STEP 1 - Setting the Stage
There are several instances in which you are asked to copy an image into a selection. The first instance is when you make the selection yourself. This is the simplest example, and the easiest to explain.
When you are asked to draw a rectangle or any preset shape in a tutorial, the status bar at the bottom of the screen gives you some valuable information. When the status bar is enabled and you move your cursor over the workspace, the coordinates of the cursor appear in the status bar. When you begin drawing, several more numbers appear on the status bar:
The first pair of numbers, or coordinates, always indicates the cursor starting position. The second pair of coordinates indicates the moving cursor position as you draw out your image, and will continue to change until you stop moving the cursor. The third pair of numbers, which also changes as you move your cursor, indicates the dimensions of your image (width by height). Finally, the last number, which appears in brackets [ ], indicates the aspect ratio of width to height of your image. This is the number we're concerned with when selecting areas to copy images into.
In the above image, the aspect ratio is 1.000 - which is exactly the ratio of width to height of any image that has equal sides!
To practice using this information, open a new 300 x 300 pixel image. Using the Selection tool set to rectangle, make a selection starting at coordinates (30,30), and ending at coordinates (180,80). Before releasing your mouse button, check size of the image - it should be 150 x 50, with an aspect ratio of 3.000!
Try making selections using other selection types, noting the information displayed on the status bar.
STEP 2 - You Make the Selection
Now let's put this information to work copying an image into a selection. This time, with the Selection tool set to rectangle, make a selection starting at coordinates (30,30), and ending at coordinates (292,161). Notice on the status bar that this selection has an aspect ratio of 2.000. Leave selected, and open the flower image provided with this tutorial, ss-image1.jpg:
This image is not the same shape as your selection - in fact, this particular image is square, and if you were to copy this entire image into your selection, it would be quite distorted!
However, if you make a selection from this image that has the same aspect ratio as your target selection (remember, we determined that it was 2.000), the image will fit into your selection with no distortion! Try that now - make a selection that is approximately twice as wide as it is high, watching the coordinates on the status bar. When you have something you are satisfied with that has an aspect ratio of 2.000, release the cursor.
Don't worry if the selection is not exactly where you want it - you can move it! Choose the Mover tool and with the RIGHT mouse button, move the selection around until you are happy with its placement! Now copy that selection, return to the target image, and paste it into the selection you made there.
Here are the two copies I did - in the first, I copied the entire flower image into the selection, and in the second, I made a selection from my image with the correct aspect ratio of 2.000:
The first one looks ugly, doesn't it! It looks so much nicer when the selection is made proportionally!
This works the same way for circles and squares or any other shape you draw! Just keep an eye on the aspect ratio while you're drawing, jot that number down, and when you go to make your selection from another image, use that same aspect ratio!
Here's another set of examples using an elliptical selection. For the first image, I copied the entire sample photo into my selection. The distorted results are a sad reminder that this is NOT the proper way to make a selection! For the second image, I determined the aspect ration of the ellipse to be 0.507, and used this number when making my selection from the source image - the results are much more pleasing, right!
Note that you don't have to get the aspect ratio EXACTLY the same, even to the third decimal place, but you need to be at least in the ball park!. For this selection, whose aspect ratio was 0.507, making a selection with an aspect ratio of 0.500, or even 0.510 would work fine, but one with an aspect ratio of 1.000 would give results that are not proportional at all!
It is very important to remember this: it's not the size of the selection you make from the source image that's important - it's the aspect ratio! The following images all have the same aspect ratio (1.000), but note the differences in sizes! You could copy any of these into a selection whose aspect ratio is 1.000 with perfect results!
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 169x169 |
213x213 |
299x299 |
381x381 |
This means you can usually get the portion you want from a photo or image without sacrificing quality by using a proportional selection! Wonderful, isn't it! Just remember, though size is not important, the selection size should be at least as large as the area you are copying into, or you risk losing image quality. And remember, too, that you are resizing the image when you copy it into a selection, and after resizing, many images can be improved by using the Sharpen filter!
STEP 3 - Selecting a Predefined Area
Okay - on to the second type of selections you're asked to copy into. These are the ones where the selection has already been predetermined for you. An example of this type of selection is the case where you have an image, and you are asked to use the Magic Wand tool to select a blank area on a layer, such as an oval cutout shape in a frame, and then copy an image into this selection. Let's take a closer look at this type of selection.
Open ss-image2.psp:
This image consists of 2 layers - a frame with a blank oval shape in the center and an empty layer beneath the frame. To insert a photo or image into this frame, you need to determine the aspect ratio of the opening.
The easiest way I know to do this is to select the blank area in the center of the frame, copy it, and paste it as a new image. Then, if you determine the aspect ratio of this new image, you'll have the aspect ratio of the oval!
The quickest way to get the aspect ratio of the new image is to use the Image...Resize dialog - the aspect ratio is always there in the box near the bottom of the screen:
Go ahead and do this with ss-image2.psp, and come back here when you've determined the aspect ratio of the oval cutout in the frame, and we'll compare notes! Note that once you've determined the aspect ratio of that new image, you can delete it.
Your "test" image should have had an aspect ratio of 0.6878. That's exactly what you determined, right! If not, let's go through the steps, one by one:
a. On the frame layer, use your Magic Wand tool to select the blank area inside the ellipse.
b. Copy this area (Edit...Copy, or CTRL + C).
c. Paste this area as a new image (Edit...Paste...As New Image or CTRL + V).
d. Access the Resize dialog for the new image to read the aspect ratio (Image...Resize or SHIFT + S) .
e. Jot down the aspect ratio for future reference.
f. Delete the new image.
Now activate the source image - I'm using the flower image (ss-image1.jpg) again - and make a selection with the same aspect ratio as you determined your ellipse to be (0.6878). This selection, no matter how large, will fit perfectly into your ellipse within the frame!
If you want to do this now, I would suggest you expand the selection in the frame by 2 pixels, and paste your image on the layer below the frame - this way, the edges will be clean. The tiny difference in the size of the target selection is not enough to distort your image! Now, isn't that easy! Don't forget to sharpen your image!
STEP 4 - You Need A Specific Sized Image
One other instance of trying to fit an image into a selection occurs when a tutorial author tells you to use an image of a certain size. Maybe the image you want to use is not that size at all - can you use it? Of course (or at least, usually)! Just create a new image of the size called for in the tutorial, determine its aspect ratio, make a note of this number, and use it when making a selection from your source image! Cancel the resize operation (it's only used to determine the aspect ratio), but keep the "test" image to copy your selection into. Now you have an image of the size called for in the tutorial!
For example, suppose the tutorial calls for an image 200 x 100. Create a new image with these dimensions, and use the Resize dialog (as outlined above) to determine its aspect ratio. Now make a proportional selection from your source image, and copy into this image as a new layer (or Select all on the "test" image, and copy into the selection)! Of course, you probably did the math in your head and knew the aspect ratio was 2.000 without even drawing the image! But what if the tutorial asks for an image that's 173 x 259! Doing that math in your head is - well, impossible for the ordinary person! But using the methods described in this tutorial, you would determine that the aspect ratio is 0.668, and you're ready to work on your source image now!
STEP 5 - Using the Crop Tool to Make Selections
These same methods work when using the Crop tool. When you use the Crop tool, a visible crop rectangle appears on your image. As you draw out this rectangle, the "from", "to", and "size" information appears on your status bar, as well as the aspect ratio of your crop selection. Once you've made a selection with the correct ratio, you can move the selection around by clicking inside the crop rectangle and dragging. You can even change the size of the rectangle by clicking on one of its sides and dragging it. Caution: moving the sides of the rectangle will change the aspect ratio, which continues to display on the status bar as you move the edge. You must maintain the correct aspect ratio or your image will be out of proportion! When you are happy with your selection, double-click to complete cropping the image!
STEP 6 - Summary
In summary:
a. If you are making the selection to be copied into, note the aspect ratio on the status bar and use this number when selecting from your source image.
b. If you are copying into a selection of unknown proportions, copy the selection to a new image, determine its aspect ratio by viewing the Resize dialog, and use this number when selecting from your source image.
c. If you need an image of specific dimensions, make a new image with those dimensions, use the Resize dialog to determine its aspect ratio, use this number when selecting from your source image, and copy the selection directly to this image before using in the tutorial.
STEP 7 - Practice Session!
Now it's time to see if you've really learned how to make proportional selections! I've included the template used in the opening image in the ZIP file for this tutorial as ss-image3.psp. Open it now and fill with images of your choice! Remember to expand each selection by about 2 pixels before copying into the selection, and do the copying on the layer below the template. When you're done with your selections, add a frame to your image, and that's it!
Hope you've had fun, and have learned something about making proportional selections!
If you have any problems, comments, or questions, please do not hesitate to Email me.
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