How can I select all pixels of an exact color in Photoshop?
Asked 9/7/2011
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2 answers
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In Adobe Photoshop, I want to select every pixel on the current layer that matches a specific color value exactly, and select nothing if that color is not present. I may know the RGB/CMYK/HSB value in advance rather than the location of a matching pixel in the image. What's the best way to do this precisely?
Originally by user4517. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4517
15y ago
2 Answers
18
You can use the Magic Wand Tool with the following setting:
Tolerance: 0
Anti-alias: unchecked
Contiguous: unchecked
Sample All Layers: *checked or unchecked* (See below)
The Magic Wand Tool also uses the "Sample Size" settings from the Eye Dropper tool, so you will have to switch to that tool and make sure it is set to "Point Sample" before using the Magic Wand Tool. Otherwise you could end up selecting more colors than you intended.
To select a color by value, the easist way is probably to make a new layer and fill some part of it with the color you wish to select, and then use the Magic Wand tool (set to sample all layers) and click on your color patch on the new layer.
Source: http://ask.metafilter.com/146706/This-Photoshop-is-driving-me-crazy#2104497
Originally by user1480. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1480
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. The simplest precise methods mentioned are:
-
Select > Color Range
- Open Color Range.
- Set Fuzziness to 0.
- Turn off Localized Color Clusters.
- Sample the exact color from a swatch/foreground color in Photoshop rather than from the image if needed.
- This selects only pixels matching that exact value across the image.
-
Magic Wand Tool
- Set Tolerance to 0.
- Turn Anti-alias off.
- Turn Contiguous off.
- Make sure the Eyedropper Sample Size is Point Sample.
- If you know the color value but not where it appears, make a temporary layer with a patch of that color and use Sample All Layers to click that patch.
If no pixels match, nothing will be selected. A difference-blend-layer workflow can also be used as a verification method, but Color Range or Magic Wand are the most direct solutions.
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