Top Ten Photoshop Elements Magic Wand Tool Tips and Techniques

[@HTGGeorge]

➡ Check out my New Tool that makes learning Photoshop Elements Super Easy! Here is my video about it on my HTG Photo channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5StY3Ssnr-Bf5o

[@nestorc2133]

George, you're a PSE Treasure. I always learn something new.

[@HTGGeorge]

Thanks!

[@bentkm]

Well, you got like no. 500 from me, for this video. I am not sure why the "like" wasn't no. 500.000, as it is what your videos deserve George.

[@HTGGeorge]

Thanks Bent! I have almost twice as many subscribers as the official Adobe Photoshop Elements channel, but PSE is a really small niche on KZbin.

[@pohlpiano]

Perfect tutorial!

[@HTGGeorge]

Thank you!

[@sparkle.s]

As always, great tip! Thank you ~ much appreciated

[@HTGGeorge]

My pleasure!

[@alpakman1082]

Very Helpful video, thanks

[@HTGGeorge]

You're welcome! And take a look at my new channel for Photoshop Elements stuff, all of my new videos are now going up over there www.youtube.com/@HTGPhoto

[@DrinkingStar]

Learned 2 new things with this video. A nice review for the other tips. Thanks.

[@HTGGeorge]

You're welcome!

[@tharding2870]

Super tips ! Thank you

[@HTGGeorge]

Welcome 😊

[@HTGGeorge]

🔴 If you enjoyed this video show your support by clicking on the Thanks button

[@jenda3322]

Opět skvělý tutoriál ok👍

[@HTGGeorge]

Thanks!

[@MrMoonpie001]

Have never been a fan of this tool simply because of the time involved in using it. Those hot keys Sft or Alt make all the difference and really pick up the pace! I will have to try this out and see how it works. Up to this point the magic wand was used on landscape, especially fall when you need more of those leave to be something besides green! You can make a one click selection to a leaf and it covers lots of the picture in smaller patches, just change the hue and you are set! There is a reason and purpose for everything! Thanks George as always! Rich

[@HTGGeorge]

You're welcome Rich! My usual go to selection tool is the polygonal lasso, but when the situation is right the magic wand is faster.

[@MrMoonpie001]

@@HTGGeorge hey I rewatch many of your old videos. I just finished the one on making a Luminosity Mask!!! That thing is brillant!!! I appreciate it now more than ever a big help!!! Thank you! Rich

[@HTGGeorge]

@@MrMoonpie001 You're welcome Rich! And that video was in reply to a question you asked me about a Photoshop technique and could it work on PSE. So, really, that video was for you.

[@sydene54]

This was great. could you give a run down on the 'smart brush' tool?

[@HTGGeorge]

Great Idea! I did a video about that a few years ago, definitely time for a new one.

[@eternitymine]

Thanks again. Question.... why do you create a layer mask when you want to delete the background instead of just deleting it since you made a copy of the layer anyway? I'm just curious to know if there is a benefit to do it that way? I've always just deleted the background.

[@HTGGeorge]

I use a layer mask in case I want to go back in the future and make adjustments. I can do that with a layer mask. If I just deleted I would be stuck and would have to go back and do the whole thing over again. So the layer mask saves time if adjustments are needed.

[@arthurponsart6969]

Trying to find the photo in this video so l can follow along with

[@HTGGeorge]

pixabay.com/photos/beautiful-cheerful-cute-excited-18616/

[@emrek99205]

Do you have a video on the "proper" histogram for photographic images? I've noticed that certain levels of saturation, brightness, contrast, vibrance, etc. look better than others and seem to reside within a type of "sweet spot" for each setting as the histogram changes. The histogram changes for every image depending on the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed so it can't really be done automatically. Just wondering if you had a video on perception of 100% photo images. Seems like it should be possible to edit a picture's coloring and lighting by ONLY looking at the histogram. This would allow correct edits by ignoring the monitor's gamma calibration and room lighting. I take and edit a lot of images and generally want them to look as realistic as possible with only a slight increase in sharpness and vibrancy. I do this primarily by observing the changes in histogram as the slider settings change. Mostly I want to hear someone else's perspective on this to know if I'm doing it correctly. The resulting images look right, but I always feel like I might be missing something.

[@HTGGeorge]

Hi, there is no "Proper" histogram. Photographs are all about viewer perception, a histogram can be useful to help you see color distribion between the RGB channels, but it doesn't tell you anything about the picture itself. This is one of the reasons I don't like automated tools, they usually do a mediocre job. That's because they use the histogram. As an example a white square on top of a blue field will look different from a white square on top of an orange field. The histogram will only see a pure white square, but our eyes compare the white to the color around the white and our brain interprets the white differently based upon its environment. Same thing happens with all colors in a photo. What you want is to get the best image for a viewers perception, not the best image based upon computer numbers. I always adjust my images based upon my perception of the image and what looks best to my eye. I never use a histogram to try to adjust a picture, that will not give you the best results. But generally most images can use a bit more contrast and a bit more vibrancy as you have been doing. Beyond that for the best results you need to use your own eyes, don't rely on computer numbers.

[@jessquinn6106]

Hey George. I know this is an old video and all but this video raises a problem I have with the magic wand: Lately when I use its I find that if I use it to delete an area (say a background) I find that the area that is left ends up having a pixelated edge where the line was. Any idea what is causing this? It's VERY annoying.

[@HTGGeorge]

The Magic Wand isn't very good at making selections and will tend to give jagged edges. Which is why I normally don't use it. I prefer to make a careful selection using one of the lasso tools and Refine Edge, those are always clean. One thing you can do to reduce the jaggy problem with the magic wand is to increase the resolution of your image from 72 or 75 ppi to 300 ppi. Go to Image/Resize/Image Size.

[@jessquinn6106]

@@HTGGeorge Thanks George. Yes I have been working with a bigger Res these days just to cut down on the pixelation. I still have not mastered the Refine Edge yet. But I am practicing. And for the record, your tutorials are awesome. Keep up the great work.

[@HTGGeorge]

@@jessquinn6106 Thanks Jess! And make sure you go over to www.youtube.com/@HTGPhoto, that is my new channel for Photoshop Elements, all the new videos are going up over there.

[@jessquinn6106]

@@HTGGeorge Already there. 😁 👍

[@HTGGeorge]

Great!

[@RonWagner-m8r]

very good video. You go slow enough to follow everything and you don't assume we know where the particular tools are located,

[@HTGGeorge]

Thanks 👍

[@Acumind1]

Not sure if it is just different in 2024, but I just want to use the Magic wand and take out the background and make it transparent. Now it uses the colors in the left bottom

[@HTGGeorge]

The magic wand hasn't changed in 2024, works like it always has. But make sure you are on the magic wand and not one of the other tools in that set. In my personal opinion using the magic wand is the worst way to remove a background. Check out these videos for better techniques kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2KoeXVvpah7fcU and kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3W5lqeDj8iWe8U. And take a look at my new channel where I am now posting all of my new PSE videos www.youtube.com/@HTGPhoto

[@Acumind1]

There something I need to do to make it transparent. I had a little stroke in the interim since that I've done that and there's something that will it be transparent. @@HTGGeorge