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Selecting Pixels

Selections isolate pixels so that drawing, filling, or color adjustments affect only the targeted area. The editor supports three primary selection methods:

  • Box: Click and drag a rectangular box with the Select tool.
  • Color (Magic Wand): Click on any pixel with the Magic Wand tool to select its color. Set Tolerance to capture similar colors, and toggle Contiguous only to limit the selection to touching pixels.
  • Polygon: Click points around an irregular shape with the Select tool set to Polygon mode. Close the path by clicking the start point, double-clicking, or pressing Enter.

Magic Wand: Advanced Settings

When using the Magic Wand tool, clicking the Advanced dropdown chevron reveals custom controls engineered specifically for background removal, edge softening, and detailed pixel selection:

  • Contiguous only:
    • When Checked (Default): Selects only touching, connected pixels of the same color starting from where you click. Useful for isolating specific background pockets.
    • When Unchecked: Scans and selects every single pixel of that matching color across the entire active layer, regardless of whether they touch. Useful for massive color-swapping.
  • Clean edges on clear:
    • When Checked: Whenever you delete your selection (via Delete, Backspace, or Clear), the editor runs an automatic edge-cleansing algorithm that melts away discolored matte halos and leftover outlines, making background silhouettes clean.
    • When Unchecked: Cuts away selected pixels precisely on the pixel grid boundary without softening edges.
  • Edge cleanup depth:
    • Strong (Default): Applies a thorough border cleanup pass, ideal for scaling down large photographic silhouettes where color bleeding is heavy.
    • Light: Runs a tighter, conservative cleanup pass that protects fine, single-pixel details and thin borders.
Magic Wand settings interface

Selection Bar Actions

Whenever a selection is active, the selection bar floats above the canvas containing advanced tools. These are the actions you can take:

Floating selection bar actions
Copy Selection

Copies all pixels in the active selection from the current layer to the editor clipboard. You can paste it into any frame, layer, or separate cursor size.

Paste Selection

Places the copied clipboard pixels back onto the canvas. You can drag and position the pasted pixels as an active preview overlay before committing them.

Invert Selection

Inverts the selection area so that everything *except* what was previously selected becomes highlighted. Press Ctrl / Cmd + Shift + I for quick access.

Defringe Selection

Cleans up alpha matte borders. Perfect after background removal to wipe out messy or discolored edge pixels from imported images, smoothing the silhouette of your cursor.

Outline Selection

Generates a sticker-style outline stroke around your selection boundaries using the active color. Click the drop caret to adjust its Size (1px to 10px), Opacity, and Placement (Outside, Center, or Inside).

Clear Selection

Deletes all pixels within the selected area on the active layer. You can also press Delete or Backspace on your keyboard.

Adding and Subtracting Selection Areas

You can build complex, detailed selection masks by holding modifiers while using selection tools:

  • Hold Shift while making a box or color selection to add pixels to the current selection.
  • Hold Alt while selecting to subtract pixels from the current selection.
  • Press Escape to discard a polygon draft or completely clear the active selection.

Related Pages

Colors Choose quick colors, sample colors, shift hues, tint artwork, and recolor selected areas. Drawing Tools Use drawing tools, place pointer artwork, and test the real browser cursor in Live Preview. Keyboard Shortcuts Use common keyboard shortcuts for undo, redo, copy, paste, movement, panning, and cancellation.