If you’ve ever struggled to select something in Photoshop with crisp, clean edges, then you know how frustrating it can be. The Refine Edge tool is designed to help with just that. Here’s a quick guide on how to use it.
To start, open up the image you want to work on in Photoshop. Make a selection around the area you want to refine using one of the selection tools. Once you have a selection, go to the Select menu and choose Refine Edge.
In the Refine Edge dialog box, there are a few options to choose from. The first is Smoothing.
This controls how much smoothing is applied to the edges of your selection. If your edges are very jagged, you can increase the amount of smoothing. If they’re too soft, you can decrease it.
The next option is Feather. This determines how soft or sharp the edges of your selection will be. A higher number will result in softer edges, while a lower number will give you sharper edges.
You can also adjust the Contrast and Shift Edge options. Contrast will make your selection’s edge either more defined or less defined, depending on which way you move the slider. Shift Edge allows you to nudge your selection’s edge in or out.
Once you’re happy with your settings, hit OK and see how your selection looks. If you’re not satisfied, simply go back into the Refine Edge dialog box and adjust your settings until you get the results you want.
Conclusion:
The Refine Edge tool is extremely versatile and can be used in a number of different ways to get different results. Play around with the different options until you find a look that you like. With a little practice, you’ll be able to get perfect selections every time.
