool by adjusting the tolerance.

But there are always going to be images where there is not enough contrast for Photoshop to make the selection for you. In those cases, the pen tool is your best friend. It is very well worth learning. I realize it seems slow and awkward at first, but as you get used to it you will find it is often faster than many of the other tools.
This tutorial might help you. http://www.davesdfr.com/Media/PenTool2.htm

Another method that you can use, is the quick mask tool. It will let you paint in your selection. I find it slower, but some people prefer this method. Press Q, and paint in the area you want selected. It will show up in red, unless you have changed the color. Press Q again to exit.

[Blue Leader]

I tend to use the Pen tool most of the time, and I always have a hard time with the Color Range selector.
But where do you find the "color adjustment layer"? I don't think I remember that...

Thank you for the replies.

[Flora]

Hi Blue Leader!

Welcome to RetouchPRO!!

Originally Posted by Blue Leader

...I'm trying to find a way to select various portions of an image in Photoshop so I can put them on various layers, allowing me to edit them later (allowing me to change the color and what-not). But as of yet I haven't found a good way to go about doing this.

As hawkeye60 said .. you don't always need to cut and copy the selection to its own Layer .... Once you have selected the part you want to work on (marching ants around it!), if it's only for colour correction, contrast , you simply go at the bottom of your Layers' Palette and click on the 'Create a new fill or Adjustment Layer' button ... from the cascading Menu select the kind of Adjustment Layer you wish to use ... here I went for Hue/saturation. Once created, the new Adjustment layer will come with its own Layer mask where Photoshop will have already put your selection!! Attachment 1

Originally Posted by Blue Leader

Using the Pen tool takes a very long time and can be frustrating to use when there is a lot to select, and when using the Color Range selector it's hard to get just the sections I want exactly without getting a bunch of "bits" from other sections. And just using the Magic Wand doesn't really work that well....What would be a good way to go about doing this? Any help on this would be very much appreciated...

... As you surely know, there are about a billion ways for doing a selection in Photoshop!! ... I'm also not a big fan of the Pen Tool btw... For the other methods you mentioned you could try to tweak 'Fuzziness' or 'Tolerance' until you hace an acceptable selection ... after which you can refine your selection by editing in Quick Mask Mode ..Attachment 2 and Attachment 3

Attachment 4 > Original - Mask -Final result ...

Hope this helps...

[Blue Leader]

Sorry for the late reply!

Ah, thanks, that helps a lot.

Though not that I suppose it matters too much, but just a question out of curiosity... It shows you using the Quick Mask and painting it in red, which the red selects the areas you want to edit. But when I do it the red deselects the areas, and having a completely clear/paint free section is the section that will be selected once I leave the Quick Mask. It's like for me it's the opposite.
Like I said, it probably doesn't matter much it still works. I just kind of found it odd. Is this an option I hit or something?

[Dave.Cox]

Double click the quick mask icon on the toolbar. It is almost on the bottom of the tool bar. When you double click it, a preferences dialoge will open. Change the "Color Indicates" preference to selected areas. Now it will select where you have painted instead of deselecting.

[Putske]

I find myself extracting complex images all the time. I use the polygone lasso tool. It's similar to the pen tool but different in some ways.

[Flora]

Hi again Blue Leader,

thank you for your feedback!!!

Originally Posted by Blue Leader

Sorry for the late reply!

Ah, thanks, that helps a lot.

Though not that I suppose it matters too much, but just a question out of curiosity... It shows you using the Quick Mask and painting it in red, which the red selects the areas you want to edit. But when I do it the red deselects the areas, and having a completely clear/paint free section is the section that will be selected once I leave the Quick Mask. It's like for me it's the opposite.
Like I said, it probably doesn't matter much it still works. I just kind of found it odd. Is this an option I hit or something?

Dave has already answered to that ... Sorry ..I forgot to add that bit to my explanation even if I had taken and posted the snapshot to show how to do it.. (Attachment 2!) ... Since I use the Quick Mask Tool quite often, I find more practical switching its Color Options ... and in certain cases, i.e. when there are already a lot of reds in the image, I change the color of the Mask as well ... (at least I can see what I'm doing!!! )

Dave,
thank you so much for your help!!!

[Blue Leader]

Ah, thank you very much, everyone. Much appreciated.

[hawkeye60]

Here's one more way without selecting...with your image open click adjustments, hue and saturation. From the dropdown list pick any color, then take your mouse and click on the color you want to change. The dropdown list will automatically change to the appropriate color. Then adjust the sliders to change the color as you please. Click OK. If you want to change other colors do it again.
As you can see, there are many way to accomplish the same task in Photoshop. It's simply a matter of deciding which works best for you and the situation.

[Blue Leader]

Ah, that works really well too. THanks.