Step-by-Step: Using Photoshop CS3 Refine Edge Command

Since I’ve post about the new Photoshop CS3 feature, Refine Edge Command. There are so many users asking me how to use this command to apply to the image. Actually I have answer the quick step in the comment of that post, but I think it’ll be better if I also include this full detail instruction and visual here.

The Refine Edge Command is command that use to modify the selection edges. It’s combination of several selection command such as feather, expand and contract with additional different preview modes. The previews will show the change to current selection not actual image. So after apply the command you will not see any change in the image until you do apply some action to the image or apply layer mask to the layer. This may the point that some users get confuse.

To use Refine Edge Command

1. First use any selection tool such as Marquee Tool or Lasso Tool . You can also use Shape Tool or Pen Tool  to draw a path then convert it to selection. For this case I would like to create frame with feather around the camera so I will choose Round Rectangular Shape Tool 
2. Select Round Rectangular Shape Tool  at tool option bar select Path option and set "Radius" to 25px. Draw a rectangular frame around the cameras. You can also use Pen Tool to modify the frame as needed.

3. Make selection form created path by, make sure that the path is active, click at Make Selection Button  at bottom of Path Palette. Now you should have some selection active similar to example below.
   

   Note: If you apply now you will have a frame with small feather depend on your make selection setting in your path palette. The default setting when you first install Photoshop is 0px but I usually set it to 1px, this will let me have small feather every time I convert path to selection.

4. With selection still active, choose menu Select » Refine Edge, modify the selection using each slider with different preview mode. You can see the definition for each setting and preview mode at my previous post “New Photoshop CS3: Refine Edge Command”. Don’ t worry about some banding that might be occur in the preview. The preview doesn’t 100% accurate, this depend on your graphic card. Then hit "OK" when you satisfy with the preview result.

5. In most case you will not notice any changes in this point, until you do any action with the modified selection; such as fill color, apply filter or delete pixel. So let’s temporary discard the area outside selection using layer mask by select the layer you want to apply the layer mask and click at New Layer Mask Button at bottom of layer palette.
   

   Note: If the layer you want to apply layer mask is “Background” layer. You have to convert to layer by double-click at the Background layer, rename it as needed in new layer windows. Then just apply selection to layer mask as describe in step 5.

6. If you have only one layer in your image, you may notice that the area outside the frame are transparent. So you can create new layer under it and fill the new layer with some color.[Show Detail]
   You can create new layer by click at New Layer Button at bottom of layer palette. Then reorder it to bottom most layer by click and drag it below the masked layer.
   To fill entire layer with color by assign the desire color to foreground color at the toolbox, then use Paint Bucket Tool  or press Alt + Backspace (Option + Return) to fill foreground color to layer.

Related Article

• New Photoshop CS3: Refine Edge Command
• Using Photoshop Selection Feather
• All About Photoshop Layer and Layer Palette
• Photoshop Layer mask and Vector Mask
• Using Photoshop Shape Tool and Pen Tool

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