Page 2 of 7 
Figure 2 The rectangular selection tool
We'll start at the top and work from left to right, beginning with the rectangular selection tool. This tool lets you click and drag to select a rectangular or square (hold the shift key while dragging) section of the image, which can then be used as a new layer, or copied and pasted into a different part of the image (or into another image).
Figure 3 The elliptical selection tool
The elliptical selection tool works in a similar fashion but allows you to select an oval or circular (with the shift key) portion of the image.
Figure 4 The free selection tool
The free selection tool, or lasso, is used to create a hand-drawn selection area. Your selection needs to end where it started or The GIMP will draw a straight line between the beginning and end of the selection.
Figure 5 The fuzzy selection tool (magic wand)
The fuzzy selection tool, or magic wand, lets you create a selection area based on the color of the pixels where you click. You can set (via the tool options tab, not shown here) the tool's threshold sensitivity, which in turn affects how much or how little of the area the wand will select.
Figure 6 The select-by-color tool
This works somewhat like the fuzzy selection tool, except it will create a selection throughout your entire image, not just in a contiguous region. That is, if you select a red flower in the foreground of the image, a red stop sign in the background will also be selected.
Figure 7 The intelligent scissors tool
The intelligent scissors tool is intended to let you create a selection based on its shape (and color). You click on various points within the image to create a set of "control nodes" at the edges of the region you are trying to select. For example, if there is an airplane in the foreground of your image and the plane is distinguishable from the image background, clicking a few points around the edge of the plane will enable The GIMP to work out the color differences between it and the rest of the image and select the plane's shape automatically.
Page 2 of 7 Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Next
Keywords
The GIMP, GNU Image Manipulation Program, Photoshop, image editing
