ELLIPTICAL MARQUEE TOOL
The Elliptical Marquee tool is similar to the
Rectangular marquee tool, with the exception that it is best used
for designing round shapes or making circular selections. If you are
using default Photoshop settings, it can be found on the right side
of the screen under the control panel. It can be found by clicking
under the Rectangular Marquee tool. It will be shaped like a
circle with a dotted line.
The purpose of the Elliptical Marquee tool is
to make selections which are shaped like an ellipse. Once you've
selected it, click on the canvas image and drag. To do this you will
need to hold down on the left mouse button as you move the cursor
across the image. If you have the New selection option
selected under the Options menu, you can erase your current
selection by making a new selection. If you have made a selection,
and you want to add an ellipse to it, you can select the Add to
selection option under the Options menu. You can also
click and hold the Shift button while making a selection to do this.
If you want to delete an ellipse from a
selection, you will need to press the Subtract from selection
option under the Options menu, or you will need to press the
Alt key while making a selection. If you have an existing
selection and you want to intersect an ellipse with it, you will
need to choose the Intersect with selection option under the
Options menu. You can also click the Shift/Alt keys
simultaneously while making a selection. You will find that there
are always at least two methods for accomplishing a task with
Photoshop. You can pick the method which suits you the best.
If you want to make an elliptical selection
which has specific measurements, you will want to pick the Fixed
Aspect Ratio style option under the Options menu. Here
you can set any height measurements you want. Each elliptical
selection you make will then conform to these values. When you make
a new selection, the proportions can be set to 1:1 to make circular
selections by pressing the Shift button while making a
selection. If you want your elliptical selections to have preset
sizes, you can make this change by picking the Fixed Size
style option under the Options menu. Here you can set the
width and height settings you want.
When the New Selection option is picked,
the borders of the selected portions can be moved when the cursor is
inside of the selection area. You can also use the left, right, up,
and down arrow keys on your keyboard in order to move around the
selected area when the New Selection option is picked. The
Elliptical Marquee tool is a fundamental part of mastering
Photoshop. It allows you to create and select shapes which are
elliptical. If you are a beginner at Photoshop, this is an important
tool that you must learn before moving into the intermediate levels.
