Deselect or Unfloat a Selection

Invert Selection

Floating selections exist in a special graphics layer above the full-screen image processing document.  These selections can be moved around the workspace without affecting the underlying image.

A floating selection is created when you paste an image, when you select Float Selection from the Image menu, or when you move a part of the image from one location to another on the Image Processing workspace.

For example, select a part of your image using the Marquee tool  PBipmarquee.gif (908 bytes).  Then move the selection with the mouse.  In the example below, the bottom half of the right image was selected and moved to a different location on the workspace.

The area from which the selection was moved now displays the background color.  The background color is the color identified in the Color Picker.  In the example below, the background color is white. 

ipunfloat.gif (34183 bytes)

Since the selection moved, it is now a floating selection that can be freely repositioned around the workspace without changing the original image.  Notice that the background behind the moved selection is still green and not white like the background.

Once you know where you want to place the selection, though, you merge the floating selection with the image below it.  To do this, you have two options.   You can either unfloat the selection, in which case the selection is still marked by the marquee (the black and white dashes around the selection), or you can deselect the floating selection.  

The merged selection, or unfloated selection, replaces the image below it.  If you move the selection again, it is just like moving a part of the original image (the background replaces the moved selection).   Deselecting an image, instead of unfloating it, completely merges the images, and there no longer is a marquee around the selection.

To Unfloat a Floating Selection

  1. Select Unfloat Selection from the Image menu.

  2. The selection is merged with the underlying image, yet it is still identified by a border of black and white dashes. 

To Deselect an Image

  1. Select Deselect from the Image menu, or click elsewhere on the workspace.

  2. The selection is merged with the underlying image, and the selection is no longer identified by the black and white dashes. 

To Invert a Selection

  1. Make a selection in an image.
  2. Select Invert Selection form the Image menu.
  3. Everything that wasn't selected will become selected. Very useful when it is easier to select the surounding parts of an image that you want to select.


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